This continues my tradition of looking at the most important trends in the year ahead. ... Wow, it's hard making predictions. I've just reread my past attempts, January 1997 and January 1998 (with March update). Oops. I featured a few sites that went dark soon thereafter. But I think that I'm getting better. ... If you're looking for a common theme, remember the quote from Net Gain by Hagel and Armstrong (you've heard it before): "Like any communications network, the Internet is all about establishing and reinforcing connections between people." It's not about technology! ... So here goes.

1. Extranets--A Competitive Advantage. ... Companies that provide private areas at their web sites to exchange information with clients will benefit. If you don't have this extranet capability, it will become increasingly hard to compete for corporate advisory assignments. ... Watch CRESA Partners (Metrospace-LA), NAI and Studley, which have already built significant extranets. ... In the asset management area, AMB leads the way with its extranet connections to strategic partners like Trammell Crow.

2. True Electronic Delivery of Information. ... More and more companies are, or soon will be, delivering information electronically--not just in plain text, but also in Adobe Acrobat. So effectively, you'll be able to buy data and print out a color brochure instantly. ... Watch COMPS, LeaseData, REIS Reports and the Retail Tenant Database. ... Demographic services, like Allocate, CACI/IDS, MapSmart and NDS, have traditionally led this part of the industry.

3. E-Listings Battleground. ... This continues to be an area of intense activity. LoopNet is the largest Internet listing service, but there are many active regional sites like COMMREX (including separate state CCIM sites), the Chicago Office Bulletin, Commercial Space Online (Seattle, Denver and Portland) and Commercial Search (Denver). ... I've heard of several substantial plans to build new national listing services, which, if they materialize, would make the listing space even more competitive. ... Meanwhile, the acquisition of LeaseTrend by Realty Information Group concentrates a huge amount of space available data, which could some day be a factor on the Internet. (News flash: On January 7, 1999, RIG also announced a binding agreement to acquire Jamison Research in Atlanta, Dallas and Houston). ... Finally, COMPS' acquisition of REALBID, the Internet marketing service, adds national clout to this growing effort to push listing information to targeted buyers.

4. News Delivery Via E-Mail. ... This is an area that I've long predicted (prematurely!) would take off. But it's too natural not to happen at some point. ... Real Estate Forum is the only news service sending daily e-mail headlines (with a link back to its home page). Realty Information Group publishes its Real-E news for the Washington DC metro with links to individual articles and has stated its intention to extend this service to other markets nationwide. Inman News publishes a daily e-mail news summary which combines residential and commercial news. ... In the future, I'd expect local business journals and real estate publications to build reader loyalty and circulation by pushing relevant news to subscribers.

5. Intranets--A(nother) Competitive Advantage. ... Here Jack Welch's quote resonates: "An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage." And that's exactly what a strong intranet can do. ... For example, Grubb & Ellis' internal information system is totally browser-based, providing access from any computer connected to the Internet anywhere. I've heard that LaSalle Partners intranet enables its professionals to track company-wide contacts with its clients. Marcus & Millichap's MNet features connections to third-party information providers and offers powerful tools for its agents. ... What do you think are the most important trends in the industry? Send e-mail to me at ppike@pikenet.com and I'll report more in future Dispatches. Thank you!

-- Peter Pike