SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - May 20, 2009) - Lightner Property Group (LPG) is proud to announce it won the San Francisco Small Business Network (SBN) Technology Innovation Award. LPG tenants, PhilippeBecker and MSA Planning & Design Consultants, Inc., also won awards for innovation and creativity in the San Francisco small business sector. All three firms are headquartered at LPG'S 612 Howard Street, a 102-year-old SOMA loft office building LPG renovated in 1998.

"Developing a creative community has been a focus since we renovated this building," said Bill Lightner, LPG's president and CEO. "We're happy to see neighbors recognized for the business leaders they are."

LPG (http://www.lightnergroup.com) won the SBN technology innovation award for its use of Web-based tools including Central Desktop and DocuSign to streamline property management functions and for employing Web 2.0 services to engage the San Francisco community and provide convenient and responsive customer service to its residents, tenants and potential new residents.

PhilippeBecker (http://www.beckersf.com) won the Certified Green Business Award.

MSA Planning & Design Consultants, Inc. (http://www.msasf.com) won the Best San Francisco Small Business with Fewer Than 25 Employees Award.

In addition to managing its 612 Howard Street office building, LPG manages other commercial and apartment buildings throughout San Francisco. "I think managing residential buildings has made us better at managing commercial properties. What people really want is a sense of community," said Bill Lightner, who cofounded LPG with his wife, Merrie, in 1984.

LPG is the first San Francisco property management company to hire a social media director. "LPG was built on the foundation of technology," said Merrie Lightner, CFO and cofounder of LPG. "Twenty-five years ago there were just two of us, and leveraging technology allowed us to increase efficiency. Recently, we saw how we could employ social media as a way to personally deliver information about our San Francisco apartment rentals, as well as an improved level of service."

LPG uses the following Web 2.0 services:

--  Facebook fan page: Provides company information, pictures of LPG
    properties and available apartments, links to noteworthy blog posts and
    information around relevant San Francisco events.
    (http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Francisco-CA/Lightner-Group-San-Francisco-Apartments/70440143342?sid=585f339a2149a1d2f56fcf1e86a08bf6&ref=s).
    
--  Twitter: Used to engage with the community and provide information
    around LPG's property management style, San Francisco apartment rentals and
    company updates and culture (http://www.twitter.com/LightnerGroup).
    
--  Wordpress Blog: Developed to be an online resource for renters
    (http://www.lightnergroupscoop.com).
    
--  MyRentalUnits.com: Provides information to small property owners about
    managing their properties (http://www.myrentalunits.com).
    

About Lightner Group: Lightner Property Group (http://www.lightnergroup.com) is a San Francisco-based property management and development company that was built on the foundation of technology. Highly sophisticated and professional, LPG is dedicated to providing cost-effective and professional property management systems for multi-family and commercial properties.