How We Harness Technology to Run Our Remote CRE Dev Shop

The software doesn’t have to be cutting-edge, but it does need to have staying power. Here’s a glimpse into our tech stack on the dev side:

• Doc Production: MS Office, G-Suite, Adobe, AutoDesk, Blubeam

• Coordination: Slack, Email, Trello, Procore, Zoom, Loom, Keeper

• Files: Dropbox, Google Drive

• Marketing: REI Reply, Hypefury, Beehiiv, Wordpress

• Accounting: Quickbooks, Bill.com

• Investor Relations: Cashflow Portal

• HR: Gusto, Harvest

Finding the best platforms never stops though. We remain hungry for better tech all the time, but try to focus on using the right tools at the right phase of our company’s growth. The harder part is keeping it simple.

How Remote Work Works for Us

Since we’ve always enjoyed trying out the latest software, the shift to remote work wasn’t a drastic one. Once we figured out which platforms are adaptable by everybody, then it was a matter of getting everybody on the same page. Some guidelines we live by to make remote work work:

1. For the sake of screen sharing & coordination, everybody works more or less during the same hours PST no matter what time zone we are in. Execs are no exception.

2. Weekly team meetings are for hot or cross-dept topics…Documented in 1 continuous meeting log.

   • Keep discussion time within 30 mins if possible. Stay high-level and focused on resolving blockages and aligning our priorities.

   • Give team members time to process what’s on their radar for the next 2 weeks.

   • EAs take this opportunity to log / transfer any important dates, and follow-ups from meetings into Trello and relevant calendars.

3. Brevity is the soul of wit, but Slack / phone calls are essential as soon as questions or blockages come up. No dilly dally or being shy to hop on the line.

4. Daily check-ins, work calendars, time logs, and conversations are visible to all team members. Transparency is key.

5. Everybody understands their role via our company Task Map…reinforced by constant Slack huddles and async sharing of recordings on Loom.

At the heart of it all is company culture and a mutual respect for one another as we “get shit done.” Hierarchy has never been a focal point for us and we’ve all seen each other (+ kids & pets) in our most informal state. We laugh, we commiserate, we hang out a few times a year when we do overlap, we have a #random channel…

Disclaimer

We are not SaaS consultants, nor do we get paid to mention any of the tech above.

What we can consult on includes: Entitlement, Development, Asset Management, Market and Financial Analysis. Email us at [email protected] if we can be of any help. If you’re already subscribed, simply hit “reply” directly from your inbox. Thanks for reading to the end!