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Technology! Tips for the Real Estate Professional

Technology

by Jeremy Bargiel

Real estate is a business defined by buying, selling, or renting a property. It is an industry that is constantly evolving over time through increasing rules and regulations, economic uncertainty, and financial possibilities. It promises a simple education and a fortuitous graduation through convenient slogans like “Location! Location! Location!” or “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore!”, but there are more stories of personal success and epic tragedy written in real estate than most other industries combined.

Real estate entrepreneurs suffer from the traditional business pitfalls of client dependence, money management, and workforce dependability. The pathway to prosperity is paved through a number of avenues. Client and property diversification lead to a stronger business pattern for growth and less opportunity for substantial stagnation or decreasing income. Continuous cash flow and deep capital reserves enable companies to maintain growth and cover all untimely operational costs. Detailed experience, focused training, and strong employee relationships empower a company to move forward regardless of business or personal related problems in the workplace. These fundamental issues are commonplace and templates for accomplishment exist, but how does an organization cope with constantly changing technology challenges?

Network Infrastructure

Networks provide the flexibility and efficiency to communicate and share ideas on a global scale. Switching is the lifeblood of the network and the key to maximizing growth and productivity in the marketplace. A breakdown or flaw in your infrastructure will result in the inability to close client sales, offer new properties, distribute correct information, sustain new business, strengthen past business, partner with team members, hire the best talent, and build a solid reputation. Real estate is a relationship business and, regardless of a great service, the business will not thrive or survive without the ability to disseminate clear information to the team and clients.

IT Security

Quality security prevents information theft, privacy breaches, and data corruption and is the difference between a minor client inconvenience and a major situation threatening bankruptcy. The increasing use of the web 2.0 platform, social networking, and real time applications for the real estate business produces a higher risk of vulnerability to network resources and web applications from malware, viruses, spyware, and adware. Through streaming content, online chats, and video conferencing, networks are exposed to 100’s of direct threats and daily remote attacks by proxy-jumpers. It’s never been more difficult to secure confidential information and the liability of a leak can have severe revenue, reputation, and legal consequences.

Business Continuity

Business continuity is the process of recovering data quickly and efficiently following a system failure. A compromised or down network, for any amount of time, can have a catastrophic effect on ecommerce systems, payment processing, ERP systems, and digital records and storage. The loss of sensitive data can strike at any time and for a multitude of reasons: database corruption, hardware crashes, and human error or natural calamities. It is vital to incorporate a solution to better centralize daily management tasks and improve the flexibility, scalability, and efficiency of hardware resources which will quickly reduce costs, decrease the physical footprint, lower power output, and increase productivity.

The Technology Advantage

The demand for real estate can be affected by many outside forces: population demographics, debt burdens, industrial and commercial demand, capital market liquidity, interest rate fluctuation, and global uncertainty. The real estate community anticipates these factor through past data indicators or actualized action plans. The answers to problems of the past are time-tested, but today’s real competitive advantage is found through employing the proper technology and committing to an accurate risk assessment platform which will empower and protect your business for near term sustainability and long term success.

Jeremy Bargiel, Writer TBNG Consulting www.tbngconsulting.com

Testing for EMF in Real Estate Transactions is Skyrocketing

EMF QUALITY SOLUTIONS

A real estate transaction can be exciting but also overwhelming at times with factors such as dealing with the bank, coordinating inspections, planning and expectations, and even sales pressure.  Typically, Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Testing has not been part of the inspection process when one does their due diligence, however this has drastically changed in the last few years.  Concerns about potential impacts have brought up questions about significant EMF and radio frequency (RF) sources at the property, building or in its proximity. Many indoor environmental and public health research professionals feel that EMF/RF evaluations and measurements should be part of a healthy building inspection. While the scientific community is still divided, many scientists and institutions recommend prudent avoidance as the safest approach. An EMF/RF evaluation at the start of the Real Estate Transactions, before remodeling begins is the best and most cost effective time to implement possible shielding methods.

Only trained and experienced professionals with the appropriate and calibrated equipment can determine the exposure in the areas of concerns. AC magnetic fields commonly referred to as EMF, can be hidden and only detected using appropriate EMF testing services protocols and professional equipment.  Certain electrical installations and lighting features or wiring areas that are code violations can cause elevated AC magnetic fields. These elevated EMF fields and the possible code violations often go undetected in regular home inspections that solely focus on functionality.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Our indoor environment has changed dramatically in the past ten years.  Many wireless devices are impacting our indoor environment such as cellular antennas, TV and radio broadcasting transmitter, radar, wireless router and access points. Many are added all the time, such as video game systems, wireless printers, baby monitors, security systems, wireless devices and appliances controlled with the latest mobile phone app. This trend will only continue. Do you believe that our recently and dramatically changed indoor environment has no effect on our health and development of our children or performance and wellbeing of employees?

Or do you feel that we should be cautious and choose to limit our personal exposure in areas where we spend a lot of time such as sleeping areas, children’s play areas and our work areas. Many organizations and countries outside the US recommend long term exposure limits and precautionary action levels. Why is this so? Are they more sensitive individuals or are we unaware of the potential dangers? At EMF Quality Solutions, we don’t speculate.  We assess an area using scientific methods to provide you with the information to make an educated decision and exercise your right to choose what you want to be exposed to in your own home, building or office.

