1. "Enterprise Web Sites. … As I poked around the John Hancock Real Estate Investment Group’s (JHREIG) new web site this week, I was reminded how difficult it is for a large enterprise to launch a web presence. … How do you communicate your mission? … How do you connect web visitors with your professional staff? … How do you deliver valuable content to clients or potential clients? … How much should it cost? … While you can launch a compelling, smaller site for just a few thousand dollars, an "enterprise" site can easily run to six-figures, both for the original development cost and for annual maintenance.

I do not know the costs of developing the AMB or RREEF web sites, but these are two good examples of firms that are beginning to invest seriously in the development of an effective web presence. … For example, if you want to contact an AMB professional, you’ll find a directory of names, titles, color pictures and e-mail addresses. … If you want to know what properties RREEF has available for sale, you’ll find a table with property names, prices, square footages and contact information. … And soon, I believe, you’ll see sites like these providing extranet (private) access for clients to track property and portfolio performance. … Developing these kinds of web sites requires a huge commitment of both dollars and staff resources as you address fundamental issues of corporate organization and technological infrastructure.

2. Web Success--Ezy Properties (Belgium) Fast Tracks EUnet. … It’s good to remember that the net is truly international. … So it’s not surprising that Patrick Vermuyten of Ezy Properties N.V. reports using the Internet to close a 55,000 sq. ft. lease in the Leuven Greenhill Park to EUnet, the fast growing European Internet service provider in just eight weeks. … "The fact that all parties … (agent, prospect, developer, architect) knew very well how to use the Internet made it very easy to exchange information and put draft projects on-line to view and comment. It reduced the number of strategic meetings to two." … Early subscribers may remember that in the summer of 1996, just after launching PikeNet, I sent PikeNet Dispatches from Spain (using EUnet!). … Do you have a Web Success story? … Send me e-mail.

3. Message Boards--Folder, Discussion, Message. … The hierarchy of Message Boards is Folder, Discussion, Message. … Most of the time when you want to post information on a Message Board, you’ll want to add a Discussion and to put your information within the description field of the Discussion. … So click through the Message Boards until you see the area where you want to post in BLACK at the top of the screen. … Then click the "Add Discussion" button and add your Discussion, or topic. … However, if you do want reply to a Discussion, then click until the Discussion heading is in black and post your Message. … To access the Message Board, use the hyperlink below.

http://www.pikenet.com/cgi-bin/WebX

4. Access County Records Electronically--Auditors Online. … Many county auditors and assessors are beginning to make property and tax information available. … If you scroll through the Government category (in the Economic Development Channel), you’ll find hyperlinks to about a dozen, and, I’m sure, that there are many more to include. … This week I added the Hamilton County Auditor’s Office (Cincinatti, OH), which is a particularly good example of how to provide easy access to government records. … Look up 600 Vine, Cincinnati, for example, and you’ll find that Prudential paid $89,970,000 on December 16, 1991. … Please let me know if you have other auditors’ sites that I should add to PikeNet.

5. "Subscribe" Your Colleagues to Dispatch. … Each week over 5,300 real estate professionals receive the PikeNet Dispatch. … If you would like your colleagues or customers to receive their separate copies directly, please sign them up by clicking "Subscribe Now" at the top of the home page or send me a text file containing their names and e-mail addresses. … Thanks!

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--Peter Pike