There's very little one can't accomplish with today's technology. The Internet has become a gateway for shoppers, whether looking for designer fashions or cars or utilities or corporate finance. And split second connections from users to suppliers make that shopping a little easier. In this issue, we look at those companies that have opened that gateway to techno-savvy consumers.

From the real estate perspective, we look at Konover Property Trust's solution to e-commerce and Capital Automotive REIT tenant's award winning web site. From the techie's perspective, we look at four Internet companies that provide services to real estate companies.

Scanner Ready
Konover Property Trust, Cary, NC, formed an alliance with NeoMedia Technologies Inc. to integrate the REIT's truefinds.com shopping site with the tech company's PaperClick technology.

"By using PaperClick bar code technologies you can go from a number of physical products—label, ad, copy—to a specific web site," explained Virginia Small, director of communications, PaperClix.com, Fort Myers, FL.

To use the program, consumers would need to purchase a computer pen and inkwell set (around $100.00) that attaches to their computer. Then, when they receive a direct mail advertisement from Konover they can swipe the pen over the barcode printed on the mailer and the computer will read that data, search for a match on the Web and go directly to the web site featuring that item or merchant.

"It's a way to link paper and the Internet," said Charlotte Ellis, vice president, communications, Konover.

Dollar Driven
As the landlord to automotive dealerships, Capital Automotive REIT, McLean, VA, knows their tenants feared the loss of business to manufacturers that considered direct consumer sales via the Internet. Those fears were recently allayed when manufacturers assured their dealers that was not the case, and instead they would use the Internet to create synergy between them and their dealers.

"That means our tenants now have an opportunity to work with the manufacturer and use the Internet to harness better customer relationships and, therefore, harness better profits and better market share," said David S. Kay, chief financial officer. "They are now enabling dealers to link to, and use their Web page to market to their target demographic."

The ploy is working, too. This year Capital Automotive tenant Gunn Automotive Group, San Antonio, TX, was named winner in the Most User Friendly category in the second Annual Best Automotive Dealer Web Site Contest and its Clearwater Toyota, Clearwater, FL, was named as a finalist by Automotive News and Ziff-Davis Publishing.

"[Being voted] Most Customer User Friendly just emphasizes that our dealer/tenants are the innovators that are setting the pace in the industry and will harness the customer relationships and will use technology to do that," said Kay.

On the Gunn Automotive Group web site, customers can view cars, arrange for delivery, ask questions via e-mail, and more. "We're thinking about our customers first," said Paul Young, president. "We try to make it as easy on them as possible."

Who Wants a Millionaire?
Real estate developers looking for investors might find success at EquityCity.com, an Internet marketplace where institutional and accredited individual investors meet property developers online.

"What we're trying to provide is a continuously faster, better way of investing equity into real estate and finding equity for real estate development," said Mark Quam, president and founder of the Boulder, CO, equity exchange. "I think the hardest thing about any real estate transaction is finding the equity capital. We provide the forum [for investors and developers to meet.] Using the Internet, we can distribute information on a particular deal to every investor who wants to look at that kind of deal in three minutes."

Just as investors are screened, those listing their real estate must be screened and approved, too. Once the property information is received, an analyst calls the developer to discuss the project and then follows up with due diligence. Once the deal is approved a broadcast e-mail is sent to those investors whose criteria match that of the deal. If an investor is interested in the deal, he will then contact the developer to negotiate and close the deal. Those looking for equity are charged a nominal fee of $100, and if they succeed in finding equity they are charged a finders fee from between one to four percent of the total equity found.

"We make sure those that are looking for equity are ready to go. What we're saying to our investors is, 'if you see a deal on our site it is most likely going to happen," said Quam. "We haven't had a developer who isn't in some discussion with investors that we've connected them with."

It's the Neighborly Thing To Do
Apartment dwellers can now stay in touch with their neighbors with the Electric Streets Intranet that was recently launched by electric streets.com.

