The new offices, with their breathtaking views of Auckland city and the harbour, show clients Colliers knows its business. But it is what happens while staff are not on the premises that sets Colliers apart from the commercial real estate competition.

In early 2003 Mr Synnott and his top management team asked Vodafone to take them on a journey of technological discovery by implementing a trial wireless office system that involved 10 staff ranging from brokers to managers.

Without exception the trial participants chose to continue with Vodafone’s wireless office and it subsequently rolled out to the entire Colliers’ Auckland office.

As one of the leading commercial real estate agencies in New Zealand, Colliers is responsible for transacting some the largest deals in the country, including the leasing of the new Air New Zealand head office at Fanshawe Street Business Park, now under construction. To secure deals of this magnitude, Colliers’ brokers need to be out of the office in excess of 50 per cent of their time, making effective communication tools a high priority.

After analysing Colliers’ needs and communication patterns, the Vodafone team implemented Integrated talkZone, the first wholly wireless office solution in New Zealand.

Using the new wireless system, brokers, whether they are away from their desks or out of the office, are contactable at all times.

Integrated talkZone establishes a link between Vodafone and Colliers’ PABX, enabling the PABX to transfer incoming calls directly to mobiles without any additional transfer cost to the caller.

It also offers companies smart calling features, such as the transfer of calls between mobiles in the same way as a landline, and discounted calling rates, including free calling between members on the talkZoneZero plan.

For Mr Synnott the changes have been astonishing, both personally and as the managing director of a large professional team.

“I haven’t turned my computer on for months. I use my mobile to clear emails, respond to emails and send requests to colleagues during what would have in the past been down time.

“If I come out of a meeting and have 20 minutes before the next meeting, I don’t need to rush back to the office to clear voicemail and emails. It comes through on my mobile and I can sit down in a café, enjoy a coffee and work at the same time.”

Mr Synnott says Colliers’ staff recognise the advantages of a Vodafone wireless office. “Before we implemented the system one of the most repeated office stories involved a broker who came back after lunch to find an email asking him to respond within a certain time or he’d lose the deal. It was a long lunch – he lost the deal. He doesn’t go out to lunch without his Vodafone Blackberry now.”

For all the success stories of sales made while brokers are on the move and the massive productivity gains, Mr Synnott recognises there has to be a significant cost benefit to any company choosing to implement a Vodafone wireless office. As the first company in NZ to implement a true wireless office solution calculating the savings is not an exact science.

Colliers head of IT, Tony Allwood agrees. “We needed to be sure the solution would meet our expectations. While it is hard to quantify in terms of sales made or lost, we have not considered going back to landlines.

“The increase in staff productivity is notable, and because brokers can turn their mobiles off, they feel in control of their time.”

Mr Allwood says Colliers’ analysis showed a high proportion of the cost it, and most other companies bear with landlines and mobiles, is calling voicemail from mobiles to retrieve messages. “We now have only one voicemail, so we can manage not only those costs but our time more effectively.”

He says Colliers would not have been able to implement such a radical solution without creating a partnership with Vodafone. “Vodafone was great at implementing a working solution and ironing out any problems.”

Commercial property is as much about relationships and information brokerage as it is transactions, says Mr Synnott. "Speed to market is essential and that is where we rely on good communications."

Colliers prides itself as being not only a leader in commercial real estate, but also in technology.

As Mr Synnott says, “by implementing the first wireless office in New Zealand the company is two to three years ahead of its competition in the fast-paced world of commercial real estate. We are ahead where it matters – in communication.”

March 2005