Real estate agents are always trying to maintain a competitive edge over the competition. These productivity apps will help you work more efficiently and easily, to close more deals. If you are looking to make a New Year's Resolution, or just make improvements in the way you are doing your business, here are 4 apps to help you make 2017 a great year for business:

The idea of an open workspace has been around since the early 20th century. It began to evolve from a single large room with rows of desks or benches in the 1950’s, when the German Quickborner design group began adding partitions for privacy, creating an “office landscape.” Modular room components appeared in the 1960’s, and soon companies were moving everyone out of private offices and into a shared space

Few of us have not been touched by the rise of e-commerce in recent years. The ability to shop and make purchases from virtually any location is quickly becoming a routine expectation for most Americans. Online retailers are taking advantage of the ways that technology enables more targeted marketing, creating a personalized shopping experience for customers that’s based on their past searching and purchasing behavior.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, holiday shopping predictions are looking strong for 2016. The National Retail Federation said it expects total holiday sales (excluding autos, gas and restaurant sales) will increase 3.6% to $655.8 billion, slightly higher than the post-recession average of 3.4% since 2009.

By now, we know the great impact that the Internet is having on the way we conduct business. We also know that it’s the perfect conduit for networking and relationship building among colleagues and vendors, clients and potential leads. At NAI Global, we place great value on the use of social media and the Internet to help our members grow their business.

The industrial real estate space is one that has seen marked depression over the last few years. Yet, with companies like Amazon and Tesla expanding their presence and a new interest in revitalizing older industrial spaces —turning them into everything from housing to new retail space— many of the once depressed industrial regions across the country are seeing new life.

One thing that can be said for the period leading up to the 2008 downturn is that capital was easy to come by. Since then, with credit tightening noticeably, it has become more challenging for many developers to secure funding for new projects, despite the demand for new property in many markets.

To keep things moving in CRE, marketing has to be targeted and relevant. That means knowing the customer and understanding their priorities. Studying market trends and the characteristics of in-demand properties is a useful practice for tuning in to the investor in your marketing strategies.

In the United States —and throughout the world— many cities are home to vacant or abandoned industrial properties that once stood as symbols of industrial prosperity. No longer useful for their original purpose, they often sit frozen in time. But, these buildings are highly adaptable. They were built to house large-scale machinery and processing systems, thousands of workers, and unparalleled storage. They provide vast spaces —a blank slate waiting for its next adventure.

The office space your company inhabits is a critical factor in its success. It has an impact on employee productivity and job satisfaction, creates initial impressions on clients and partners, and contributes significantly to the company culture.

Even if you’re fascinated by the huge variety of digital tools we have available in CRE, it can be hard to keep up with all of the trends and developments. There has been a deep change in the industry in recent years, thanks to new technology that makes us more effective and efficient. Digital tools facilitate everything from marketing to project management, and new ideas are constantly being stirred into the mix.

The retail sector has seen its ups and downs in many ways, particularly with the closing of anchor stores dragging down retailers in many markets. It’s holding back rent growth and calling for some creative approaches to keep established companies afloat.