Young Professionals firmly on the agenda

In 2019, we offered a number of events for our young professionals including a two- day conference and several Link and Learn events across Europe, specifically designed to engage the industry’s younger generation and equip them with the skillset, knowledge and network that they need to succeed.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CONFERENCE 2019, LISBON
This April, 175 of the industry’s next generation of leaders descended on Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon to attend the twelfth INREV Young Professionals Conference. The flagship event, with a programme tailored to meet the needs of the new wave of young professionals and the evolving landscape centered around the theme
of ‘Generational Change’. A diverse mix of insights and expertise was heard from the stage, presented by speakers from the industry and beyond looking back at Life before Lehman, where we are now in the current cycle and what the industry of tomorrow is set to look like.

Real Estate strategist Paul Guest from UBS shared his expertise on the structural changes expected to impact real estate, telling that we’re at an infliction point, citing the major trends of demographics, technology and environmental concerns as catalysts. The audience somewhat reflected Paul’s insights when they were polled on that they thought would have the biggest impact with 35% of the audience voting the technological evolution will cause the biggest change.

Companies who adopt ESG policies outperform significantly over time

Andrea Carpenter, Founder of Women Talk Real Estate took the Young Professionals on a bittersweet journey down memory lane to the fall of Lehman Brothers – when the majority of the audience were still in high school. Looking at parities in then and now, Andrea boldly declared that ‘Technology is the new debt’ adding that just as in relation to debt before the GFC when real estate investors and managers didn't know what they were doing, we may pose the question again now in the 2019 context - do we reay know what we are doing with technology?

Anthony Slumbers spoke on how the customer is finally revolutionising real estate, using the trinity of technology as a useful reference point – on one hand there is a huge influx in data available for us to use, in turn accelerating the rate of change and spurring the advent of new technologies. Anthony did declare that while technology is an excellent tool for solving problems that are structured and predictable, it cannot emulate or understand empathy - something that is uniquely specific to humans and imperative for building trust in relationships.

Property owners are working together t encourage birds, bees and bats back into this iconic area in London

The day was rounded off with the vibrant and energetic Alex Edmans who presented his ‘Business Case for Responsible Business’, urging the audience to make the shift from the idea that every business activity needs to generate a profit and sometimes doing the ‘right’ thing, can lead to financial profit in the long term. Alex’s own study showed that companies who treat their employees well, do better by a factor of about three and companies who adopt ESG policies outperform significantly over time.

Attendees were invited to join property tours so view some fine example of Lisbon Real Estate and could choose from the LX Factory, the Time Out Market and the Creative Hub Beato – a work in progress, giving conference attendees to chance to witness first-hand the birth of a new campus set to house national and international businesses. You can dig deeper into the programme of the Young Professionals Conference at inrev.org and save the date for next year’s event which will take place on 25 June 2020. 

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS LINK AND LEARN SERIES
Designed with less content but amped up time for networking with peers, a series of fully booked Link and Learn events were held throughout Europe in September. Munich, Helsinki and Amsterdam played host to this year’s Link and Learn Series, and coinciding with INREV’s ESG Month, we held a London Link and Learn, kindly hosted by the Crown Estate which included property tours with some excellent examples of ESG projects in the Capital. The Crown Estate took the Young Professionals on a walking tour of the ‘Wild West End’ Project to where property owners are working together to encourage birds, bees and bats back into this iconic area in London, and create greater connections with nature for residents, visitors and workers to enjoy.

Upcoming Young Professional Events

• Young Professionals Link and Learn Breakfast, Amsterdam, 4 February 2020
• Young Professionals Link and Learn Breakfast, London, 6 February 2020
• Young Professionals Link and Learn Breakfast, Frankfurt, 12 February 2020
• Young Professionals Conference, location tbc, 25 June 2020