Breaking Property News – 15/09/2023

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.

 

Where does Blackrock stand on ESG?

For several months Blackrock has been seen to be embattled with many of its investment strategies seen as being at odds with the now polarising call for ESG. Whilst it is logical with the management of so many assets across numerous verticals, there is likely to be clashes between core needs of these industries to execute and the need to save the planet it looks like the CEO Fink is having to be more decisive.

As far back as a year ago Blackrock which manages over $8.59 worth of assets, was seen to be reigning in its overall ESG strategy, balancing it against the needs of stakeholders wanting financial returns, but now it seems that its present stance on Glencore the huge mining conglomerate, it is now nailing its colours to the mast.

As reported in CITY.AM, by Charlie Conchie, ‘Blackrock has criticised “inconsistencies” in the climate policy of mining giant Glencore and voted against the firm’s green strategy at its annual general meeting earlier this year, according to new filings. The world’s biggest asset manager, the third biggest shareholder in Glencore with a stake worth some $9bn, was among a host of investors to reject Glencore’s climate policy at its shareholder gathering in May.

“While the UK-listed mining company has improved their disclosure of climate-related risks and opportunities and has continued to deliver on their Climate Action Transition Plan, BIS is concerned that aspects of the report and recent developments have pointed to inconsistencies in the company’s stated strategy,” Blackrock said in its stewardship report.

Cakebot helps with lease management

PRESS RELEASE – Leasecake, a leading provider of lease management software, is proud to announce the launch of its ground-breaking new tool, Cakebot: Approachable AI for Lease Management. Featuring both a Lease Chatbot and Lease Clause Summarization, this new offering is set to redefine how business owners and operators navigate the complexities of lease agreements, streamlining processes and empowering users with newfound efficiency.

Lease agreements have long been notorious for their intricate and lengthy language, often posing challenges for tenants. Deciphering these documents requires intensive analysis, especially for real estate and accounting experts who aren’t legal specialists. But, Leasecake’s Cakebot is here to transform the game.

Leasecake is harnessing the power of large language models (LLMs) to simplify the leasing process. Users can ask Cakebot questions about their lease and get quick answers. The AI-powered tool analyses and extracts vital information from even the most complex agreements and provides assistance on lease related questions. In addition, it offers concise, easy-to-understand summaries of otherwise complex legal critical clauses.

Facilio – examines the automation of Facilities Management

Prabhu Ramachandran is the CEO & Co-founder of proptech company Facilio Inc. which offers cloud software solutions to manage the built environment. Headquartered in New York City with offices in Dubai, London, Chennai, Australia & Singapore, Facilio is a global company backed by leading investors including Accel Partners, Tiger Global Management, Dragoneer Investment, and Brookfield.

Here Prabhu gives his thoughts and oversight on the changing landscape of facility management as it moves from analogue to digital,

‘Remember when IT was a humble back office function, typically depicted in movies and TV as the team that sits in a dark and dingy basement office covered in wires and servers? Something changed the face of IT, which was essentially a back-office accounting resource, and what it meant to a company–bringing it from the basement to the executive’s table, transforming it from a cost centre to a strategic lever.

The thing that changed was technology, advances facilitated the digitization of core business processes like financial asset management, accounting, order processing, production scheduling, and more, proving the ability of IT to align with strategic business objectives and significantly impact costs and capability.

Andrew Stanton

CEO & Founder Proptech-PR. Proptech Real Estate Influencer, Executive Editor of Estate Agent Networking. Leading PR consultancy in Proptech & Real Estate.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

UK housing market built for couples

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the latest research from Yopa reveals that couples have a significant advantage when it comes to buying a home, as solo buyers who are trying to get a foot on the ladder find themselves nearly £50,000 short of the amount required to secure the average property based on current mortgage lending…
Read More
LIVING BY THE SEASIDE 2022
Overseas Property

Brits continue to chase Spanish sunshine

The latest data insight from Enness Global has revealed that British interest in buying property in Spain continues to strengthen, despite growing political pressure from the Spanish government to restrict overseas buyers and curb foreign investment in the housing market. Enness Global analysed Google search trend data across the UK, tracking search activity related to…
Read More
Breaking News

Property finance expert reveals the five renovations that could devalue your home

Expert warns that not all home improvements add value Over-personalisation is one of the biggest risks Renovation mistakes could shave THOUSANDS off final sale price Homeowners can spend tens-of-thousands of pounds on renovating their home, but not always make that back on the sale price. In some cases, renovations can seriously reduce a property’s appeal…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Urban housing mix forces estate agents to work harder

The latest market analysis from eXp UK has revealed that estate agents operating in more urban, built-up markets are often required to work significantly harder to generate comparable earnings, due to the dominance of flats within city housing stock and the far lower commission secured per sale when compared to detached homes. eXp UK analysed…
Read More
Breaking News

Property compliance experts urge landlords not to ignore major tenancy changes under Renters’ Rights Act

Beresfords property group highlights key actions landlords must take as new tenancy rules, enforcement powers and energy standards approach. UK landlords are being warned not to overlook major changes to tenancy agreements and compliance requirements, as the Government moves closer to implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Following the publication of draft secondary legislation, the…
Read More
Breaking News

Nationwide becoming first lender to allow mortgage deeds to be signed digitally

Mary-Lou Press, President of NAEA Propertymark (National Association of Estate Agents), comments: “The conveyancing process remains one of the most common sources of frustration for buyers and sellers, with more than 30 per cent of housing transactions taking over 17 weeks to complete on average. These prolonged timescales only serve to increase pressure and uncertainty…
Read More