We can help create a low EMF and RF environment in your future building or home. The recipe to a successful outcome is following a systematic protocol in assessment, designing the mitigation plan if necessary and verifying the achievement of the design goals. The steps for a low EMF/RF assessment, consultation and possible development of a mitigation plan consist of:

  • Assessment of low and high frequency background levels present on the property
  • Assessment of low and high frequency levels present in the building
  • Develop and design of a possible mitigation according to your benchmarks for sensitive areas
  • Consult on prudent placement in all sensitive
  • Design shielding concepts as indicated
  • Retain a qualified electrician to verify proper electrical installation and grounding system if indicated
  • Shielding implementation by qualified craftsman
  • Measurements to confirm compliance to your benchmarks
  • Certification of the site or building

If you would like us to help you in the assessment or design of a low EMF/RF in home or Real Estate transaction, please email us at EMFQualitySolutions@gmail.com

GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Conducts Geotechnical Offshore Investigation for Block Island Wind Farm; Five Wind Turbine Farm First of Kind in Nation

PROVIDENCE, RI –  GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., a leading environmental and geotechnical engineering consulting firm is proud to announce its participation in the Block Island Wind Farm project.

GZA would like to congratulate its client, Deepwater Wind, for achieving the milestone “steel in the water” on Monday, July 27, 2015, and for becoming the first US offshore wind farm to start offshore construction.  When completed, the Block Island Wind Farm will consist of five wind turbines within Rhode Island state waters roughly three miles southeast of Block Island.

In the fall of 2008, GZA was contracted by Deepwater Wind to provide geotechnical engineering services for the offshore wind farm. An offshore geotechnical program consisting of geotechnical explorations with offshore and onshore laboratory testing, was developed and implemented by GZA to provide a geotechnical engineering evaluation and report. The exploration was completed from a 245-class lift boat out of the Gulf of Mexico in 75 to 95 ft of water. The GZA report included recommended soil parameter values for each turbine location, pile capacity, pile axial and lateral deformation curves, and pile drivability and constructability issues. GZA continues to support Deepwater Wind with geotechnical design assistance of their landside operations and readiness of the port facility staging areas. The GZA Principal for this groundbreaking project is Russell J. Morgan, P.E., Office Manager of the Providence Office. The GZA Project Manager is Diane Y. Baxter, Ph.D., P.E. Senior Project Manager with the Providence Office.

About GZA

Founded in 1964, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary firm providing Environmental, Geotechnical, Ecological, Water, and Construction Management services.  GZA maintains corporate offices at 249 Vanderbilt Avenue, Norwood, MA 02062. The firm has over 550 employees and operates 27 offices in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes and Appalachian Regions of the United States. For additional information, please call William Hadge, CEO at 781-278-3801 or visit the company’s website at http://www.gza.com/.

Technology for People

by Ronald G. Shapiro

There are numerous reasons to obtain new technology for one’s business, academic or personal use. Two of the best reasons are that technology will improve safety and it will also improve productivity. Other reasons might be that the technology would reduce service costs, be fun to have and be great to show off to friends and customers.

 

Looking at a glossy brochure or website may make a product appear to accomplish some, if not all, of the above objectives. While the product information may be truthful and provide a complete description of the product, it may not tell the whole story. Think about standing in line at a store to check out or calling a company for customer service and having the employee you are working with say something like, “I’m sorry that it is taking longer than usual. We are using a new computer system.” Clearly, this initial period with the new equipment is not increasing productivity.

 

Perhaps, more seriously, consider purchasing a new car in which the controls are in different positions than you are used to. You may make errors such as washing the windows when you intend to turn on the lights. This could cause an accident.  In addition to evaluating the literature a manufacturer might offer on their products, consider the following prior to investing in new technology:

 

  1. WHO WILL BE USING THE SYSTEM? Will they be able to physically work with the new technology? If you are using touch-sensitive screens, will the screen respond to their touch easily? Will they be able to move the cursor easily? If the technology is large or heavy, will they be able to access what they need easily and safely?
  2. IF THE SYSTEM WILL BE USED SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH EXISTING EQUIPMENT, ARE SIMILAR BUTTONS IN THE SAME PLACE?For example, if the start button is on the left on one piece of equipment and the stop button is on the right, and this is reversed on another piece of equipment, this may lead to errors.
  1. IF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY IS REPLACING OLDER TECHNOLOGY, ARE THE CONTROLS COMPATIBLE? If not, how long will it take for people to get used to the new controls?
  1. DOES THE SAME BUTTON DO DIFFERENT THINGS AT DIFFERENT TIMES AS THE EQUIPMENT IS BEING USED?This kind of display is called a modal display and can lead to slower performance and to errors.
  1. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO TRANSFER FILES, ETC. to the new technology so that it works as well as, if not better, than the existing system
  1. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THE PEOPLE USING THE NEW SYSTEM TO LEARN IT? What will the impact be on business in the short term?
  2. WILL THE NEW SYSTEM BE SAFER, MORE PRODUCTIVE, AND/OR MORE FUN TO USE PRESENTLY AND INTO THE LONG TERM? Is it really ergonomically designed? (There are sometimes claims made that products are ergonomically designed even though they have never been tested, and may not be.)
  3. WILL THE TOTAL ENERGY AND OTHER MAINTENANCE COSTS BE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FOR THE NEW SYSTEM including energy to heat, cool and light the equipment area?
  4. WILL EMPLOYEE TRAVEL TIME TO GET TO THE NEW TECHNOLOGY BE INCREASED OR DECREASED? For example, direct costs may be lowered if a few local printers are replaced by a more powerful one, but the cost of employee travel time to obtain printout might offset the equipment savings.
  5. IF POSSIBLE, PILOT TEST MIGRATION TO THE NEW SYSTEM and also have typical users use the new system until they become proficient with it. Obtain their input and study their productivity gains/losses before you make a commitment to invest money or change technology.

 

 

Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro

Independent Consultant in Human Factors

Learning & Human Resources

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