EDITOR’S COMMENT After a couple of weeks of being a bit gloomy on this page, of challenging Toscafund’s Savvas Savouri to prove me an idiot for thinking this recession might be just as bad as, if not worse than, the last one, and of expecting the sizes of many real estate businesses to reduce somewhat over the next few months, I’m going to attempt to turn things around.
It might be hard when the pages of this magazine are full of examples of big price chips on chunky deals as interest rates bite, funders get spooked and risk gets riskier, of mounting losses at listed landlords – even the darlings of our sector – and more malls falling into administration.
But as you read this I’ll be in a room full of individuals from across this industry who want to make a difference, who want this industry to make a difference. We will be at the first EG Future Leaders Summit. A full day of being inspired by the 11 amazing human beings who form cohort five of our Future Leaders project, and then taking that inspiration and working it through with our expert training partners at Ginger to collectively come up with an action, or actions, that we – as participants and players in the real estate sector – commit to delivering.
It is going to be powerful, and I know it is going to make me feel better, brighter and empowered on behalf of this industry to effect some change.
I’m probably also going to cry, like I do at every Future Leaders event.
I’m going to hold on to that effecting change theme here. I’ve said it more than once, but I truly believe this is real estate’s superpower. This is the thing you – all of you, no matter what title you hold, what business you work in, what level you are at – can do. And, I don’t think it has to be that hard either. You just have to use the gifts that you have. The gifts that people who come into this industry have in spades.
You all know how to talk to people and how to listen. Many of you have amazing design skills, some of you find innovative funding solutions, some of you can create tools – and rules – that enable, or maybe even force, certain actions to be undertaken. You are builders, you are engineers, you are advisers, architects, thinkers, doers, you are planet-savers and job creators.
And this week, we show you are saviours too. We show you how you can make people feel safe and secure and part of something.
It is apparent that much of the industry understands its impact on the climate and that much of it is trying to do something about it. But how many of you understand the impact you have on individuals’ sense of wellbeing and safety? And how many of you are doing anything about it?
Well, more and more of you are. Big names are signing up to Publica’s campaign to address violence against women and girls and learning more about the role of the built environment in creating spaces where bad things just can’t happen. And in east London, masterplanners have made sure to include insights from girls from Greatfields School in their proposals for the Gascoigne Estate so a place that has become unsafe to them, a place where their parents no longer allow them to go out after dark, can feel like home again – can perhaps be a place where they can have fun, make friendships, fall in love. Imagine.
Or rather, don’t imagine, do. Because that is exactly what you – this amazing industry – has the power to do.
There. No gloom. Just hope and belief.
To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews
