EDITOR’S COMMENT Real estate is on a journey of transformation, with leaders now having to understand and navigate more than just the building of property and places.
Technology, digitisation and data have transformed the way all parts of the sector are working, with the growth in AI adding a new, as yet unknown, dimension. The changing needs, attitudes and skillsets of current and future generations has created a talent conundrum for all businesses, with new ways of working, new employment policies and a greater focus on what matters to individuals. And environmental and societal impacts are increasingly becoming core to the business of real estate, with shareholders, funders, landowners and governments demanding that those than can make a positive difference do.
Couple this immense change and the speed of it with the current environment in which we are operating and life, business and the intensity of needing to do the right thing while navigating potentially one of the riskiest times in real estate for decades, can feel overwhelming.
Never before has resilience in the sector been more important. With deal flows slowing, the cost of doing business continuing to rise, and the ticking of the countdown to 2050, let alone 2030, getting louder and louder, the business of real estate needs to come together to find solutions to those challenges and to finally garner the support it deserves from government.
I have lost count of the number of times I have banged on about this on this page before. How many times have I talked about the importance of collaboration, about how our business leaders are moving faster, being better and bolder than our political leaders, and how, if government just took the time to fully engage with our sector – not just the housebuilders – it might actually discover a useful ally? I don’t blame you if you’re a bit bored of it, to be honest.
The time for talk is over. Now is the time for action, which is why I am really excited to launch a new flagship event for EG this week – our CEO Summit. This one-day, exclusive event will bring together chief executives from across the industry to share ideas, best practice and a new focus on delivering for the economy, for our people and for the planet.
With help from some of the brightest minds in the built environment and those most committed to showcasing the true value of real estate, EG has curated a programme that seeks to bring together best-in-class transformational leaders from across both the built environment, wider business and the public sector world to debate and inspire on building resilience in the face of economic uncertainty.
The industry needs solutions. It needs inspiration from other business leaders – within and outside of the sector – now if it is to mitigate the risks it faces today and in the future. It needs to collaborate if it is to successfully navigate the wholesale transformation it is going through. And it needs to talk loudly, passionately and with purpose and a single voice if it is to ever truly get government to understand the power it has to drive our country forward.
Our passion at EG is to enable the real estate sector to thrive. We are driven by a purpose to help connect, inform and provide a platform for the built environment to be better today than it was yesterday. It is a responsibility we take very seriously and this November we are going to bring that to life.
I’m just a little bit excited about it – in case you couldn’t tell. Come join us on this mission and let’s showcase the resilience real estate can have in any economic situation.
To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews
