Crowdfunding is a hot topic in real estate development financing now that the Securities and Exchange Commission has changed solicitation rules. Broker/dealers can solicit funding from a wide net of multiple investors in loans, equity and developments, which opens up online real estate crowdfunding platforms. Currently, there is abundant capital being raised via crowdfunding for smaller projects, with the average raise of approximately $7 million, but that number is expected to get larger as crowdfunding continues to grow in popularity.

Rosario provided some insight into RealCrowd, which is a private, secure online platform for accredited investors to access, review and invest in commercial real estate opportunities across the country. Using the platform, investors can inspect investment offers and materials, such as legal documents and due diligence items, allowing them to make informed investment decisions.

Accredited investors who are seeking to diversify investment portfolios with real estate can sign up for a free RealCrowd account and complete a profile to begin viewing the newest deals and investing tips. Investment offerings are posted by US-based private real estate companies that have paid technology licensing and advertising fees. RealCrowd does not charge investors a fee to use the service. Investments offered on RealCrowd span the full spectrum of risk/return so the right investment can be chosen to satisfy any goals. RealCrowd handles all electronic signatures, document storage and communications with an investment partner. One advantage of the service is that transaction timelines are compressed with quicker due diligence, funding, comps and underwriting processing schedules.

ALM, an integrated media company, is a provider of news and information for the legal and commercial real estate markets. ALM's brands include The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, GlobeSt.com, Insight Conferences, Law.com, Law Journal Press, LegalTech, The National Law Journal and Real Estate Forum.

Procopio discussed the effect of technology from a commercial real estate media perspective, saying that real estate executives—once known as a “tech-adverse” crowd—continue to make the leap to mobile device use. Procopio stated that 25% of ALM's overall traffic originates from mobile devices and mobile has increased 125% in the last 12 months. Real estate professionals also search websites and use social media to keep current, with 28% referred to ALM's sites from an external website, search engine or social media platform.

Procopio also discussed that technology has increased the amount of data available to content producers and marketers. How that data is utilized, interpreted and communicated has become a major focus for ALM and its customers. The ALM editorial team uses performance metrics to identify topics for further exploration, determine story-telling devices, program event agendas, and print and online editorial calendar opportunities. The ALM sales and marketing solutions teams also use metrics to identify and test new markets, and share insights with clients on marketing campaign performance and how they compare to industry benchmarks. Finally, the team uses key performance indicators and industry benchmarks to create marketing solutions that help customers differentiate in the marketplace, with a noticeable shift from branding to lead generation evident in the last two years.

The takeaways from the event were commercial real estate data is king, the CRE arena is exploding with crowdfunding opportunities, and mobile media content and information metrics are building steam. While all panelists agreed that nothing can replace the human element in real estate, technology enhances the activities required to finalize a deal, and does so bolstered by data and information, with efficiency and access to capital.