PlaceTech Podcast: Recent Episodes
PlaceTech Podcast
PlaceTech is the leading proptech news and events platform, delivering essential information on technology for the built environment sector. In this podcast series we do exactly that, by talking to industry leaders in the property market and tech experts about the latest innovations, adoption and research in proptech.
Having completed one of London’s smartest office buildings in recent years, MiddleCap’s innovations director Miloš Halečka dives into how his team puts tech at the heart of development.
Southworks, MiddleCap’s first development in the UK, completed in 2021, bringing 70,000 sq ft of tech-enabled, BREEAM Outstanding office space to the market. Now, the developer is looking ahead to its second UK project – Seal House – which aims to push the boundaries of tech even further.
Paul Unger is joined by Savills' director Jeremy Hinds and applied research consultant Paul Sayers to discuss climate change and how the rise in water levels could affect planning and property.
Kevin Wilhelm, country manager for the US and Canada at Sharry and Victor Sanchez, senior director & head of global design and build at LinkedIn, join Paul Unger to pose the question... What do we mean by workplace experience?
Kevin, Victor and Paul discuss the trends, what clients want and how software can support the workplace experience.
For more information, visit: sharry.tech
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A comms masterclass this week with three directors of Social, a leading ESG and tech PR agency – join Sara Donnelly, Andy Cameron-Smith and Luke Cross sharing their wisdom with Paul Unger.
Questions answered * Why does ESG matter in corporate communications? * How can tech enable businesses to meet green targets? * How can companies cut through the noise and be heard on climate messages? * What role does technology play in the decarbonisation of the property sector? * Given the growth of the Greentech sector, how can communications enable tech companies to compete? * How to approach ESG reporting and narrative development
Find out more about Social here: social-tech.co.uk
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Paul Unger is joined by Jeremy Hinds, planning director at Savills, and Tom Cheesewright to explore the reasons holding back real estate from taking the radical steps needed to challenge climate change.
Takeaways * There is a lack of a consensus framework in which to discuss the problems and how to address them * Without sufficient policy responses individuals will increasingly put forward radical ideas which prompt counter responses and only delay the forming of a consensus * Requirements to do something about climate change are very challenging – this puts people off * As timeframes to act become shorter, the responses needed become more radical * Short-term outlooks of voter-obsessed politicians obstruct the consensus and avoid difficult solutions * Climate policy should be outsourced and made independent and objective in same way as countries’ central banks often are
Gecina is a French real estate company which owns and operates €20bn of real estate assets, 97% located in the Paris region.
Takeaways
- ‘When we are at the beginning of the journey the most difficult part is spreading the innovation mindset, framework, and skills across the organisation’
- ‘The challenge is to deploy innovation at scale through our portfolio in operation where it makes sense’
- ‘Data management is the next big revolution for real estate. If you look at other industries and benchmarks you can easily realise that real estate is quite behind on this transformation’
- ‘The problem is not about technology, which is already available. The difficulty is the upskilling we have to do to be able to produce value with data’
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Fabrice Aubert, deputy managing director of French property giant Nexity, talks to Balndine Laffargue about the importance of taking a decentralised approach to innovation.
Takeaways
- Nexity acquired Morning Coworking in 2019 to roll out flexible workspace
- Nexity uses 3D configurators to allow customers to customise apartments
- The company’s strategy aims to find new offers for consumers; invest in ventures directly; improve the digital user experience and satisfaction
- Nexity has invested in a dozen firms directly and three venture funds
- Maintaining a startup mindset and culture is vital
- Startups working with Nexity gain access to a market leader; funding, capital and projects; each other as an ecosystem
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Natasha Terinova, director of Reach UK; Dan Weisman – director of emerging tech trends at the National Association of Realtors, with 1.3m members the largest trade organisation in the US; Tyler Thompson, managing partner Second Century Ventures.
Matt Ellis joins Paul Unger to provide his three main reasons to be optimistic when it comes to property sustainability, ESG, and where technology's place sits within.
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Craig O'Donnell, Group Innovation Director at Grosvenor speaks with Paul Unger of PlaceTech about innovation in proptech.
In this podcast, Michael Tsourounis, managing director at Hazelview Investments and co-head of real estate, and Roger Poirier, co-founder of Hazelview Ventures, join Paul Unger to get behind the headlines in venture capital and property deals, and discuss the lessons learned within relationships between VC firms and their property investment partners.
Discover more on placetech.net
Looking at the relationships between venture capital firms and their property investment partners, Paul Unger, editor of PlaceTech is joined by Tanguy Quero of JLL and Kingma Ma of Proptech1.
Find out more at placetech.net
Corporate journalist Blandine Laffargue hosts this episode of the PlaceTech podcast for an in-depth journey into European innovation and proptech alongside Philippe Boyer, head of innovation and corporate affairs at Covivio, the French property development company.
Find out more about Covivio: covivio.eu
David Hodges, director of eco-i, joins Karl Tomusk to share his experience and advice on getting a building ready for smart-status.
Also joining the discussion are Phil Marsden, director of project management at Muse and James Thomas, head of smart buildings and technologies at Wates who add their perspectives as a developer and contractor.
Find out more about eco-i: eco-igroup.com
Marcus Ginn, founder and CEO of Edozo, joins Paul Unger, editor of PlaceTech, to talk about all things Edozo. From the tech solutions they offer, clients they have worked with, the growth of the business over the last year, what lies ahead, and also future market forecasts.
Find out more about Edozo: edozo.com
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Tom Willcock, director of innovation at Hollis, joins PlaceTech editor Paul Unger for a quick-fire walkthrough of some of the biggest trends in real estate innovation. Willcock discusses potential game-changers and the impact they will have on the industry.
Find out more about Hollis here.
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Rohan Bulchandani, founder of global real estate tech provider Retransform, and Daniel Schreiner, head of technical property management and ESG at Heimstaden, discuss digital twin technology and what it can do for real estate's net zero ambitions.
Retransform provides business management, technology and analytics solutions to the real estate industry. For over two decades, the company has honed its expertise to offer comprehensive solutions to commercial, residential, retail and corporate occupier clients.
Find out more: retransform.com
In this episode, Jeremy Hinds, planning director at Savills, joins Paul Unger, editor of PlaceTech, to talk about how predicted weather patterns and changes in climate will shape how we plan and design our future cities.
Find out more about Savills: https://www.savills.co.uk/
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John Archer, solutions director at Backbone Connect, joins Karl Tomusk to talk about solving the problem of cybersecurity in smart buildings.
Sustainability and efficiency are two reasons why demand for building sensors and software are on the rise. But the more connected a building is, the more vulnerable it can be to cybersecurity breaches.
Questions asked in this episode:
- What are the biggest risks in operating smart buildings?
- Does the risk rise as you install more tools and sensors?
- Who should be responsible for dealing with cybersecurity breaches?
- What are some easy wins that could make smart buildings less vulnerable to attacks?
- How will security concerns and threats change in the coming years?
Paul Speariett, founder of Forge and now regional director Yardi, joins Karl Tomusk to discuss the latest trends in hybrid working and how tech is meeting changing occupier demands.
Forge powered by Yardi works in the commercial, retail and education sectors to provide Forge Bluepoint visitor management which empowers landlords, building management and tenants to manage visitors their way.
Flexible technology, along with a team that has vast experience in both the security and software industries, means that Forge powered by Yardi gives people the confidence that their safety and security are at the forefront of the journeys they deliver.
Find out more about Forge powered by Yardi at: www.weareforge.io
The world is on a dangerous trajectory towards climate catastrophe, but there are key lessons to be learned that can steer us all in the right direction. Matt Roche, founder of Rebelleon, joins Paul Unger for a special COP26-centred discussion on how education, partnerships and open access to data can benefit the many.
Rebelleon advises businesses on their journey to becoming net-zero carbon, with a focus on collaborating with non-profit organisations and start-ups to reach end goals.
To find out more about Rebelleon, visit rebelleon.co.uk.
Chris Webb, head of sustainability at tp bennett, and Barry Varcoe, global director, real estate & facilities at Open Society Foundations, joined PlaceTech editor Paul Unger to discuss sustainable design practices in this latest PlaceTech podcast episode.
tp bennett, headquartered in London with a Manchester office serving the North of England, is a multi-disciplinary design practice of 320 staff focussing on architecture, interiors and planning in the UK and internationally.
For more information on tp bennett and the services it provides, visit tpbennett.com.
Have you ever wondered what is in the mind of an angel investor? For this episode, Paul Unger was joined by Barrie Heptonstall, a serial angel investor, to try and find out the answer.
Heptonstall has become something of a property tech specialist, with stakes in Aprao, FaultFixers and Your Welcome among many others, and is now working more formally with European real estate innovation VC Pi Labs.
Harri Majala, founder and CEO at GBuilder, joins PlaceTech editor Paul Unger to discuss how GBuilder was founded, the changes within the market, and how the product they offer has evolved over the years, the role of BIM-based tech, its importance within the construction industry, and much more.
Visit GBuilder to find out more.
Managing director at Mallcomm, David Fuller-Watts, and retail director at Meadowhall, Mark Bruce, join Paul Unger to explore the subject in the form of a case study, touching on changing attitudes and responses in property towards data collection, how data is presented to the end-user in a digestible manner and much more.
Visit Mallcomm to find out more.
Christian Armstrong, Director of Brand, Product & Technology at Get Living, and Justin Harley, regional director at Yardi, discuss the effects the past year has had on the market, what customers really want and value in terms of tech in residential, the influence of ESG in regards to tech in buildings, future product launches and much more.
Vicki Odili of tp bennett, Simon Wilkes of Legal & General, and Mark Terndrup of Waterman join Paul Unger to discuss all things net zero carbon in the office environment. From tp bennett's net zero carbon roadmap and challenges that have arisen from design options, to understanding embodied carbon and operational carbon, and much more.
Michelle Buxton, founder and CEO of Toolbox Group, joins Paul Unger, editor of PlaceTech, to discuss digital transformation, tenant experience and the future of retail. We also discuss Toolbox Group's product Mallcomm, and how the 360-platform is shaping the way retailers and tenants interact.
Episode sponsored by Mallcomm.
Justin Harley, regional director for flex space and residential at Yardi, and Rupert Dean, co-founder and CEO of operator x+why, join Paul Unger in this latest episode to discuss the future of flex space, energy usage, how employers engage with their workforce and asking themselves 'what is the point of the office' and more.
For more information, visit yardikube.co.uk
James Shannon, chief product and technology officer at essensys, one of the world’s leading providers of software-as-a-service and technology to the flexible real estate industry, joins PlaceTech editor, Paul Unger, to discuss tech in flex space, why technology is key in solving challenges, both in the present and future, essensy's new flex-services platform and more.
Mike Anderson, CEO of Padoq, and Andrew Saunderson, investment director at Grainger, join PlaceTech editor Paul Unger to discuss all things build to rent. From changes in the sector and the mass introduction of tech in BTR developments, to the importance of a community within build to rent, improving tenant experiences, building long-term relationships and looking ahead to the future.
PlaceTech editor Paul Unger is joined by his old friend Gary Chimwa, founder of MentorshipHub, which aims to help founders across the tech landscape and those in underrepresented groups in society. Also joining Paul and Gary is James Morris-Manuel and Qadira Harris of Matterport. James was one of Gary's first mentors.
The group discuss Gary's new venture, MentorshipHub, how mentoring can help individuals and businesses shine a light on inequality in the workplace and best practises for the industry moving forward.
PlaceTech editor Paul Unger is joined by Quintain's first CTO, Jim Eaton-Terry, to talk about how he landed the role, his background in the proptech industry, such as working at FlyBe, and what new, innovative tech excites him the most.
James Segil joins PlaceTech publisher Paul Unger to discuss Openpath's journey into the market of access control systems, what separates Openpath from the competition, the future of the office market, new product developments and more.
Allison English, deputy CEO at global employee experience expert Leesman, joins PlaceTech publisher Paul Unger to talk about Leesman's involvement in data collection of employees, both in the office and at home, which trends are shaping the current working climate, which employee behaviours will stick for the long-term, the future of office space and design, and more.
PlaceTech publisher Paul Unger in joined by Stefan Schmidt of HB Reavis to talk all things symbiosy, the world of workspace right now and the future of real estate.
PlaceTech editor, Paul Unger, is joined by Andrew Cooke of Bruntwood Works and Ed Vickery of studiotech to talk about Bruntwood's new tech-enabled building in the heart of Manchester city centre, 111 Piccadilly.
Tom Wallace, founder and CEO of Re-Leased, the fast-growing cloud-based commercial property management software joins Paul Unger, editor of PlaceTech, to talk about how to utilise data for planning the recovery and the Re-Leased UK growth story.
Questions answered in this episode
- What were Re-Leased’s beginnings and how has its mission evolved?
- What are the insights gained from commercial lease data during lockdown?
- How can asset owners and managing agents start the journey to efficient data handling?
- What is the future for the commercial property sector using data?
