BREAKING PROPERTY NEWS – 24/11/2021
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Peston & Stanton talk proptech at The Negotiator Conference & Expo 2021
Live at The Negotiator Conference & Expo 2021, Friday 26 November at the Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane, London, Robert Peston (Political Editor of ITV) and myself will be debating together with a panel.
The topic is PROPTECH: DISRUPTOR OR DISRUPTIVE?
We will be joined by Mark Armstrong (CEO of Reapit), Kristjan Byfield (Mission Commander of The Depositary), Indy Dubb (CEO of Under The Hammer Group), Heather Staff (Co-founder of Street Group). I will be there as the CEO and Founder of Proptech-PR, a global proptech consultancy.
It promises to be a great debate as Robert Peston always has his finger on the pulse, previously being the BBC’s Economics Editor, where he revealed the stories behind the statistics and explained the implications of European, domestic and global economic shifts.
Before that, as Business Editor, he broadcast and published a series of exclusive and influential stories about the global financial situation. He revealed the crises at Northern Rock and RBS, the emergency rescue of HBOS, and the tumult around the credit crunch, bailouts, and austerity.
Andrew Stanton
Previously, Peston was City and Assistant Editor of the Sunday Telegraph, in charge of the business and money sections, and the FT’s Financial Editor. At the FT, he was a member of the editorial board and earlier he served as its Political Editor, Banking Editor, and founder of the investigations unit.
Balancing Peston’s weight of economic insight is a panel that has a breadth of views and industry knowledge, as it comprises proptech entrepreneurs and tech company executives who can offer a helicopter view of how technology in the shape of apps, platforms, and networks, are reshaping the way agency works.
Having met nearly 500 proptech founders globally, plus advising and mentoring for many different incubators and accelerators, boards and C-suites – both on implementation of digital transformation as well as acquisition and exit plays – I am really looking forward to the debate.
According to the official running order, the talk will be held at 2.15 pm in the main ballroom.
The key issues being addressed are as follows:
Technology has been powering agency for decades, but in recent years there has been an explosion in innovation in our sector, with hundreds of web-based products and services flooding into the market and businesses of estate and letting agents.
As much as it is exciting and inspiring, for the independent agent it can also be bewildering.
What new ideas should you adopt?
Where are the real-time and energy savings to be made?
Are they really ‘game-changing’?
Do they really drive new revenues and bring in valuable business – or are they simply another way to do the same old job, but with a monthly subscription – another cost – attached?
KEY TAKEAWAY: THE PANEL DISCUSSION WILL REVEAL THE KEY AREAS IN AGENCY WHERE PROPTECH IS ESSENTIAL TO BUSINESS GROWTH AND SUCCESS IN AN EVOLVING TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE.
Will estate agents work from home again due to the surge in Covid-19?
The official government stance at present is to be vigilant and to test and keep safe, but in Northern Ireland, the advice is now for agents to work from home if possible. Does this mean that the property industry is headed for another round of closed doors, doing things in a more digital and virtual reality manner?
Paul Offley, speaking for The Guild of Property Professionals, says that as there is an uptick in cases in certain geographic areas “it is vital that agents continue to act within a safe manner to ensure that they are protecting the public and doing what they can to minimise the spread of the virus.”
Speaking to the positives, Paul feels that technology can help if agents do have to go into lockdown mode once again, building on the knowledge gained last time around.
“Agents should look to continue to promote virtual viewings in the first instance; review their Covid operating plan and continue to review working practices to take all reasonable steps to help restrict the spread of the virus during the next few difficult months.”
In the past week, I have been contacted by a large number of agents concerned that the pandemic will once impact how they run their businesses, with lettings operations having very different challenges to the residential sector, which traditionally winds down at this point of the year.
The ability to show, carry out inspections, onboard new tenancies, etc., is a twelve-month cycle. Tenants and landlords are carrying out their business all the time.
The imposition of having some companies suddenly working from home caused major bottlenecks the first time around. Will they learn from their mistakes and adapt seamlessly this time…if it comes to it?
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