Besides chatting online, residents, using their password, can track maintenance requests, check up-to-date property news, pay their rent online, and find how their neighbors rate local restaurants, doctors or schools. They can also connect with or form sport and hobby clubs, scan classified advertisements, and print coupons from local merchants.

"It's complete communications for master planned communities and apartments," said Larry Bouchard, president of the Louisville, KY, firm.

"We have a lot of tools on line in our neighbor-to-neighbor section. When you move into an apartment complex, you're living amongst all these people, yet you feel like a stranger. This is a way of hooking up with people with the same interest," he added.

Sold! To the Lowest Bidder
Utility users seeking economy in their utility costs might want to explore Utilisave.com where providers bid against each other to provide their services on the Utility Exchange auction.

"Our primary business is in assisting people who want to save on their utility costs," said Michael Steifman, chief executive officer, UtiliSave, LLC, New Rochelle, NY. "Utility Exchange is meant to be a market place to go, post what you need in terms of utility commodity and receive bids. It's an electronic form of a request for proposal."

Once a property owner posts his requirements, approved sellers can respond. Once the buyer and seller "shake-hands" electronically they can secure transactions via e-mail or off-line. When the auction ends the buyer is sent the name of the lowest bidder. "They don't know who you are, but, you know who they are," said Steifman. "Then, it's up to the buyer to make the first contact. That way, they don't get hounded by sales people."

UtiliSave also offers an energy auditing service.

Good Morning Post Properties
When sisters Tosha and Terra Henderson—with their pug dog, Titus—took Good Morning America's E-Cave challenge, Post Properties Inc. was tapped by ABC-TV to supply the cave, so to speak. The cave, a two bedroom, two bath apartment at the Post Midtown Square in Houston, TX, was where the sisters began their seven day challenge: to spend a week locked in their e-cave with the Internet as their only tie to the outside world.

Upon entering their new cave on February 7, 2000, the women were left with two robes, two beds on frames, two chairs, one roll of toilet paper, and a computer with high-speed Internet access that they had to use to purchase their daily necessities, and stay within a $500 limit.

"They had to live by the Web," explained Janie Maddox, vice president of communications, Post Properties, Atlanta, GA. "Their first task was to get a dog walker for Titus." For the REIT, and the women, it was a success. The women survived via the Net, and the REIT received a great deal of attention. "We're just having a lot of fun with this," said Martha Logan, director of marketing, Post Properties. "ABC is getting 22,000 hits a day on their web site and we're linked to that page."

The E-cave segment coincided with Post Properties release of its upgraded web site where potential residents can fill-out pre-applications to rent apartments. After submitting an application online, potential residents are contacted by staff at the property that best meets their needs.

"It's working," said Logan. "I'm very excited about all the Internet opportunities. We're trying to think a little outside of the real estate box."

Pan Pacific's Click-and-Brick
Pan Pacific Retail Properties Inc. formed a strategic alliance with Eversave.com, an internet company that connects local shoppers to bricks-and-mortar retailers.

"It benefits Pan Pacific in a number of ways," said Stuart Tanz, president and chief executive officer of the San Diego, CA, REIT. "What Eversave.com does for us is bring the customers back to our real estate on a local basis. It gives our tenants the opportunity to enhance their customer relationships and their sales which will, over time, increase and enhance the value of our real estate."

Before leaving their home to go shopping, consumers can log-on to the Eversave.com web site and search for local in-store and on-line savings and coupons. They can also customize their specific market and shopping preferences.

"It's a great advertising platform for our tenants," said Tanz. "No longer do [our retail tenants] have to send out coupons to everyone within a 10 miles radius." Research indicates that eight out of 10 consumers use the Internet to research products and services, but that they actually go offline and drive to within 30 minutes from their home to make that purchase, according to Jeremiah Doyle, president and founder of Eversave.com, Woburn, MA.