The Propcast

In the final episode of season 12 of The Propcast, Louisa is joined by Jeffrey Berman, General Partner at Camber Creek, where they discuss how to set yourself on a path for the potential to create venture return, Camber Creek's investment thesis, portfolio, their approach to investment and JB's predictions for 2024. Jeffrey dives into the importance of a ‘less is more approach' when it comes to investment, and how Camber Creek's investment strategy is based around a ‘need to have', rather than a ‘nice to have' method, providing examples like Flex and Built whose products provide solutions to the challenges that tenants and landlords are facing in the US. Tune in to this episode to hear more about what 2024 has in store for the real estate technology space, as well as what JB's ‘walking out' song would be if he were to headline Coachella…   Companies mentioned Flex Notarize Bilt Measurabl Placemakr Pet Screening VTS Curbio Arcadia Jones Bowery   Shoutouts Michael Beckerman Casey Berman Shragie Lichtenstein YeTong Shao Matt Ellis   Episode Highlights We invest in exceptional entrepreneurs who are building companies that are changing how we interact with the built world – Jeffrey The way we always thought about fund size was we looked backwards. Not forwards. – Jeffrey We have this massive group of strategic limited partners, over 300 around the globe, whose reading points become the foundation layer of ‘these are the types of companies we need to look at' – Jeffrey   Key Takeaways How Camber Creek has created its investment theses from an initial investment hypothesis, and how they continue to utilise that to invest in the best companies within the real estate technology sphere. The two main questions that sparked Camber Creek's investment thesis idea Camber Creek's different funds, including its opportunity fund Jeffrey shares with us a bit more about some of their fastest growing companies, like Flex and the mission behind it The massive opportunity set for climate tech and carbon tech   About our guests Jeffrey Berman Jeffrey Berman is a General Partner at Camber Creek. Jeffrey participates in all aspects of Camber Creek's operations and portfolio management and serves on the boards of numerous Camber Creek portfolio companies. He has more than two decades of executive management experience and deeply rooted relationships in the startup, real estate, and venture capital ecosystems. Prior to Camber Creek, he was a Principal at one of the Washington, DC area's largest privately held real estate development and management companies. Jeffrey has also been an active early-stage investor, backing more than three dozen startups, including Jackpocket, Kindbody, and Rappi.    Camber Creek Camber Creek is a venture capital firm providing strategic value and capital to operating technology companies focused on the real estate market. Camber Creek contributes in a direct and significant way to the success of its portfolio companies by leveraging the real estate expertise, operating experience and portfolio of assets of its partners, investors, and advisors. Our investment team has investing, operating, and technology experience and expertise across a range of real estate businesses, including construction, property management, development, and leasing. Our investors own, operate and manage billions of square feet of real estate in the U.S., giving us a unique competitive advantage as an investor and value-added partner in the real estate technology space. The firm has ~$1bln AUM.   About Our Host     Louisa Dickins     Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.     To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.  

In this episode of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by John Rogers, Chief Innovation Officer for CoreLogic and Kirby Brendsel, Flagstar Bank's VP, Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) and Sustainability Director, where they discuss all things climate and housing affordability, and the solutions that are out there to help solve the issues!  John and Kirby explained the importance of providing data and analytics around climate risk to allow companies to measure the financial impact of climate change up to the year 2050, thus helping companies, cities, and governments to put in place mitigation plans.    Tune into this episode to hear more about how climate solutions can help with mitigation, housing affordability and insurance, and how our guest's collaboration create a rising tide that lifts all ships.    Companies mentioned  New York Communities Corp Inc  IBM  Deloitte   LMRE'S 2023 Salary Report  IPCC    Episode Highlights  My big advice for anyone would be that if you're passionate; follow your passion, go for the things that you want to do, or things that you can make a difference on, even on a small scale related to sustainability. – Kirby  We provided something called ‘climate risk analytics' which is an insight that allows companies to measure model and mitigate the financial impact of climate change – John   It's all about using data, improving your data, and capturing your data to make sound strategic decisions that helps you drive things forward – Kirby   The chef scientist of NASA said to us that he'd never expected to get to this level of granularity in his lifetime – John     Key Takeaways   How Flagstar and CoreLogic are working together to help address the issue of climate change and housing affordability  John explains the ‘average annual loss' which CoreLogic provides that is a ratio of a building's risk in terms of reconstruction costs, allowing companies to understand their financial risk  Kirby explains how important the use of data is in making strategic decisions around climate and sustainability  The opportunity in cities that have a high climate risk to use CoreLogic's analytics platform  The guests discuss the importance of educating people on the long term impact of climate change  John discusses how the needs of CoreLogic's customers change and how they accommodate for this    About our guests  John Rogers   John Rogers holds the role of Chief Innovation Officer for CoreLogic and is responsible for the R&D. From driving new solutions that understand the impacts to the real estate economy due to climate change, to ground-breaking models that identify suitable land for affordable housing development, the R&D group tackles major housing issues and works with many clients across the housing industry to drive growth and mitigate risk on their book of business.     Prior to joining CoreLogic, John was a Partner with IBM Global Business Services where he focused on the delivery of large multi-million transformational programs for the financial sector both in the United Kingdom and Australia. Prior to this, John worked as a consultant for Itim Consulting, a boutique management firm based in London. John's primary role was as a program manager on a number of assignments delivering global solutions within retail, pharmaceuticals, logistics and information services industries.   John earned a bachelor's degree from University of Glasgow, United Kingdom in Aerospace Engineering.      Company Summary: CoreLogic   CoreLogic is a leading provider of property insights and innovative solutions, working to transform the property industry by putting people first. Using its network, scale, connectivity and technology, CoreLogic delivers faster, smarter, more human-centered experiences, that build better relationships, strengthen businesses, and create a more resilient societ y. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com.      Kirby Brendsel   Kirby Brendsel is Flagstar Bank's VP, Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) and Sustainability Director, where he leads Flagstar's strategic sustainability and initiatives and the company's goal to be a recognized global sustainability leader.  He is coming from Welltower Inc.'s (a real estate investment trust) where he headed their award-winning strategic sustainability and ESG initiatives.  Prior to joining Welltower in 2019, Mr. Brendsel worked at Nuveen as a Director of Responsible Investing.  Before Nuveen, he served as Associate Director of Sustainability for Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide, where he supported the strategy, integration and management of Starwood's sustainability program and worked collaboratively with the community programs/Starwood Foundation team on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategy and reporting.  Previously, Mr. Brendsel consulted for Deloitte where he assisted in the creation of Deloitte's Federal Sustainability practice and Diversity & Inclusion program.  Mr. Brendsel's other past roles include active-duty service as a Military Intelligence Corps Major in the U.S. Army.    Mr. Brendsel graduated with distinction and honors from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Business and the Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University with an M.B.A. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED Green Associate (GA), and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt.  Mr. Brendsel was recently recognized as an Honoree for 2020 by Environment + Energy Leader's annual "best of" list of environment and energy professionals - the E+E 100.      Mr. Brendsel is active in his local community, where he has served on the Board of Directors of the Aspetuck Land Trust and Lachat Town Farm Commission as well as on the Town of Weston's Sustainability Committee, Historical Society, and Conservation and Parks & Recreation Commissions.         Company Summary: Flagstar   New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company of Flagstar Bank, N.A., one of the largest regional banks in the country. The Company is headquartered in Hicksville, New York with regional headquarters in Troy, Michigan. At June 30, 2023, the Company had $118.8 billion of assets, $84.9 billion of loans, deposits of $88.5 billion, and total stockholders' equity of $11.1 billion.    Flagstar Bank, N.A. operates 436 branches, including strong footholds in the Northeast and Midwest and exposure to high growth markets in the Southeast and West Coast. Flagstar Mortgage operates nationally through a wholesale network of approximately 3,000 third-party mortgage originators. In addition, the Bank has 132 private banking teams located in over 10 cities in the metropolitan New York City region and on the West Coast, which serve the needs of high-net worth individuals and their businesses.   New York Community Bancorp, Inc. has market-leading positions in several national businesses, including multi-family lending, mortgage origination and servicing, and warehouse lending. The Company is the 2nd largest multi-family portfolio lender in the country and the leading multi-family portfolio lender in the New York City market area, where it specializes in rent-regulated, non-luxury apartment buildings. Flagstar Mortgage is the 8th largest bank originator of residential mortgages for the 12-months ending June 30, 2023, while we are the industry's 5th largest sub-servicer of mortgage loans nationwide, servicing 1.6 million accounts with $426 billion in unpaid principal balances. Additionally, the Company is the 2nd largest mortgage warehouse lender nationally based on total commitments.     About Our Host    Louisa Dickins    Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.      To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.   

