GlobeSt.com: Tell me about the mobile app—what's new about it?

McGraw: We built a completely new mobile app from scratch to reflect the way a broker actually conducts business away from the office. We used to use the native Salesforce app that accompanies our software, but we saw the need for something even easier and more powerful for brokers to use when they're out and about, so we focused our new app specifically for those needs. Now, brokers can answer calls while they're on the road and have all the information they need to respond in the moment. They can cut down meeting prep time, take pictures of properties, eliminate manual rework, and have access to their database when they need it. And when everything is updated in real time, the entire brokerage team benefits from that data.

Most importantly, the app is tailored to a commercial broker's workflow–but it also offers them tremendous potential to rethink their habits and their business. The more they can do out of the office, the more productive they can be, the more money they can make.

GlobeSt.com: How is this different than other offerings on the market?

McGraw: It's far more comprehensive than other brokerage management offerings, and now it is easier to learn and use, too. It's also the only one that was built not simply as a replication of a desktop tool, but as a way to truly harness the power of mobile. So it's not only about having seamless access to your data on your phone–it's also about using native phone capabilities like speech-to-text, photos, geolocation services, etc. to be more efficient.

GlobeSt.com: What has customer response been so far?

McGraw: The customer response has been very enthusiastic. We had a number of beta users and customer advisors help us design and perfect the app, and they've been great evangelists for us. We've seen a huge number of logins so far and have been thrilled with how it's being received.

GlobeSt.com: What are some of the challenges that the CRE space faces when it comes to adopting new technology, specifically mobile?

McGraw: Many brokers already use their phones for calls and emails. Maybe they have a few productivity apps, but they haven't had Excel spreadsheets on their phone, they haven't actually used any apps to pull reports, access their database, etc. It's a new way to think about it, but it can really help them provide more value to their clients and save them time. They have all the information they need wherever they are, and it's not hard to get to. It's just a matter of forming a new habit. And it's our job to show them the benefits of that habit and what the technology can do for their brokerage.

GlobeSt.com: Why do you think the CRE space is slower to adopt?

McGraw: Many brokers spend years building relationships, and when they get to a certain point in their career, they don't feel the pressure to innovate or find new ways of doing business. It's worked for them in the past, so they didn't feel the need to use new technology.

There's also a weird generation gap in commercial real estate. There's the older crowd nearing retirement and the younger crowd just getting started, but there are fewer people in the middle of their career mostly thanks to the Great Recession. The industry wasn't necessarily a lucrative business for a number of years. Now it's picking up again, and the new generation is realizing the need for new technology.

Check back in the next day or so for more from McGraw, where we review more trends he is seeing right now in the CRE tech space and a few shifts out there.

Part 1 of 2

DENVER—APTO today will launch its reimagined user interface along with a brand new mobile app. The firm's CEO, Tanner McGraw, chats with GlobeSt.com about how, in doing so, the tech company has rethought the brokerage experience from the ground up. “We wanted to design a platform optimized for exactly what brokers and their teams need to simplify their workflow and be more efficient at their desks and in the field,” McGraw says. In the Q&A below, we also discuss the challenges that the CRE space faces when it comes to adopting new technology, specifically mobile.

GlobeSt.com: You say Apto now has a new user experience—can you tell me a little about what is new about the platform?

Tanner McGraw: Everything. But really, a new user experience means that everything looks and works better—it's faster, more streamlined, more intuitive, and easier to use to start using right away. It's the same powerful software, and the same laser focus on commercial real estate processes and business, but we really went back to the drawing board to make sure everything was completely in line with a broker's day-to-day activities–and with a brokerage's strategic priorities. We're particularly excited about new dashboards and reports, which make it easy to see where your business stands at any point in time so you can focus your attention where it can make the greatest impact. Contact and property records are more informative at a glance and simpler to act upon, as well. All the information you need is centralized on one screen so you can visualize business insights in a way that just wasn't possible before.

GlobeSt.com: Tell me about the mobile app—what's new about it?

McGraw: We built a completely new mobile app from scratch to reflect the way a broker actually conducts business away from the office. We used to use the native Salesforce app that accompanies our software, but we saw the need for something even easier and more powerful for brokers to use when they're out and about, so we focused our new app specifically for those needs. Now, brokers can answer calls while they're on the road and have all the information they need to respond in the moment. They can cut down meeting prep time, take pictures of properties, eliminate manual rework, and have access to their database when they need it. And when everything is updated in real time, the entire brokerage team benefits from that data.

Most importantly, the app is tailored to a commercial broker's workflow–but it also offers them tremendous potential to rethink their habits and their business. The more they can do out of the office, the more productive they can be, the more money they can make.

GlobeSt.com: How is this different than other offerings on the market?

McGraw: It's far more comprehensive than other brokerage management offerings, and now it is easier to learn and use, too. It's also the only one that was built not simply as a replication of a desktop tool, but as a way to truly harness the power of mobile. So it's not only about having seamless access to your data on your phone–it's also about using native phone capabilities like speech-to-text, photos, geolocation services, etc. to be more efficient.

GlobeSt.com: What has customer response been so far?

McGraw: The customer response has been very enthusiastic. We had a number of beta users and customer advisors help us design and perfect the app, and they've been great evangelists for us. We've seen a huge number of logins so far and have been thrilled with how it's being received.

GlobeSt.com: What are some of the challenges that the CRE space faces when it comes to adopting new technology, specifically mobile?

McGraw: Many brokers already use their phones for calls and emails. Maybe they have a few productivity apps, but they haven't had Excel spreadsheets on their phone, they haven't actually used any apps to pull reports, access their database, etc. It's a new way to think about it, but it can really help them provide more value to their clients and save them time. They have all the information they need wherever they are, and it's not hard to get to. It's just a matter of forming a new habit. And it's our job to show them the benefits of that habit and what the technology can do for their brokerage.

GlobeSt.com: Why do you think the CRE space is slower to adopt?

McGraw: Many brokers spend years building relationships, and when they get to a certain point in their career, they don't feel the pressure to innovate or find new ways of doing business. It's worked for them in the past, so they didn't feel the need to use new technology.

There's also a weird generation gap in commercial real estate. There's the older crowd nearing retirement and the younger crowd just getting started, but there are fewer people in the middle of their career mostly thanks to the Great Recession. The industry wasn't necessarily a lucrative business for a number of years. Now it's picking up again, and the new generation is realizing the need for new technology.

Check back in the next day or so for more from McGraw, where we review more trends he is seeing right now in the CRE tech space and a few shifts out there.