Managed IT and Unified Communications Built for a Modern Commercial Real Estate Brokerage
How CRE Portfolio Solutions consolidated three phone numbers into one Teams interface, replaced peer-to-peer file sync with OneDrive, and stood up an enterprise-grade security stack — all from a fully managed Microsoft 365 environment.
Managed by Soaring Towers
Hear it from Jonathan Costa at CRE Portfolio Solutions
“From the beginning it was easy, it was seamless, it just was clear!”
A licensed California commercial real estate broker, operating across two offices with a fully mobile, deal-driven workflow.
CRE Portfolio Solutions is a full-service commercial real estate brokerage led by Jonathan Costa, a California DRE-licensed broker affiliated with the Berkshire Hathaway | Commercial Investment Properties franchise. The practice covers industrial, office, retail, land, and multi-family transactions — including valuation, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, and 1031 exchanges — across the Inland Empire and Downtown Los Angeles markets.
Running a high-touch brokerage from two offices and the road meant Jonathan needed the technology footprint of a much larger firm: unified communications, secure cloud collaboration, enterprise-grade endpoint protection, and IT support that could speak both Microsoft 365 and the niche software (Medlin, AIRForms, Dynamics 365) that a working broker actually uses every day.
A solo broker punching above his weight class — held back by fragmented tools and unmanaged systems.
Three separate phone lines, peer-to-peer file sync, overlapping endpoint security, and a primary workstation hitting critical storage limits — the same pattern we see across most professional services firms before they engage a managed IT partner.
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Fragmented phone communicationsThree separate direct lines spread across a desk phone and a mobile, with no unified inbox for voicemail or SMS — calls and messages slipped through the cracks between offices and the road.
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Storage crisis on the primary deviceThe main Surface Pro generated seven Priority-1 critical disk-full alerts — large CRE files and PDFs were filling local storage with no sustainable cloud offload in place.
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Peer-to-peer file sync, no admin visibilityDeal documents, contracts, and property data lived in Resilio Sync — a P2P tool with no enterprise management, no Microsoft 365 integration, and no real backup protection.
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Overlapping endpoint security toolsMultiple endpoint protection products running simultaneously — degraded performance, conflicting policies, and no single source of truth for security posture or response.
A fully managed Microsoft 365 environment with unified communications, cloud-first file workflows, and a real security stack.
Soaring Towers designed and implemented a managed IT foundation built specifically for the way a working CRE broker operates — across offices, on the road, and on every device. The four pillars below replaced the patchwork that was slowing the practice down.
Today’s commercial real estate brokers need more than a desk phone and a backup drive.
Modern brokerages run on speed, mobility, and trust — deals move at the pace of the market, brokers need their tools on every device, and the data they handle (financials, contracts, identity) is a real target for attackers.
At Soaring Towers, we specialize in building managed IT environments for professional services firms that need the technology footprint of a much larger operation, without the IT staff or the complexity.
Four foundations of a modern brokerage IT environment.
Every layer below was selected and configured specifically for the realities of a mobile, deal-driven CRE broker — two offices, a road-warrior workflow, niche industry software, and the security expectations of a Berkshire Hathaway franchise.
Microsoft 365 + Teams Phone
A unified Microsoft 365 environment — Outlook, OneDrive, Teams chat, and Teams Phone PSTN calling — standardized across desktop, mobile, and an existing Yealink desk phone.
- Teams Phone with ported direct numbers
- OneDrive on desktop & Android
- Dynamics 365 CRM integration
SentinelOne EDR + usecure training
Enterprise-grade endpoint protection paired with active phishing simulations and dark-web monitoring — so threats get caught at the endpoint, and the user catches what gets through.
- SentinelOne endpoint detection & response
- usecure phishing simulations & training
- Dark-web credential monitoring
OneDrive + a fully provisioned Dell 16 Pro
The Resilio peer-to-peer sync workflow retired; OneDrive deployed on every device; and a new Dell 16 Pro workstation fully provisioned by Soaring Towers — Microsoft 365, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and the niche software a working broker needs.
- OneDrive replacing Resilio P2P sync
- Adobe Acrobat Pro + Medlin accounting
- White-glove vendor escalation
RMM + Junto AI + a real human team
Remote monitoring with automated patch management on every endpoint, AI-assisted ticket triage, and a managed helpdesk that answers — so the broker can keep moving and the IT keeps moving with him.
- ConnectWise RMM + ScreenConnect
- Junto AI triage + VirusTotal scans
- Annual Business Review cadence
Ready to modernize your brokerage’s technology?
If your practice is wrestling with fragmented phones, peer-to-peer file sync, unmanaged security tools, or IT support that can’t speak your industry — we can help.
Get practical guidance for evaluating your communications, security, and productivity stack. No commitment, no sales pressure.
Measurable outcomes for CRE Portfolio Solutions.
Three phone numbers now answer through one Teams interface. Peer-to-peer file sync replaced with OneDrive. A live simulated phishing attack reported, not clicked. And a clean queue with zero open tickets — the steady state of a managed environment that just works.
A solo broker operating like a much bigger firm — without the overhead.
After partnering with Soaring Towers, CRE Portfolio Solutions runs on the technology footprint of a multi-person operation — unified comms, cloud-first workflows, enterprise-grade security — without the IT staff, the complexity, or the daily friction.
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Single-platform communicationsThree direct numbers, two offices, and one mobile device all answer through one Teams Phone interface — calls, voicemail, and SMS in one place.
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Storage friction eliminatedSeven critical disk-full alerts on the old Surface Pro replaced by cloud-first OneDrive workflows on a fully provisioned Dell 16 Pro.
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Stronger security postureSentinelOne EDR, dark-web monitoring, and active phishing simulations — backed by training that produced a real-world correct response on a live simulated attack.
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Niche software fully supportedMedlin accounting, Adobe Acrobat Pro, AIRForms, and Dynamics 365 all running smoothly — with Soaring Towers escalating directly to the Medlin vendor when needed.
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Seamless office relocationMoved Upland offices mid-engagement — internet verified remotely, Teams Phone continuity preserved, address records updated, zero documented downtime.
From the beginning it was easy, it was seamless, it just was clear!
The Operations & Technology Modernization Checklist
Before making your next technology decision, evaluate whether your communications, security, and productivity stack can support a mobile, deal-driven practice. Our free checklist surfaces:
- Communications gaps
- File sync & cloud workflow weaknesses
- Security vulnerabilities
- Mobile & multi-office risks
- Endpoint & patching issues
- Operational inefficiencies
- 40+ technology review checkpoints
- Microsoft 365 & Teams Phone best practices
- Cybersecurity recommendations for brokers
- Mobile & multi-office workflow guidance
- OneDrive & SharePoint collaboration
- Endpoint protection & awareness training
A partner that handles the whole stack — from phone to firewall.
Professional services firms require more than reactive IT support. Our business-first approach ensures technology aligns with the way you actually work — across offices, devices, and the road — while reducing risk and giving you hours back in the week.
Answers for brokerage and professional services leaders.
Don’t see your question? Reach out for a discovery call.
It includes Microsoft 365 and Teams Phone setup, OneDrive deployment, an enterprise-grade security stack (endpoint protection, dark-web monitoring, phishing simulations), workstation provisioning, white-glove support for industry software, remote monitoring, and a managed helpdesk — designed around how a working broker actually operates.
Brokers handle sensitive financial data, contracts, and client identity information — making them frequent targets for phishing, business email compromise, and credential theft. Advanced endpoint protection, dark-web monitoring, and active awareness training help reduce real-world risk for a deal-driven business.
Your existing direct numbers are ported into Microsoft Teams Phone, giving you PSTN calling from any device — desktop, mobile, or an existing VoIP desk phone — through a single interface. Voicemail, SMS, and call history live in one place, with end-user training included as part of the migration.
Operational experience in professional services, willingness to support niche industry software (CRM, accounting, forms), strong cybersecurity expertise, fast response times, mobile- and multi-office-ready solutions, and a track record of being the single point of contact — not just a break-fix vendor.
The stack we deployed for CRE Portfolio Solutions.
