When receiving information, most of us would rather look at a colorful photograph, map, business graphic, or other image than a paragraph of text, table of numbers, or other alphanumeric display. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words. Not surprisingly, then, many real estate organizations initially invest in GIS for better presentation graphics. History will show, however, that the real power of GIS is in data integration and analysis. No other data base management technology has these capabilities.
Real estate is essentially a game of information arbitrage.
Whoever knows the most about a property wins. GIS is the best technology invented yet for gaining an informational competitive edge. To date GIS has been adopted most quickly by organizations that perceive the technology as a way of automating existing business practices. The reason is real or perceived information arbitrage. This is all the more true given given the fiduciary responsibilities of most institutional clients.