Brokers still get to ply their trade. Corporations get tonetwork to unload excess space. And as long as it's an alternativeand not a mandate, it's not being viewed as a possible monopoly,say corporate real estate executives of NetStruxr investors'Prudential Life Insurance Co. and Bank of America Corp.International Business Machines Corp., also a NetStruxr investor,and Automated Data Processing Inc. are the other teamplayers.Today, corporate Real Estate Exchange, CREX for short,marks its first week on the Web. No space has been hawked, but thereal estate chiefs believe it's the way to go. All involved say theidea sprung from Sept. 11 when New York City corporations andbuilding owners dug in their heels in an unprecedented camaraderieto find office space for displaced companies.

The four corporations leading the charge are courting a trophylist of 30 would-be participants. NetStruxr has suggested another100 big names that could be wined and dined for membership, saysRichard Podos, NetStruxr executive vice president in New York City.The four founding members and 30 prospects equate to more than 1.5billion sf, with a preliminary estimate that at least 100 millionsf is surplus.

There's always a hitch. It's more than a pledge, it's acommitment that must be kept. Renewals as well as surplus must beposted on the CREX online marketplace. If there's a match, themember gets an alert. There is no obligation to take, just screen,each other's available space, most of which is subleasepredominantly in office buildings.