Insight into the lives, and book collections, of our leaders is a powerful force

COMMENT: Dialling in from their living rooms in London, their home offices in San Francisco and their kitchens in Toronto, the great and the good of C-suite real estate have come out in force this week to take part in one of the biggest virtual property summits ever staged. I’m not sure if it is the fact that many of them are calling in from the familiar comfort of their own homes or whether the camaraderie that comes from fighting a common battle has given people more confidence to speak from the heart, but the result is the same either way. CREtech and Future PropTech’s Reimagining Real Estate event is about so much more than a series of discussions on the future of the market. Not that upcoming trends, market trajectories and business strategies are absent altogether. Quite the opposite. When you have that many decision-makers – 125 to be exact – signed up to speak over four days on the future of real estate in unprecedented times, the insight is baked right in. But that’s a given. You would expect to see that on stage at a live event and a virtual experience should be no different. What has really captured my attention, though, is what you get in lieu of the tangible energy, the spontaneous meetings and the buzz of a real-life gathering. To be clear, there is no denying that those elements of a traditional event are hugely missed. It is this need for real-life interaction that will, I’m sure, see people flock back to attend events in person when they feel comfortable enough to do so. But in the spirit of finding the silver lining, I must say there are some elements of an event like Reimagining Real Estate that may well prove to be unique to the online format. For all the connectivity tests, the paused video screens and the logistical nightmares of co-ordinating time zones, speakers do seem to come across as more relaxed when appearing “on stage” from their own homes. First and foremost, this leads to more open discussions, which instantly elevates the content and the insight. But it also gives the audience a glimpse into the otherwise unseen worlds of some of the industries’ most influential names. The human touch This isn’t about invading privacy; it is about seeing each other as humans. Even before the pandemic, the real estate sector was desperately working to become more compassionate and inclusive. Access to just a sliver of insight into the lives of those leading the companies, key divisions and bodies that make up this sector is a powerful, uniting force. What’s not to love about the fact that Oxford Properties’ COO Dean Hopkins spoke to the audience with a piece of art created by his son hanging on the wall behind him? Or that Prologis’s chief technology officer Sineesh Keshav dialled in with the most intriguing leather-bound book collection neatly stacked on the shelves in the background? Both CBRE’s chief digital and technology officer Sandeep Dave and Savills’ CIO and head of client technologies Patrick McGrath spoke at the event with pieces of artwork behind them giving a subtle but ever-present hint of who they are beyond their work personas. A powerful experience I am all for a return to congregating in real life when the time is right. I miss making my next best contact while queuing for a mini-bagel as much as the next person. But I have also been pleasantly surprised by the unique power of the online experience. Arguably this stems, in part, from the fact that most people have been dialling in from home. Who knows if I would feel the same if speakers and delegates alike were calling in from the corporate anonymity of their offices? I suspect that, in that eventuality, some of that human element and the more relaxed approach to event speaking would be lost. But in this particular circumstance, tough and challenging though it has been, an unexpected spark has been injected into proceedings – one I hope people will feel confident enough to bring out of their homes and into the more traditional work environment when we start to return to a semblance of normality. While we won’t be able to see the book collections and art preferences of the sector’s thought-leaders on stage at future events, it would be progress enough to see people adopt a more relaxed and open approach to imparting their knowledge when they are back in a corporate arena. So, those are my thoughts on CREtech and Future PropTech’s Reimagining Real Estate summit. My analysis is more about the power of technology to bring delegates together through humanising our industry leaders than about the power of tech to transform the sector itself. But fear not, the event is still running for two more days and it addresses the latter in spades. It is free to attend and packed with some incredible speakers, keynotes and panellists. Check it out using the link below and, who knows, you may even catch a glimpse of a summer reading collection or two. Click here to hear more from the four-day global CREtech Reimagining Real Estate summit. To send feedback, e-mail emily.wright@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmilyW_9 or @estatesgazette