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Real Estate Technology, Asset Management

Article | June 15, 2023

More than just reducing carbon emissions from building operations will be required to decarbonize cities. As communities commit to ambitious net zero objectives, the most forward-thinking are increasingly thinking about how to better plan building lifecycles, from construction through maintenance and, eventually, destruction. The real estate business generates the most garbage in the world. Construction and demolition trash accounts for around one-third of total garbage in the EU and nearly 40% of solid waste in the US. If cities want to attain a net zero future, this must alter soon. This is why circular economy philosophy, which strives to minimize waste, is gaining traction. It has far-reaching implications for decarbonizing cities because it considers whole-life emissions - the carbon emitted from the production and transportation of goods all the way to their usage and disposal. However, this is only a portion of the solution. For example, in North America and Europe, almost 80% of buildings that will be in use in 2050 already exist today and will fall significantly short of future carbon reduction objectives. However, demolishing an old structure in order to construct a new, greener structure is not a viable strategy. Regulations On the Horizon Incoming rules in large cities are increasingly on developers' minds. By 2030, Amsterdam will have cut its usage of new raw materials in half, on its way to being totally circular by 2050. Los Angeles aims to be the largest city in the United States to reach zero waste by 2025, with a 90% garbage diversion rate, while Melbourne is likewise on a similar path. With Design for Reuse Principles, Paris is paving the path for 50% of building projects to send no trash to landfill by 2030. These urge developers to focus on facilities that can support several purposes over time - residences, workplaces, hotels - without requiring large modifications or improvements. By 2030, 30% of its office stock will be required to be flexible.

Real Estate Investment, Asset Management

Article | May 25, 2023

You may have heard the often-cited National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) statistic that 90% of homeowners would use their real estate agent again, but only 12% actually do. What you may not know is the reason behind it. According to Chris Stuart, president of PLACE, Inc., the real estate industry spends more on customer acquisition than any other industry but doesn’t invest the same amount in customer retention. The numbers back him up, with companies like Southwest and Marriott spending less than 3% of their marketing budget on customer acquisition, while the real estate industry spends a whopping 20% of its marketing dollars to add customers, only to lose them as they leave the closing table. Of course, retention in real estate is made more difficult by the fact that the average time between real estate transactions is five to seven years, not just a few weeks or months as it would be for retail or travel companies. Looking at other industries that focus more on customer retention, they do so not by offering a host of random services, but by creating a customer experience that brings people back over and over. With that in mind, here is a tactical approach that will allow you to prove your value month after month—for years to come.

Real Estate Investment, Asset Management

Article | May 5, 2023

Real estate is a key element of the U.S. economy. Residential real estate provides housing for individuals and families and is a major source of wealth and savings for Americans. Commercial real estate creates spaces for retail, offices, manufacturing, and apartment buildings as well as creating jobs to sell, build, and maintain all these structures.

Article | April 26, 2020

Search online for real estate investment strategies, and you’ll be overwhelmed with the information overload that hits you. Self-proclaimed experts, gurus, and never before heard of writers (because everyone has a book these days) keep posting hordes of stuff regarding where you should focus your efforts and what you should put your money into. Read a few of these sources, and you’ll see that most of the stuff is the same. It’s very unusual to find ideas that are starkly different online. Head to the store and buy books on investment strategies. Though definitely not to-the-point and instead highly detailed, once you finish reading, you will find yourself at the same spot you were before. Countless case studies, multiple options, a lot of theory, and no practical application! Don’t fret. My article today isn’t going to give you 10 more real estate investment strategies.