Leveraging CRE Technology to Build Meaningful Investor Relations
Investor relations can be viewed as key to a successful commercial real estate transaction. After all, an investor base with low turnover and repeat investments is the goal for most firms. The lack of a solid relationship and effective and frequent communication with each investor can even cause to them to have “cold feet”.
Though the commercial real estate industry is relatively late to the game with regards to technology, many investors are already using tech in other aspects of their finances and have come to expect a similar experience when investing in the world of real estate. CRE professionals want to do business with firms that are leveraging emerging technologies because these tools provide quick and easy access to data and real-time performance benchmarks. In fact, 62% of investors desire access to Internet of Things (IoT) data from firms when making investment decisions. Software with features like an investor dashboard enables forward-thinking firms to provide their investors with on-demand access to portfolio performance, documents, distribution history, and more.
Read ahead to learn how an investor management solution can be used to provide greater transparency and accessibility and improve investor relationships.
Transparency: On-Demand Insights & Analytics
Transparency, which transitioned from less of a “nice to have” to more of a necessity after the financial crisis in 2008, refers to the practice of giving investors easy and timely access to information, data, and insights. Over 2/3 of investors cite degree of transparency as being an important consideration regarding their investments. Fortunately, CRE technology makes providing transparency easy. Technology can help firms scale investor management and engagement through the use of tools such as CRM’s, which maintains customer and prospect information.
Firms can effortlessly meet shifting investor expectations while establishing a strong relationship by providing data transparency. Investors know that there is much more data available today than in the past, driving their expectation of firms to provide on-demand insights and analytics. The types of data and analytics investors are seeking includes occupancy and financial data, market demand, and overall property performance. Forward-thinking firms are aware that these insights can greatly impact the investment decision-making process, indicating that providing more data could increase their chances of securing repeat investors.
Accessibility: Anywhere, Anytime Availability
On a daily basis, firms handle a large volume of documents, including K-1s, waterfall-audit files, and broker/property management docs. These documents are a core component of each transaction but can be difficult to properly store, running the risk of getting lost and not being readily accessible upon the request of an investor. A document management system helps firms deliver on investors’ expectation of consistent access to important information by granting them quick, easy, and convenient 24/7 access to all of their documents.
CRE is an increasingly global business in which investors need instant access to key information regardless of time zone and business hours. They want real-time updates and are increasingly using mobile platforms to track the performance of their investments. In fact, 60% of CRE investors now perform commercial property searches using a mobile device. Providing the data investors need, anytime and anywhere, displays a genuine concern for satisfying their needs and establishes trust.
Efficiency: Investor Communication at Scale
Using a CRM to manage communications with investors can help automate and streamline the communication process, ultimately increasing efficiency. Most CRM’s provide email functionalities that allow firms to create bulk emails for sending information to more than one investor at a time. CRMs also serve as a single source of truth for investor’s contacts and other important information, which saves time.
Investor statements are also an effective method for scaling communications and generating professional and branded statement. Using customizable templates allows firms to frequently deliver accurate and timely statements, which can strengthen investor relations and drive them to become more engaged.
For more information about investor relations and how they are transforming the industry, read The Evolution of Investor Relations.