In this week's episode of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by Emanuel Heisenberg, CEO and Founder of EcoWorks, and Mauricio Weiss, GP and Founding Partner of Zacua Ventures where they discuss all things renovation, regulation and innovation.   With 40% of emissions being used on buildings and 20% on materials, the guests delve into the short- and long-term costs of going carbon neutral and whether it is a realistic goal with today's current economic climate. The guests discuss how an increase in sustainability pressure, paired with geopolitical instability and labour scarcity are a handful of the challenges that accompany reaching net zero targets.   Emanuel shares how the EcoWork's product can help tackle key issues around scarcity of labour and materials from factories, whilst Mauricio discusses the trends he has seen with his portfolio companies in terms of increasing their sales.    Companies mentioned  MIPIM  JLL Spark    Shoutouts  Vivin Hegde  Arnaud Bouzinac  Robert Habeck  Josh Levy, Document Crunch    Previous episodes mentioned  The evolution of global construction technologies     Episode Highlights  Regulation is actually pushing for a lot of technology adoption in terms of higher requirements, and these requirements just make the processes much more complex, right? - Mauricio   So they really tackle the 80 percent renewable energy goal for 2030 and they really decarbonize the heating system with good and aggressive regulations. - Emanuel  The construction sector invests 1 percent in R&D and the housing sector 0.1%. So, they will not bring any transformation towards affordability and decarbonization. - Emanuel  You do need regulators – to start pointing the marketing to the right direction, but you also want to keep competitiveness and ensure a free environment and a secure environment to make investments and to see the return of these investments. - Mauricio  Investors and a lot of stakeholders are questioning whether this is the right moment to be investing in technologies or an economic turn that will potentially slow down the piece of adoption for technology - Mauricio    Previous episodes mentioned   The Evolution Of Global Construction Technologies    Key Takeaways   The use of circular building materials in helping companies reach net zero targets  The need for common standards across Europe, as well as the challenges that this would bring due to difference in buildings and needs for each country  The need for regulators to be very close to investors in sharing short term and long-term goals of decarbonisation and technology adoption   How to position certain aspects of ESG to pitch to create sustainable competitive advantage for that company without changing the core of your business  Emmanuel shares some advice about the German market for founders looking to expand   The lack of construction companies in Germany     About our guests  Emanuel Heisenberg  Emanuel Heisenberg studied history and economics in Munich and Cambridge. He has over 15 years of experience in setting up and developing companies for renewable energies and ESCO and has contributed to more than 50 energy projects. His international network includes numerous funds, utility companies, IPPs, entrepreneurs, and research institutions. After founding a contracting and geothermal energy company, he established ecoworks in 2019, introducing the concept of serial renovation to Germany. An initial pilot project in Hameln proved challenging but was also a significant success. The renovated buildings there have demonstrably achieved NetZero levels. In addition to his role as CEO and founder, he is also active as a speaker and expert in energy and climate policy, advising the German federal government, companies, and private equity funds in the fields of heating and energy efficiency. In 2020, together with journalist Georg Diez, he co-wrote a book on the significance of technology in reinventing democracy (Power To The People: How We Reinvent Democracy with Technology).   Ecoworks  ecoworks develops end-to-end software and prefabricated elements to turn apartment buildings with significant renovation backlog into attractive and climate-neutral living spaces in just a few weeks. In this way, the company is making a significant contribution to rapidly reducing emissions in the building sector and the dependence on fossil fuels. ecoworks is an innovation leader in a market that will unleash enormous investment volumes in the wake of national and European legislative initiatives and rising energy and CO2 prices. Around 45 million residential units in Europe are located in buildings with the worst energy ratings. In addition to regulation, these will be particularly burdened by high CO2 prices, which will become mandatory for the building sector soon. Comparable regulations are already planned or in effect in parts of the US and Asia.  The Berlin-based company developed the technology in Germany and is currently bringing it to the mass market with several projects. The company is considered one of the most innovative providers of Climate Tech in the building sector worldwide.    Mauricio Weiss  Mauricio is GP and Founding Partner of Zacua Ventures, a global Venture Capital fund focused in the construction industry. Mauricio works closely with entrepreneurs in the industry to support the adoption of new technologies and improve productivity and sustainability on construction projects. His background working in a large construction company first and at the CVC of Cemex later taught him what is needed for a successful implementation of technology and the right approach for startups engaging large corporates.  Zacua Ventures  Zacua Ventures is an early stage fund focused on the Built Environment. With three GPs based in San Francisco, Madrid and Singapore, the fund has a global focus and each of the founders come with a proven track record, having led 30+ investments in the corporate funds in Cemex Ventures and HILTI.   The fund has raise over $55m USD, to invest in Pre-Seed to Series A startups that focus on 3 main areas in the construction industry: Sustainability, Enhanced Productivity & Safety and Urbanization Solutions.    About Our Host    Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.   