- Has the pandemic been good or bad for the take-up of technology?
New product CREDIA Index delivers live data insights on how the wider market is performing.
Join Re-Leased on 27 October
Webinar: Turning data into your most valuable asset
In this PlaceTech podcast, James Onions, director at Paragon, discusses the company's new strategic partnership with connectivity firm NODE, how Paragon clients will benefit from this new strategic partnership and what the future holds for building connectivity.
Joining Paul Unger, editor of PlaceTech, is Mark Furness, founder and CEO of essensys, which supplies mission-critical software to some of the biggest operators and space providers in the flexible office market. essensys has launched a new product called STEP to bridge the gap for traditional landlords to be able to service the growing demand for agile and flexible office space.
James Shannon is the chief product officers at essensys, the leading provider of technology to the flexible workspace industry. Shannon is an entrepreneur and technology leader and has a deep passion for creating innovative and inspiring products. His experience includes the development of large-scale cloud services, award-winning mobile apps, integrated smart devices and cutting-edge consumer hardware for leading global brands.
At essensys, Shannon is responsible for the vision and implementation of software features and functionality that empower space providers with greater control and visibility over their operation. Shannon oversees that essensys technology and software ensure the reliability and effective delivery of services as well as exceptional member experiences for flexible workspaces users.
Questions asked in this episode:
- What does enhanced customer experience mean to essensys?
- Can tenant apps help remove friction in the office?
- Why hasn’t smartphone access control caught on in commercial real estate?
- Should users be worried about data privacy in smart access?
- What makes a building feel smart to the end user?
- How can landlords prepare for transition to enlarged flexspace market?
- What’s coming next for tenant experience?
Takeaways:
- Data allows operators to deliver a smarter workspace
- Smartphone apps will become key to unlock services in physical space
- Data allows operators to deliver a smarter workspace
- Smartphone apps will become key to unlock services in physical space
- B2C tends to be one app per product, this doesn’t translate well to B2B
- App fatigue is starting to be felt in market
- There should be no confusion about who owns data
- Future experience will reflect where you’re working not whether you’re at work
- After corona, workspace operators will look for data insight to see how activity is returning
About essensys
Born from unique, first-hand flexible workspace experience, essensys empowers ambitious space providers to grow and thrive. Our secure, all-in-one platform combines enterprise-grade technology that is efficient and simple to manage. At the touch of a button, you have complete control of your workspace operations and infrastructure, allowing you to deliver friction-free member and employee experiences, whilst gaining valuable insights.
PlaceTech editor, Paul Unger, chats with executive chairman of M7 Real Estate, Richard Croft
Samy Kamkar, privacy and security researcher and cofounder of Openpath, joined PlaceTech to chat about the security threats in real estate, the time he was arrested by the US secret services and three simple steps companies can take to prevent being hacked. The podcast was hosted by PlaceTech reporter, Nicola Byrne.
This PlaceTech Podcast is sponsored by Essensys.
Charlie Wade, managing director of VTS, joined PlaceTech to chat about his work at JLL, what it was like in Silicon Valley, his move into the world of tech and more. The podcast was hosted by PlaceTech reporter, Nicola Byrne.
PlaceTech Podcast is sponsored by Node, the hassle-free connectivity solution, and leading law firm Mills & Reeve.
Emma Cullen, chief operating officer of Palmer Capital, joined PlaceTech to chat about her interesting career journey and Palmer Capital's digital transformation. The podcast was hosted by PlaceTech reporter, Nicola Byrne.
PlaceTech Podcast is sponsored by Node, the hassle-free connectivity solution, and leading law firm Mills & Reeve.
Anthony Gahan, founder of IPSX, joined PlaceTech to chat about what it was like getting the real estate stock exchange off the ground, how it’s going to work, what it means for agents, plans for the future and more. The podcast was hosted by PlaceTech reporter, Nicola Byrne.
A panel of experts join PlaceTech for a data debate. We discuss what the industry should be doing with data, who’s going to be the winners and losers in the race to innovate, what makes data invaluable and more. The podcast is hosted by PlaceTech's reporter, Nicola Byrne.
Guests:
- Charlie Wade, managing director of VTS
- Melanie Leech, chief executive of British Property Federation
- Pete Hallett, chief technology officer of District
- Julian Carey, executive property director of Stenprop
PlaceTech Podcast is sponsored by Node, the hassle-free connectivity solution, and leading law firm Mills & Reeve.