1. Web Connectivity? Coming--Slowly ... Wednesday's Wall Street Journal, September 30, 1998, carried two advertisements for major Sealed Bid Sales conducted by E&Y Kenneth Leventhal's Real Estate Group and LaSalle Partners. ... Although each firm has developed a substantial web presence and intranet capability, there is no mention of a web address to review offering packages or even property highlights. Instead, the reader is asked to call phone numbers to order offering packages (no e-mail addresses either). ... Hmm. That seems like a big waste of somebody's time. Wouldn't it be a whole lot simpler (and less expensive) to post information on the web? Won't owners soon demand web visibility to maximize their potential revenue?

Contrast this to a success story that LoopNet reported last week. ... "John Stevens of Trammell Crow Company in San Francisco recently posted an office space for lease on LoopNet. Within one day, Stevens was contacted by a law firm that was interested in the space. After contacting Stevens, the prospective tenant visited the office space and made an offer immediately. A letter of intent was executed within 5 days of the initial contact." ... And Trammel Crow, also, participates as a strategic partner of AMB at AMB's terrific new "back door" web site (not available to the public) exchanging information on the management of AMB assets. ... Hey, it's a slow process. But it's going to happen. More and more firms will use the Internet to extend their marketing reach and service delivery. It's too logical not to happen.

2. Knowledge Base--LeaseData Delivers Tenant Expirations. ... Wendover Corporation, which generates business-to-business sales leads, has recently launched LeaseData. LeaseData currently provides tenant data and lease expirations for about a dozen markets, including Manhattan, DC and San Francisco. For example, I did a search for a ZIP code in San Francisco's Financial District and generated a list of over 800 lease expirations. Wow, that saves a lot of shoe leather! Access requires a company subscription and an individual account. This is not an inexpensive service, but far less expensive than gathering the data yourself. ... For contact information and step-by-step instructions, visit the PikeNet Knowledge Base (top of home page) under the Tenant Information section or use the URL below:

http://www.pikenet.com/pike?func=showPublicPage&page=
questions/questions/question086

3. PikeNet Launches Boston Market Toolkit. ... Lots of activity at PikeNet this week. ... I added a Boston Market Toolkit (accessible on the Billboard) and rearranged the Major Metro Channel to make it easier to find information on web sites or toolkits by market. ... I also rearranged the categories in the REIT and Financial Services Channels. ... Comments? Please send e-mail to . Thanks! Remember, all Channels and Market Toolkits provide the opportunity for targeted banner placement. For full details, click Advertising Info under the Billboard on the home page or use the hyperlink below:

http://www.pikenet.com/advertising/advertising.html

4. Web Success--realestateforcharities.com. ... One of the delights of the web is the ability for niche marketers to deliver service in widely dispersed geographic markets. ... That's exactly what Chase V. Magnuson, the Director of Charitable Foundation Services at Beitler Realty in La Jolla, CA, has done. ... "My site www.realestateforcharities.com has produced numerous inquiries and assignments for properties donated to various charities around the country. My strategic alliance partners send prospects to my site for an overview. When these new clients contact me they already have my resume, plus programs and services we provide. It has cut down on the paper shipments and looks great in hard copy for multiple board presentations. The next generation of the site will include direct consulting billing on VISA and an interactive chat room. The brokerage community is benefiting from my programs because most of our assignments are referred out to local agents with whom we cooperate." ... Do you have a Web Success story? Send e-mail to or use the following URL:

http://www.pikenet.com/pike?func=WebSuccess09

5. HTML Option for Dispatch. ... Join over 450 subscribers who receive the Dispatch in HTML format. Your copy of the PikeNet Dispatch will then look just like a web page with all web sites and e-mail addresses hyperlinked. ... Not every e-mail program can receive HTML mail, but Netscape, Eudora 4.0, Outlook 98 and Outlook Express can all receive it correctly. ... If you would like to receive future Dispatches in HTML format, edit your User Profile by going to the home page and clicking the "Edit User Profile" link under the PikeNet logo, or use the following URL:

http://www.pikenet.com/pike?func=emailRequest

6. Sponsor. ... The Annual Apartment and Housing Outlook conference, produced by the Real Estate Conference Group, on November 16, 1998 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles will feature more than 40 real estate industry leaders sharing their views on the apartment and housing markets. Speakers include Robert M. Becker of NRT Incorporated, Heidi K. McKibben of Fannie Mae, and Stephen O. Evans of Equity Residential. I'll moderate a panel on technology and real estate. Full details are available at www.realestateoutlook.com or call 310-285-5327.

--Peter Pike