In this episode of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by Arie Barendrecht, Founder & CEO at WiredScore, Bayron Lopez Pineda, Director of Operational Technology at Kilroy Realty Corporation and Richard Paine, Head of Development in Singapore at Lendlease.   The guests help unravel the macro and micro trends, as well as the challenges that the industry is seeing in selecting and implementing technology. This episode provides a global view of PropTech from various perspectives, providing valuable insight into the opportunities as well as challenges that the industry currently faces.   Arie discusses some of the successes as well as mistakes he made whilst expanding across 30 countries, Bayron explores the impact the pandemic had on the use of technology within buildings, and Richard dives into his role at Lendlease and what he has seen on the development side of the industry.       Episode Highlights  The importance of getting employees back to the office and how this can be done effectively  The differences in markets based on geography   The reasons why Europe is ahead of other regions in its adoption of technology    The challenges in innovation and adoption of technology in the US versus the Asia-Pacific region  Cybersecurity and the financial implications of data breaches    Key Takeaways   Our purpose is to be able to lease space out and do that effectively by providing our tenantes the best quality of technology we have available, but also the best experience - Bayron  We're looking to the future to make sure that we're relevant, not just today, but 10 years from now. And that's in our DNA – Arie   The pandemic put us in a space where a lot of people went back and looked at the technology to try and figure out what is really needed – Bayron  You have to think a lot in the future, and you have to predict where you think the future is going with technology - Richard    About our guests  Arie Barendrecht    Arie is the founder and CEO of WiredScore, the pioneer behind the international WiredScore certification system that evaluates and distinguishes best-in-class Internet connectivity in commercial buildings. Prior to founding WiredScore, Arie worked as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group in New York City where he focused on the technology and media industries. Arie holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA and BS in Business and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.   WiredScore  At WiredScore, our mission is to make the world's buildings smarter and better connected. We believe everyone should be empowered by technology, wherever they are.   At WiredScore, our mission is to make the world's buildings smarter and better connected. A champion of cutting-edge technology in real estate, WiredScore defines and certifies digital connectivity and smart technology in homes and offices on a global scale, ensuring that buildings provide the best-in-class infrastructure that businesses and individuals require to thrive.     Bayron Pineda   Bayron Lopez Pineda is the  Director of Operational Technology at Kilroy Realty responsible for managing and innovating smart buildings systems. He helps determine policies and processes from security, maintenance, and growth to increase building efficiency and tenant experience. He has over a decade in the Commercial Real Estate sector and is a Founding Fellow of the Control Systems Cyber Security Association International. He is also a Graduate Student at Georgetown University, School of Continuing Studies pursuing a Masters in Technology Management.   Kilroy Realty Corporation   With over 14 million square feet in our portfolio spanning five distinct regions, we have built deep experience within vibrant commercial real estate markets.   We put our experience to service a range of dynamic industries over an ever-evolving business landscape. Our primary goal is to provide premium, adaptable, and productive work environments for a wide range of industries, including technology, media, life science, entertainment, and professional services.   We create dynamic work environments that support our clients' businesses, with standards that include indoor and outdoor common spaces, flexible floor plates and adaptable office plans, and of course, state-of-the-art infrastructure and amenities. Our approach is centered around our clients' successes, and we focus on the features that increase productivity and employee retention.     Richard Paine   Richard has worked in the property industry for over 36 years and across multiple property sectors, geographies and in multiple functional roles. Richard has had leadership positions in Construction, Property Development and in Property Operation and Funds management.    Richard currently leads the Lendlease development business in Singapore overseeing $5bn worth of property developments.  He is passionate about creating globally significant assets and specifically about sustainability, placemaking, health & wellbeing, digitisation and moving the industry forward.   Lendlease   Lendlease is a globally integrated real estate group with operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States.   Lendlease is renowned for world class developments and creating places where communities thrive.   Lendlease is a developer, an investment manager, and a builder. The combination of these three segments provides it with a sustainable competitive advantage in delivering innovative integrated solutions for our customers.    About Our Host      Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.    To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.   

In this bonus episode of the Propcast, Tabitha is at Blueprint in Las Vegas, where she is joined by Julieta Moradei, Managing Partner and Founder at Overlay Capital, where they explore why the construction space has been slow to adopt technology, the startups that are leading the way in digitalisation, and Julieta dives into the Women in Construction Tech community.   Women in Construction Tech is dedicated to empowering female founders, investors, and adopters to help create opportunities, and develop relationships for women driving innovation in the construction industry. Julieta explains some of the DEI trends she predicts to take full flow in the next 18 months and how she hopes to see more and more women coming into the construction space.    Companies mentioned  Y Combinator  McKinsey   Autodesk BuiltWorlds Blueprint     Shoutouts  Antonia Soler     Episode Highlights  Julieta talks us through her journey into the construction space  They discuss why the construction industry is so under-digitalised compared to that of other sectors.  The lack of adoption of technology past Series B  Julieta's experience in the VC space  The ‘missing middle' that is the biggest barrier to technology adoption in construction  The Women in ConTech platform and their mission     Key Takeaways   That's when I realized that in order for you to actually be able to adopt technology in the space, you need to have a catalytic pilot project – Julieta   It's one of the largest markets in the world in terms of its value, yet least digitized. – Julieta   But I think what's going to be even more interesting is solutions that are integrating together and bringing a lot of these point solutions together – Julieta     About our guest  Julieta Moradei  Julieta is the Managing Partner of the recently launched Overlay Capital Build. Overlay Build is part of the asset manager, Overlay Capital. Overlay Build is a consultancy working to accelerate adoption of critical digital transformation technologies in the built environment by connecting innovative technologies with adopters. We specialize in advising technology adopters with significant real estate holdings like multinational corporates, contractors and real estate developers in need of innovative digital technology solutions. We can help you identify solutions that can address their project needs, develop adoption and implementation strategies at an organizational and project level, and track financial and impact ROI of technologies. Julieta is a structural engineer and architect, turned social entrepreneur, and venture capitalist investing in early-stage startups mitigating the biggest barriers in the built environment. Her unique path from technical design to VC, has led her to hyperfocus on innovation in the construction industry, and empowering entrepreneurs through catalytic partnerships for the past decade. Her career path ranges from technical engineering to venture capital: from structural engineering at Disney and Arup, to creating an R&D team to mitigate the biggest barriers in the housing crisis, to then launching and managing a venture capital firm investing in construction technology. As a founding member and former Partner of Hometeam Ventures, Julieta launched, fundraised, and managed operations of the venture fund investing in early-stage start-ups bringing breakthrough technology to the world's largest - but least innovative - industries: construction and housing. This was a spin-off from New Story Homes (YCombinator) where she kickstarted and led as Head of R&D. New Story Homes built over 3,000 homes across Latin America, and in 2018, invested in ICON and built the world's first 3D printed housing technology; in 2022, ICON raised its Series B with a $2B valuation and has partnerships with NASA, HUD, etc. Her passion is to pursue impact-driven projects through innovation and entrepreneurship to digitize the built environment. She has an M.S. in structural engineering from UC Berkeley, a bachelor's in structural engineering and architecture, and a research assistant in Boston, Berkeley, and Switzerland. Her academic and industry research in AEC is focused on circular economy, virtual reality, automated drone inspection, resiliency, and sustainability. Julieta is passionate about bridging the gap between architecture, engineering, and construction through collaborative design to maximize innovation for social impact and climate change. If you would like to learn more, feel free to send me a message or email me at julieta@overlaycapital.com.  Overlay Capital  Overlay Capital is an US-based asset manager investing in venture and private equity across the sustainable technology spectrum from innovation to infrastructure, with a focus on overlooked and hard-to-access opportunities. We seek to capture the opportunity driving the mega-trend toward sustainable technologies that will reshape industries and propel our economy for decades to come, with a commitment to superior risk-adjusted returns. For more information, please visit us at www.overlaycapital.com.  About our host   Tabitha Francis  Tabitha spearheads all multifamily and residential related recruitment across North America at LMRE  which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy. Tabitha has worked with clients from pre-seed to Post IPO, on searches from entry level to C Suite. Since she started 2.5 years ago, the North American Client base has gone from 25 to 100+ and they now have a successful series of 'Built Environment Bulletins' showcasing growing businesses and innovative products and platforms in the space 

