Any IT guys in the REAL ESTATE industry?

I am kind of curious. I have been working for a "kinda" big Real Estate firm for the last 4 years. We have a Corp office and 10 sites around.

Quick history...It may sound all well and good and believe me sometimes it is...

I was hired by the IT Manager, now one of my best friends, as a PC TECH through Robert Half Tech. I was hired permanenlty after 3 months and promoted to IT Supervisor the year after and now as an IT Manager, 3 years after. My buddy, the ole IT Man relocated to ATL as works as a Network Engineer.

During the 4 years I started school to complete my Bachelors but put a stop to my cert hunt....bad idea!...Now as everyone and LITERALLY thier mother knows how bad the real estate market is...I feel like I am on a sinking ship. I am applying as much as possible but no catch yet. I make good money...but quite honestly the network enviorment and set up is VERY simple and easy to maintain...that bothers me...ALOT! The setup was done in the Real estate BOOM of 2002-2005 and the Ole IT MAN did not really see a need for AD structure and he was under a lot of pressure and work load.
I need and want to work with "heavy" stuff. Yes I have the benefit of working with Cisco rotuers, WIN2003 Servers and other "goodies" but for God's sake we don't even have a Domain setup in the Corp office...until few months ago when i promoted a Server to DC and setup few users to it. The owners can care less about UPGRADING and rather sell more houses..and the biggest hurdle is getting approved for IT equip. Getting a freakin FLASH drive is a chore.

Anyone working in this industry feeling the heat or frustration?

Thanks for letting me vent...I needed it today.

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Comments

buchatech

I am in IT. It is funny I ran across this post as I have been wondering what an IT job in the Real Estate market was like. To be honest with you it sounds like you have some good skills and would be able to find another job easy enough if you had to jump ship. Just out of curiosity what is the most common software that Real Estate professionals use to run their companies?

garv221

I work in the commercial real estate development industry, along with it's construction, excavating, property management and real estate sales. Yeah, the real estate housing market has been better but all the numbers in the housing sector were fabricated by low interest, short term rates that obviously didn't last. I think the housing market will come back around. Cause for concern, unless your business goes under they will need you. If you are not happy take your experience to a development firm in commercial real estate, there is huge money in commercial and its hella fun setting up huge apartment complexes with a $500,000 network budget.

KGhaleon

I use to do volunteer work for several years at a Remax office, and have a bunch of relatives who work in that area. It does seem to be bad at the moment where I live, but it was worse back in 2003. It sounds like this is an opportunity for you to take command and get some people aware of their network problem. If you leave and someone else comes in, it's going to be the same thing all over again. I'd say stick with it for a while and arrange to speak with management about your IT concerns.

KG

Plantwiz

I see Computers/Technology as an unnecessary luxury (and yes it pays my bills). Here's your opporunity to either make it or not. I've watched several realtors who jump in thinking they'll make it big and go for the high-tech rolodex only to not pay bills several months later and then vanish. They could have done just fine with a pencil and an address book.

THOUGH....your opportunity is when you can help to show them where by spending a bit of money their returns will be rewarded....and in turn so will you.

Many businesses could exist today without computers and an IT staff....but they may also need MORE personnel to accomplish similar or lesser things because of that choice.

If a person isn't organized, they may benefit by some of the benefits of the applications, but if they are unwilling to use the system...it's not worth your time nor their money. However, if you can find someone willing...they you can show them, train them on the benefits of going electronic and YOU can be the go-to person. Whether it's making e-mail availble via Smartphones or BlackBerry's to client security, maps on the fly, promotions, etc... there is huge potential, but it should be married to the clients goals.

falcon101

Plantwiz wrote:

I see Computers/Technology as an unnecessary luxury (and yes it pays my bills). Here's your opporunity to either make it or not. I've watched several realtors who jump in thinking they'll make it big and go for the high-tech rolodex only to not pay bills several months later and then vanish. They could have done just fine with a pencil and an address book.

THOUGH....your opportunity is when you can help to show them where by spending a bit of money their returns will be rewarded....and in turn so will you.

Many businesses could exist today without computers and an IT staff....but they may also need MORE personnel to accomplish similar or lesser things because of that choice.

If a person isn't organized, they may benefit by some of the benefits of the applications, but if they are unwilling to use the system...it's not worth your time nor their money. However, if you can find someone willing...they you can show them, train them on the benefits of going electronic and YOU can be the go-to person. Whether it's making e-mail availble via Smartphones or BlackBerry's to client security, maps on the fly, promotions, etc... there is huge potential, but it should be married to the clients goals.

Well put plantwiz unfortunatly this company does not work the way you picture it.

I guess it boils down to my frustration on not getting my certs done while I had/have a chance. I have family and new house so it does concern me when i see "financial" issues in the company that may effect my job here.
The real estate pros use a lot of web based products (thank God) but our Escrow Division uses Escrow Software that I maintain with the help of the software company...when we had the Mortgage division, I maintained the mortgage software and ofcourse on a daily basis i have the "working knowledge" of AD, SQL, Veritas, Mail Server (IMAP, POP and SMTP) and other server related and networking devices such as Cicso 800, 1700, and 2600 series routers, Proxim Ornico Wireless Access points and my fave, Fortinet Fortigate IDS/AV firewall appliances.

garv221

Plantwiz wrote:

Whether it's making e-mail availble via Smartphones or BlackBerry's to client security

Get them wireless active-sync. That will raise eyebrows and turn on a few lights on with the idea that business can be conducted anywhere and start more work for you. Once they use it for a month, they cannot live without it.