by Brianna Crandall — March 16, 2020 — As companies begin to implement travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, facilities managers (FMs) and other decision-makers could have a tough time locating new commercial real estate (CRE) space, negotiating upcoming lease expiration dates, or finalizing a transaction, points out open-data technology platform provider Coeo Space. The company says its “revolutionary” free marketplace has developed a solution that will enable the CRE industry to continue deal progression virtually, both in response to the current situation and setting the pace for the future of the industry.
The novel platform for office, co-working, flex, and industrial space was designed to allow users to both find space through its scientific matching algorithms and view virtual tours of many of the available properties. The match-scoring algorithms are based on what’s important to today’s companies such as team size, monthly budget, and property amenities/features. Coeo Space is currently active in over 187 US markets in the United States, Canada, UK and Dubai, and is expanding daily.
But co-founders Kim Ford and Sheila Matuscak, industry veterans with over 50 years of commercial real estate brokerage experience between them, realized that they now have the opportunity to provide clients with even more.
Starting this week, Coeo Space will offer the opportunity for live remote tours of the properties on its platform. While Coeo Space has always allowed clients to request in-person tours of their properties, they will now allow users to request a remote tour — conducted live from anywhere in the country.
Ford explained:
It’s simple. The listing representative receives the request for a live remote tour instead of the traditional method of meeting the prospect at the building. Both parties are sent a meeting link provided by Coeo’s team, and the leasing representative uses his or her personal smartphone to show the space in real time.
Even more than a traditional virtual tour, this will allow users to customize the experience, gaining access to the specific information that’s important to them — if they wish to see the view from the office windows, or to evaluate the lighting in the parking garage, they can see it, in the moment, almost as if they were there in person.
This solution is not just a response to the current state of affairs, it’s about the future of the industry, making data and information more accessible, according to the company. Both Ford and Matuscak have worked through downturns in the economy before, and they want to help the industry continue to thrive.
With brokers and landlords adding new spaces daily all over the country, the software development team at Coeo Space is suggesting that they be proactive. They recommend creating a virtual tour or taking a video of vacant spaces, amenity space and common areas using their smartphones. Coeo Space’s concierge team is standing by, ready to assist brokers and co-working companies with anything they need to list their properties or upload their video on the platform.
The Coeo Space platform enables brokers and corporate real estate executives to begin new searches for space, move forward existing transactions, and close deals — all 100% virtually.