A recent Deloitte report cited the Middle East real estate market is projected to expand by up to 111% in the next five years.   In this episode of the Propcast, Louisa was joined by Anas Bataw and Prakash Senghani, Co-Founder and CEO at Navatech Group. They discuss the vast opportunities for innovation and growth through technology in the Middle East, the geographical advantage that has put the MENA region at the forefront of smart technology adoption and urban development, and the huge appetite for digitalisation that the guests have seen in the last few years.   Tune in to hear about examples of some of the technologies being used in the Middle East that are leading the way in revolutionising MENA real estate, as well as some of the challenges that come alongside this diversification. If you are interested in learning more about how construction technology and PropTech is revolutionising MENA real estate, this episode is not one to miss!    Companies Mentioned  Deloitte  Watheeq PropTech Venture  Fifth Wall   NEOM  Red Sea Project  Mace  Amar  MIRA  ROSHN  PwC  Balfour Beatty  WSP  AECOM   JLL  Technology Innovation Institute (TII)  WakeCap  WorkPanda   Procurified  Modular  Aldar      Episode Highlights  The huge appetite for digitalisation in the middle east   Prakash's journey from the corporate world into building his own start-up    Anas' experience in the COP28 committee and the push to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions   The growth areas that Prakash has seen within construction over the past five years and what we should be watching out for in the future    Prakash talks us through some of the stand-out technologies being used in the Middle East   The Middle East's geographical advantage and its wide talent pool  Anas explains how having a clear strategy is so important     Key Takeaways  The pros are that you're involved in large projects and that there's a push towards technologies and innovations, and people really want to challenge the current status of what we have – Anas  I wanted to use artificial intelligence and particularly chatbots to help do things in construction, and one of those things was safety – Prakash     The complexion of the people working in the construction industry is going to change massively – Anas  Changing something is always more difficult than planning for the way that you want it in the first place - Prakash       About Our Host   Louisa Dickins   Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.   To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.  

In this episode of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins explores the value of drones with Mike Winn, CEO and co-founder of DroneDeploy, and David Thirlwell, Director of Operational Excellence at Stiles Construction. They explore how drones have become widely accessible in recent years, providing a bird's eye view of job sites and delivering structured, detailed data to enhance safety and efficiency.   Mike shares how DroneDeploy has gained over 5,000 customers worldwide, revolutionising the way businesses operate in sectors like oil, gas, and construction. David emphasizes the importance of finding the right technology solution to maximize efficiency and productivity. Despite market challenges and budget cuts, this episode highlights how businesses who are embracing forward-thinking technology will thrive in the future.   Tune in to hear how drones are shaping the digital future of smart buildings and beyond.    Companies mentionned  NASA  Autodesk  NEOM  Google    Episode Highlights  The benefits of using drones for aerial data capture  The use of drones in various industries, including construction, oil, gas and solar energy  The growth and success of DroneDeploy, with over 5,000 customers worldwide  David's experience using DroneDeploy's technology to improve construction processes and identify potential issues early on  The importance of finding the right technology solutions and being open-minded to adopting new technologies in the construction industry  The future of automation in the drone industry, and the future of DroneDeploy    Key Takeaways  While technology investments may seem expensive at first, the value lies in the ability to catch and resolve problems early, saving time and money in the long run. - David  Already we have a vision that every job site should be digitized. And if we can do that, we will enable all the workers to really understand what's going on and help them do their job more safely and more effectively. - Mike   The use of technology, such as drones and 3D scanners, allows for accurate verification of construction elements like sleeves in concrete, reducing the risk of costly mistakes and schedule delays. - David  The adoption of technology in the construction industry is receptive, with companies like Stiles Construction being open to exploring new tools and solutions to improve efficiency and mitigate risks. - Mike  Stiles Construction values trust and reliability in technology providers, and they have found DroneDeploy to be a great partner in bringing new tools and solutions to the table. - David  The future of drones in the construction industry is promising, with the expectation that every major job site will have a drone in the next five years. - Mike    About Our Host  Louisa Dickins  Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.  To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. 

In this episode of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins discusses how to future proof your portfolio and nurture a robust company culture with Edi Demaj, co-founder of KODE Labs, and Ilene Goldfine, SVP and Chief Digital Strategy Officer of Hines. They explore how a change in people and culture can help address the pace of innovation and, ultimately, impact profitability, efficiency and sustainability.  Edi shares how a small building operating system can transform the way real estate is managed and experienced. Ilene dives deep into how two very different types of businesses can facilitate a healthy, inclusive, and innovative culture, as well as a strong partnership. The episode highlights the importance of collaboration, agility, and diversity in driving change and successfully navigating the evolving landscape of the real estate industry.  Tune in to hear innovative strategies for future-proofing real estate portfolios and cultivating a dynamic company culture.    Shout outs  Naqash Tahir, Executive Director - Global CIO Office at PGIM Real Estate  Imran Nasir, Head of Client Delivery for Europe, Asia Pacific & Latin America at PGIM Real Estate    Episode Highlights  Edi and Ilene's common mission of driving change and innovation in the real estate industry  How KODE Labs and Hines have created a successful partnership  A cloud-based smart building operating system, and the significance of data in driving efficiency and innovation  How flexible and diverse cultures foster innovation and collaboration  The importance of a listen-first mentality, cultural contribution and diversity of thought  What the future holds for KODE Labs, Hines and the wider real estate industry    Key Takeaways  The real estate space functions completely differently from anything else around us. Our view is that it needed to get on par with everybody else with all the other industries. - Edi  One of the reasons that did away with the word ‘innovation' is because the mindset of Hines is that we're constantly innovating. - Ilene  We're big believers that if automotive companies can make autonomous moving vehicles, then standing buildings can be autonomous as well. - Edi  We have an aging industry of people at buildings that are going to retire. You have to meet the people where they're at. You need to think to yourself, what am I doing differently in the real estate industry to attract some of these people? - Ilene  What we've done over the last six years is that we're now in thousands of buildings, and what we'll do over the next six years, is that we'll be hopefully in hundreds of thousands of buildings. – Edi   About Our Host - Louisa Dickins  Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.  To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. 

Did you know that office temperatures can affect cognitive performance? This episode of the Propcast explores the concept of creating smart and empathetic buildings, addressing crucial topics like gender bias, neurodiversity, and office space design.  Host Louisa Dickins speaks with two pioneers developing innovative solutions for workplace efficiency and employee satisfaction, Dr. Ken Dooley, Chief Product Officer at Haltian, and Dan Drogman, CEO of Smart Spaces, who share insights into their companies' growth and trends in the smart building space.  The conversation extended to the evolving preferences of the modern workforce, with Ken emphasizing the value of offering options like warmer zones or quiet spaces to create a more inclusive and productive environment, and Dan sharing how Smart Spaces uses data-driven design to address these challenges, giving people the flexibility they need while avoiding tokenism.  Tune in for an exciting discussion on smart buildings, inclusive workplaces, and the evolving needs of today's workforce.    Shoutouts  Elizabeth Nelson, Author of The Healthy Office Revolution   Episode Highlights   Ken's journey from consulting in energy and sustainability to working in the field of smart buildings  The evolution of Smart Spaces from providing meeting room booking software to offering smart building solutions  "Hotelification" of offices, where offices aim to provide amenities and experiences better than home to attract employees back to the office  Why personalization in office environments is crucial to cater to different needs, preferences, and neurodiversity  The evolving workforce, including the great resignation and changing employee expectations  The growth of PropTech in the Nordic region  The importance of educating end-users about energy consumption to achieve sustainability goals    Key Takeaways  Our purpose at Smart Spaces is optimizing environments for the people and the planet. - Dan  We allow the organization to create beautiful spaces, communicate that they exist, and measure if it's popular enough. - Ken  It's about offering people personalization. You want to create the future workplace where everyone wants to work. - Dan  Yes, there is a gender bias. There's a brilliant article called Battle for the Thermostat that really talks about how female employees in office buildings would prefer maybe two degrees warmer. – Ken    About Our Host  Louisa Dickins  Louisa is the Co-Founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global built environment recruitment platform and search consultancy, specializing in finding the best strategic talent for the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia-Pacific and MENA.  To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. 

Following yet another fantastic response for our ConTech-focused 11th season, we are thrilled to unveil what we have planned for the upcoming season!  As the demand for secure, energy-efficient developments continues to soar, the number of smart buildings worldwide is projected to climb from 45 million to 115 million by 2026. This is why for season 12 of the Propcast we are focusing on all things ‘smart', where I will be joined by some of the leading Smart Building companies in the space, featuring the likes of Kode Labs, Haltian, Drone Deploy, Smart Spaces, and many, many more!   Make sure to subscribe to the Propcast and leave us a 5* rating for this season - you'll not want to miss it!  About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America, MENA and Asia-Pacific.

In the tenth episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Meirav Oren, CEO and Co-Founder of Versatile and James Barrett, Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Turner Construction Episode Highlights: • The founding story of Versatile and their vision • What Turner Construction are trying to achieve for the industry and the synergies they have with Versatile • Key challenges with innovation adoption within the sector • The work they are doing to empower people working in construction  • Where Meirav has seen the biggest growth in their product • Pressing  issues in construction that James wants to try and resolve • How robotics can be implemented into the industry • Making the industry appealing to the future workforce  • How they work on making products that will make people's jobs and change management easier  • The different partnerships Turner Construction have and the reasons behind them  • The Entrepreneur and Residence Program that Turner Construction have set up Resources: • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy• LMRE YouTube Interviews• PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022• Innovation Lab• Omers Ventures Key Takeaways: • We put the data that we believe is most critical in the hands of the people who build. - Meirav • Productivity is everything to us in construction. We're trying to get more work in place with fewer people and that's how you drive schedules, that's how you drive cost savings. That's how you improve. - James • Evaluating and deploying solutions is working at the pace of change that people are comfortable with. - James • We're facing a huge issue with a lack of skilled labour. We have an ageing workforce that's retiring and it's not being replaced. - James • When Venture capitalists told me that the industry is laggard and antiquated and simply not a good investment, because it's not going to adapt fast enough, I said, it's the second largest industry in the world. It's right for innovation, it needs it. - Meirav • I think the worst thing you can have is incredibly bright, talented people wasting 2, 3, 4, 5 years of their life producing a solution that nobody wants. It's probably the greatest waste of human talent you can imagine. So that's why the whole program was born. - James About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

 In the ninth episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Mateo Zimmermann, Investment Manager at CEMEX Ventures,  Chris Bone, Co-Founder & CEO at Modulous and Tim Davies, CEO at HiiROC Ltd. Episode Highlights: • The work that each of the businesses do and how they collaborate • The work HiiROC are doing to try and make hydrogen more affordable • The main issues currently facing the construction industry and the work being undertaken to try and find solutions  • How these issues can impair innovation and make the industry quite risk averse • The work Modulous are doing on ESG  • The challenge with bringing new talent into the industry who can help drive innovation and technology adoption Why it can take longer to see the rollout of new technologies within the space The different speed of innovation adoption across the industry and the frustrations this can cause • The investments CEMEX are making in companies working on green construction • The issues with supply/ delivery of materials and the work CEMEX are doing to try and resolve this • The future they all see for construction Resources: • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy• LMRE YouTube Interviews• PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022• Leaplab | CEMEX Ventures• Construction Startup Competition • McKinsey• Modulous• Synhelion• PartRunner – Home Key Takeaways: • CEMEX have been amazing for us through this process because they're thought leaders in their space. They have great views on how the industry can be changed and that's something that we're very keen to help facilitate. Our vision is to help solve the housing crisis while protecting the planet. - Chris • We are rolling out the production of hydrogen, but we're working with partners like CEMEX to say how do we use it in the right setting? So how do you use it to produce cement? How do you use it to produce steel or for transport? - Tim • We can only tackle the challenges our industry are facing, and I want to emphasise on that,  if we industry players collaborate to build a better future. - Mateo • We're continually looking at both the physical product and the carbon content of that product. And until you understand the carbon content, it's very difficult to drive change, to improve that, or to be able to track it and understand exactly what level of carbon is, in our instance being put in our buildings. - Chris • It's a very tight margin business. Therefore, when you look at cement or steel and the like to suddenly introduce a much higher energy cost because you're using hydrogen, not natural gas or whatever else is nigh on impossible. So we as technology providers have to provide the solution that makes it affordable. - Tim • I think the paces are also a little bit different. There's obviously a lot of innovations in terms of materials that are happening, but not necessarily there is an adoption on the job site right on construction. - Mateo • It's very inefficient and obviously materials are a large part of the construction budget. So from 40 to 60% depending on the country and it's highly inefficient. It's actually one of the biggest  reasons for delays in construction. - Mateo About Our Guests: Mateo Zimmermann Mateo Zimmermann is Investment Manager at CEMEX Ventures, responsible for the Corporate Venture Capital Investments in startups in the Construction technology space. Before joining CEMEX Ventures, Mateo worked at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) from 2013 to 2017 as a Management Consultant, where he promoted to Project Leader. He previously worked at StepOne as an Advisor for startups and corporates in their Digital Strategies. Before that he worked as an Investment Analyst in Private Equity and Corporate Debt at the Asset Management division of Arcano. He also worked for UBS and Electrolux Group. Mateo has a double degree in Engineering and Management. He graduated as MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management at Technische Universität Berlin (Germany) and obtained a Master in Management at ESCP Europe (Paris, France). He was born in Madrid (Spain) and has both the Spanish and German citizenship. CEMEX Ventures The global economy has endured a tough 2022. With decades-high inflation sapping post-lockdown spending and pushing central banks to hike borrowing costs at an unprecedented clip to bring it under control. Yet despite poor projections and an overall decline in VC funding, 2023 represents an optimistic year for startups in the ConTech sector. Predictions point to trailblazing new technologies and business models entering the industry to improve sustainability and reduce the global carbon footprint. That's why CEMEX Ventures, the corporate venture capital and open innovation unit of CEMEX, goes beyond simply investing. Since 2017, CEMEX Ventures develops relationships between entrepreneurs, investors, CEMEX, and other corporations in order to revolutionize the construction industry as we know it today. Chris Bone Chris is CEO and co-founder of Modulous, the construction technology company that was formed to address the global housing crisis while reducing the climate impact of real estate development. Chris has 25 years' experience in the construction industry, having managed businesses across consulting, manufacturing, and construction. At Modulous he is responsible for all aspects of the company's growth and development in the UK, Europe, and the USA. Modulous Modulous was founded in 2018 by a team of construction, technology, and manufacturing specialists to create an asset-light model for the design and delivery of sustainable homes. Its integrated digital and physical product suite is designed to make the whole construction cycle - from feasibility right through to delivery on site - more efficient and effective. Its software platform generates optimised schemes based on a Kit of Parts, which is manufactured within the supply chain, removing the need for dedicated factories. The Kit of Parts is a standardised set of assemblies providing a high-performance net-zero modular housing system, delivered in half the time of traditional housebuilding, with 70% less waste and 60% lower embodied carbon. Modulous has offices in London and Seattle and is the first globally scalable technology solution to address both the worldwide housing crisis and escalating climate emergency. Tim Davies Tim has held Chief Executive & Board roles across a variety of sectors including green-tech, retail & service-providers working with both corporates and start-ups. He has a proven track record of identifying and delivering new business opportunities and considerable value creation including 20 years' experience working for PE & VC-backed businesses. Now, as CEO of HiiROC, Tim and his team have developed a technology with a potentially transformational impact on Climate Change.  HiiROC A transformational new technology for affordable, clean hydrogen production using world leading proprietary plasma technology. HiiROC's Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) uses renewable (or grid) electricity to split hydrocarbons (biomethane, flare gas, natural gas, propane, etc) into zero-emission Hydrogen and inert solid Carbon Black (i.e. without producing CO2). TPE works at a fraction of the cost of Water Electrolysis, without the CO2 emissions of Steam Methane Reforming and is scalable from micro onsite (saving transport & storage costs) to industrial scale. The highly versatile technology is being piloted globally in 2023 across the hydrogen sectors from industrial decarbonisation to transport to grid blending and power management whilst also being used for flare gas mitigation and CO2 reduction using biomethane. About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In the eighth episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Maria Davidson, CEO & Founder of Kojo and Dan Babcock, President at James Babcock Inc Episode Highlights: •  What was behind the creation of Kojo and the issues they believed they could resolve •  What Kojo stands for •  Common questions clients of Kojo want to have answered •  The reasons why Dan's company became customers of Kojo and the benefits they get from it •   How Dan found introducing a new technology solution into the business that had been running since the 50's •  The impact the increase in the cost of materials is having on profitability •  The different product changes that have occurred for Kojo and their future plans •  What drives the development of different products and their roadmap • Other products Kojo integrates with • Trends Maria is seeing within the industry Resources: • LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy• LMRE YouTube Interviews• PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022• Procore• OpenSpace podcast Key Takeaways:  •  When we started Kojo back in 2018, the question that we were really obsessed with was how could we make the built environment faster, more efficient and less error prone to build? - Maria  •  In the last three years, with an extremely volatile supply chain and volatile material prices, the difference between being profitable and unprofitable can really come down to one project going well or going badly.  - Maria  • A big thing is pricing. We've seen huge savings. Because back in the day, my purchaser would've taken an order and called our favourite vendor and ordered the materials. Now we're sending it out if it's a smaller order, to three to four vendors and I can see on my dashboard the amount of savings between if we would've just gone with the one vendor. - Dan  • So we take baby steps on anything we do, because people in construction are a little behind on, I'd say technology, but we don't want to be, not all of us. - Dan  • We just had a customer who got an invoice for $12,000 that should have been $120  because the unit of measurement was off. And they said, that's the kind of thing that we could have just paid because we're getting thousands of invoices a month, and it's impossible for us to know that each one is being meticulously checked. - Maria About Our Host Louisa DickinsLouisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRELMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com  

In the seventh episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Chris Oldham Senior Policy and Programme Manager at City of London Corporation and Hannah Vickers, Chief of Staff at Mace   Episode Highlights: •  What the ‘Skills for Sustainable Skyline Taskforce' is and the work they are doing •  Why it is unusual to have a Chief of Staff role in the construction industry •  The trends that Hannah has seen within the sector over the last few years •  The workforce engagement campaign that Chris is helping to run to ensure they have the right people in key roles •  Why we need a more joined up approach to engage schools when looking to bring the     future workforce in •  The misconceptions on what a career in the build environment is like •  Creating a clearer path both into the industry and being able to retrain within the industry •  The importance of addressing the skills gap •  The current innovation trends within the sector   Resources: •  LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy •  LMRE YouTube Interviews •  PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022 •  Skills for Sustainable Skyline Taskforce •  Construction Leadership Council •  Women in Construction Tech •  BIM Academy Shout outs: •  Antonia Soler •  Bola Abisogun   Key Takeaways:  •  I began my career as a primary school teacher, which gave me a real interest in how we     can best equip our young people for the careers of tomorrow. - Chris  •  We're encouraging the existing workforce for the full project lifecycle of sustainable     buildings to upskill, to reskill with those green skills that we've identified in the research,     and also to attract a large cohort of diverse new entrants from untapped pools of talent,     particularly looking at women, more young people, people from ethnic minority     backgrounds into the build environment. - Chris  •  One of the first trends that I came across was how much our productivity improved during     covid. - Hannah  •  We are the second highest paying sector in the UK. So if you think about people having     lifelong careers and retraining, you could potentially retrain and come into construction,     but still be as well paid or better paid than you might be in another sector. - Hannah  •  I think how we tap into those pools of talent, we need to look at developing a more     flexible approach to work as well, which in practice is probably offering hybrid work. -     Chris  •  We're going to need people who can work to those requirements, who can understand     what that means for the construction process. So if you like it's not a hard sell. It's a sort      of requirement to be able to function as a business going forward. So that's why for us, it's     so important. - Hannah   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com  

In the sixth episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Geoffrey Lewis, VP Product Management and Tiffany LaBruno, Product Director who both work at Procore Technologies.   Episode Highlights: How Geoffrey got involved in the PropTech sector from investment banking and a failed startup How the construction industry beginning to utilise new technologies sparked Tiffany's desire to work in the sector and further train people to continue this adoption The trends they have seen with the growth of innovation The challenges with the increased adoption of technology with the construction industry and how they are working to overcome them Why Procore merged with Honest Buildings and the impact it had on business The value Procore brings to its customers The main differences they have found between working with general contractors and property  owners The partnerships they are forming with other software providers and what they are trying to achieve with this The investment Procore is making into the pre-construction space and how this ties in with ESG   Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022 Honest Buildings   Shout outs: Riggs Kubiak Vantage Data Centers UMT360   Key Takeaways: So we really have seen over the 20 - 30 years that I've been in this industry, an evolution to utilise technology within construction. - Tiffany If they get in there and it's too hard to use or too hard to configure, they're just gonna throw up their hands and go back to Excel. - Geoffrey There's so many things we're seeing and utilising at Procore in terms of AI and ML and really driving data insights to owners. They're starting to see the value of utilising it across the platform because then they can make decisions on future projects based on how the last project went. - Tiffany The one thing I would say for founders out there, you know companies are bought, not sold. Procore's got to really want to purchase Honest buildings. You can't just go to them and say, hey, we're for sale, that's not gonna be something that gets a deal done. - Geoffrey Historically the tools have been built for these general contractors who are doing all the work and very much need software. But the owners who are holding all the risk, I think haven't necessarily availed themselves with the right tools to be able to really effectively manage that risk. - Geoffrey What's interesting is a lot of our most used integrations are things that are used across every industry, not just construction. - Tiffany   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.   About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In the fifth episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Jeevan Kalanithi, CEO at OpenSpace and Parker Mundt, Vice President of Platform at Suffolk Technologies.   Episode Highlights: OpenSpace's founding story  How Jeevan and Parker initially met and started working together The concept behind Suffolk Technologies and the companies they invest into Open Space's two products and the difference between them How OpenSpace overcame the challenges when scaling their products The broad challenges Parker sees startups facing with new products How product trends change based on geographical locations Parker's investment predictions for 2023-24 Current macro trends and what this will mean for those ready to innovate and be tech forward The firms involved in the Suffolk Boost Accelerator Program  Companies that are creating innovative solutions for sustainability What steps Open Space are taking to reduce the ‘eight waste' on construction sites   Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022 Sifteo 3D Robotics Autodesk Suffolk Boost Accelerator Program Qflow Carbon Titles Shepherd Insurance   Shout outs: Brittany Harris Jade Cohen   Key Takeaways: They started a company and sold it, and sure enough, they were working on a capture technology with these new 360 cameras. When I heard about it, I was like, you know, who could really use this? Building. - Jeevan Suffolk has trialled over 180 different tech solutions. We pride ourselves in being a very forward thinking general contractor who has a deep desire to innovate within the construction space. - Parker We're building more and more stuff upon that. It all works because we have a simple capture product and I think we've captured something like 12 billion square feet, some big number. So it's a lot of data that allows us to make the system smarter and more useful for our customers. - Jeevan I think today we see a lot of companies that come in and maybe are naive or maybe just a bit out of touch with what some of the tech solutions in construction in particular would charge. And that can be a showstopper immediately, because the folks that you're selling to are still very focused on price and schedule, right? Those are the two main drivers in the construction industry. - Parker For us we're really focused on making sure that the founders feel comfortable at the valuation that they're at and not necessarily pumping it up just for the sake of having a larger valuation. - Parker We're at an innovate or die kind of portion of the life cycle right now where folks who are tech forward and are looking to see how they can do things better, faster, cheaper, safer, you know, those folks will emerge as the industry leaders, as a general contractor. - Parker We really prioritise reliability and speed and efficiency with our technology and we hope that allows our builder customers to do the same. - Jeevan   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com  

In the fourth episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Antonia Soler, Director of Hilti Technology Office at Hilti and Vivin Hegde, GB and Founding Partner at Zacua Ventures, an early stage global VC specialised in investing in the Built Environment sector.   Episode Highlights: How Antonia and Vivin both met whilst working at Hilti The Women in Construction Tech Group that Antonia has co-founded The events and chapters WCT are running How Zacua Ventures started and where the idea came from Vivin's advice to founders looking to scale towards an exit The evolution Vivin believes early startups need to go through in order to be successful The challenges around digitising construction and how Antonia suggests these are addressed The importance of understanding what it's actually like to work in construction when trying to build a solution  Where Antonia and Vivin expect to see investment being made in 2023 The difference in investments between early stage and late stage  The reasons why interest in Series B is quieter in terms of investment How construction technologies are helping with sustainability The technologies being developed to address prefabrication and modular construction Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022 WCT McKinsey Fieldwire Dusty Robotics Built World Trimble Ecoworks Carbon Title Urban Machine Kit Switch Shout outs: Gregg Wallace  Mauricio Tessi Weiss Juan Nieto Julieta Moradei   Key Takeaways: And this is where the seeds of Zacua Ventures  were sewn, right? We had built a network, we'd seen how hard corporate innovation is for a lot of corporates, and we are also invested in funds. - Vivin So a startup needs to be mindful of the exit options that they have. They shouldn't be driven by the exit itself. - Vivin I find that founders that spend a lot of time with customers in the field and in the office come up with the best solutions. Because they are observing workflows, testing solutions on the job site and otherwise learning how their solution can best serve their customers. - Antonia So women in construction tech, it's dedicated to creating opportunities and developing relationships for women driving innovation in the construction industry. We envision a construction industry where women are well networked, support each other, efforts to improve and advance in the space and otherwise. - Antonia We did a survey of 80 contact focused VCs and corporate VCs a couple of weeks back. Just a little bit of the industry, I would say, and it's positive. We do see more investment happening in this space. Pretty much 70% of the VCs we spoke to said they're going to increase their investment rather than decrease in this space. - Vivin I think everybody has a good view of how the market could look in the next 6, 12, 18 months. Even if it's not rosy, it's still more predictable than it was five months back. And therefore the deal flow should pick up slowly and the deal making should also pick up accordingly. - Vivin   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com  

In the third episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Gregg Wallace, Partner at Building Ventures, who invest in companies reshaping the way we design, build, operate and experience our built environment and Matt Wegworth, Vice President of Dawson Ventures at McKinstry, whose goal is to advance early-stage technologies and offerings and support innovative startups.   Episode Highlights: How Gregg as part of the Hilti Group invested in Building Ventures first funding round How they have now launched Fund 2 and the different strategic partners this will bring onboard The growth they have seen in the market and what it means for their organisation The synergies between Building Ventures and McKinstry and why they started working together as strategic partners The tagline that McKinstry work by and how that benefits their clients Why Dawson Ventures was created The stage and ticket size that both companies invest in and trends they follow The different areas of growth they are seeing, despite the economic situation The importance of having a go to market plan in the construction and proptech space Gregg and Matt's ideas for generating more innovation and adoption within the industry Their view on the best ways to attract new talent into construction technologies The battle the industry has between efficiencies and innovation Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022 ALICE Technologies ICON A/O PropTech Report Hilti Group Assemble System Autodesk Financial Times ENR 400 TurboTax BuiltWorlds Conference Shout outs: Mayra Soto Vivin Hegde   Key Takeaways: We appreciated as Hilti the ecosystem that Building Ventures brought, so we made an investment in mid 2018, alongside a whole number of strategic investors as part of Building Ventures first fund, which launched in 2018 as $53 million and placed 16 startup portfolio companies. - Gregg That's what we also represent as Building Ventures, looking at how do we create a fundamentally better built world? Not the transaction side of buying and selling and dividing buildings into crypto coins, but really creating a fundamentally better built world, connecting the historically disparate phases of the building lifecycle. - Gregg What that does for us here and certainly for our clients is it brings a suite of thinking and offering to drive that desire to how do we remove the waste and climate harm out of the environment through innovation, so that it has 60 years of operation. - Matt We believe by keeping really close to the industry, we can be very supportive. At the early seed stage, getting to know founders, making introductions, helping them think through strategically the problems. - Gregg This is not a one-time transaction. This is the start of a five to 10 year relationship through all of its ups and downs that we want to support our portfolio company. - Gregg So do we see a slowdown? Not at all. Are we continuing to invest in our own startups? Absolutely. - Matt About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.   About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com  

In the second episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by René Morkos, the Founder and CEO of ALICE Technologies, the world's first construction optioneering platform and Shane Richardson, President of Lagrange, a management consulting firm providing project controls and program management services.   Episode Highlights: The founding story behind ALICE Technologies and the problems it was designed to solve The difference between the two products, ‘Alice Pre-Construction' and ‘Alice Manage' and their capabilities How Rene and Shane met and how they started working together How to use data to make better informed decisions The hesitancies the construction industry have around technology The issues they face and potential missed opportunities if they are brought in part way through a project, rather than the beginning Early innovators in the space and their impact on implementation and integration The biggest changes they have seen within the industry and what they predict over the next 20 years The importance of finding the right tool when trying to digitalise data to increase productivity Where they believe the skill gaps currently are in construction tech ALICE's sustainability pledge   Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022 Bechtel Katerra Canadian Nuclear Labs Skanska Stanford University   Key Takeaways: What resources do you need to build to perform those tasks? That's the kind of information you give the system, and then the system generates 6 million different ways of building the project for you. - Rene I noticed that was one of the things that wasn't being leveraged; how can we use this data to make better informed decisions? -Shane A lot of times you're already 20 plus percent complete with a project, and there's a certain point where you can always minimise risk, minimise costs on a project, but as you progress on a project, the further you progress, you lose out on that opportunity. - Shane What's happening in construction today is what happened to manufacturing in the seventies and eighties. It's really becoming digitised. It's becoming integrated across the supply chain. - Rene I think that's one of the reasons why construction projects were plagued with delays, for decades and decades. It's because how do we fix that problem of being able to translate accurate data in its schedule, maintain it, and so ALICE takes care of that.  - Shane The way that I perceive it is that one of the major skill gaps is that construction is getting converted into algorithmic terms. And so that's something that's relatively new.  - Rene McKinsey article: over the last 20 years the industry as a whole has only only increased 1% in productivity. And the construction spending is about 13% of the world's GDP. And so you think about that, it's over 1.3 trillion in opportunity to try to leverage. - Shane   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.   About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com  

In the first episode of Season 11 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Ibrahim Imam, and Sander Van de Rijdt, joint Co-Founders and Group CEO's of PlanRadar. PlanRadar is a digital platform for construction documentation, task management and communication. It is currently used in over 65 markets and has 120,000 construction professionals as users. Ibrahim and Sander met at University and prior to PlanRadar founded other technology businesses together.   Episode Highlights: Why they launched PlanRadar and the industry issues they were trying to solve Why they believe the construction industry is so under digitalised  What helped them to achieve such rapid growth The decision making process behind why they move into certain regions How word of mouth is one of their most powerful business drivers How customer feedback dictates the development of the product Misunderstandings that can arise from conventional paper and pen usage Overcoming people's hesitations with new technology Their aim to make the construction industry more ESG compliant The need for diversification within the industry to continue to drive growth and innovation Their future aspirations for PlanRadar   Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022   Shout Outs: Constantin Kock Domagoj Dolinsek Clemens Hammerl   Key Takeaways: We decided to get on that mission to try to improve the lives of all the people out there on the construction sites and in the real estate projects. - Sander We have around 20,000 customers, which is a lot. But when you realise that there are around 2.5 million potential customers just in Europe, then it's nothing. - Sander But what PlanRadar has figured out throughout the last few years is to make the customisation level that every organisation requires,  to really meet their own processes. - Ibrahim We hired last quarter, I think 134 new people. We plan to hire this quarter, 82 new people. So we're still growing. - Sander PlanRadar is a tool that everybody can now download from the App store or the Play store and just instantly use it and start adding value to their corporations. - Ibrahim The main lesson is if you want to build a successful company, it's all about the people that you hire. Because a good team can deliver good results. Simple as that. - Ibrahim About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

We had an incredible response to the last season where we focused on ESG within Proptech. We wanted to follow up with something equally as exciting and we're happy to announce a brand new focus for this season of the Propcast.  This season we'll be taking a deep dive into the exciting vertical of ConTech. Our host Louisa Dickens will be speaking with some brilliant leaders in the ConTech space over the next 10 episodes, sharing their industry insights on the trends in the market and their predictions for the future of Construction Technology.  Make sure to subscribe to the Propcast and leave us a 5* rating for this season - you'll not want to miss it!  About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

Summary: In the final episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Daniel Stephens, Senior Partner and Farzana Huysman, Junior Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company. Daniel and Farzana share what their roles at McKinsey & Company involve and the risks and strategies they're spending most of their time on. The guests discuss the common themes and questions they get asked by clients - including finance, real estate and insurance. In this episode you will hear about decarbonisation strategies McKinsey and Company have been focusing on and how their efforts compare to other organisations in the space.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews PropTech Salary Report, LMRE 2022 Companies Mentioned: Measurabl British Land Hillbreak Shout Outs: Jon Lovell Matt Ellis Key Insights From This Episode:   We're shifting to a regime where insights into sustainability topics are shifting from voluntary to mandated - Daniel Hiring new talent is of course extremely important, but I believe that in a couple of years time everyone is going to need some level of proficiency on climate - Farzana The landscape is moving so fast and that's not something we're used to in the real estate industry, therefore a different skill set is required to understand the technical solutions and how they can monetise - Daniel About Our Guests: Daniel Stephens: Daniel Stephens is a Senior Partner in McKinsey & Company's Washington, D.C., office. He is the Global Co-leader of McKinsey's Climate and ESG Finance Practice and serves financial institutions in North America and around the world on topics relating to credit risk, regulatory compliance, disclosures, reputational risk, and business building with respect to climate and ESG topics.  Dan's recent work includes standing up the climate risk program at a global trillionaire bank; conducting climate stress testing at a major North American bank; working with multiple banks on ESG and climate regulatory response; and building an ESG-led business model for a large global bank.  Outside of ESG and climate, Dan serves a broad range of clients across the commercial financial services space, as well as several public finance entities, including financial regulators, government lending programs, and government distribution programs.  Dan holds an A.B. in History from Princeton University and a J.D. with honours from Harvard Law School. He is a founding board member of Foster America, a not-for-profit that serves at-risk youth and child welfare agencies. Farzana Huysman: Farzana Huysman is a project manager in McKinsey & Company's London office, where she focuses on serving financial institutions on sustainability, covering topics such as financing of decarbonisation and new green businesses, assessment and adaptation to physical climate risk, and de-risking the energy transition.  Farzana's recent work includes scaling transition finance capabilities at an emerging markets bank; supporting growth and innovation of climate solutions for a global insurance broker; and assessing implications of physical climate risk for a European property insurer. Beyond financial institutions, Farzana has supported strategy and digital transformation efforts for clients in life sciences and shipping. Farzana's background is in engineering, with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, and previous work in building engineering. She co-leads the London office's pro-bono support for a UK charity tackling global poverty. About McKinsey & Company: McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm. They are the trusted advisor to the world's leading businesses, governments, and institutions.  They work with leading organisations across the private, public and social sectors. Their scale, scope, and knowledge allow them to address problems that no one else can. They have deep functional and industry expertise as well as breadth of geographical reach. They are passionate about taking on immense challenges that matter to their clients and, often, to the world.  They work with their clients as they do with their colleagues. They build their capabilities and leadership skills at every level and every opportunity. They do this to help build internal support, get to real issues, and reach practical recommendations. They bring out the capabilities of clients to fully participate in the process and lead the ongoing work. About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [2:03] Daniel: Can you tell us more about what your role is? I run our climate sustainable finance practice and a huge part of that is real estate finance. We work with big real estate investors, insurance firms and asset managers helping them answer how sustainability is going to impact their financing business and what they can do about it. [3:07] Farzana: Can you tell us what led you to McKinsey and what is your role? My background is in mechanical engineering but within McKinsey I work at the intersection of financial institutions and sustainability. So, essentially working with banks and insurers looking at how the sector can help to unlock the net zero transition.  [4:27] Daniel: Are risks always visible in a portfolio and how do you assess risk when it comes down to climate? I like to think about what the financial impacts are in properties today and how they may manifest. We're interested in things like whether the expectation of future physical risk causes potential buyers to devalue this property now, therefore the need to anticipate future impacts. [7:29] Farzana: What do you spend most of your time doing? Essentially, the bulk of the work I am focusing on is working with, for example banks, that have set net zero commitments and are trying to reduce their finance emissions.  They can do this by either divesting any high emitting assets or lending that they're doing or we can support them in investing in technologies that help to reduce the emissions of their existing assets. [9:49] Daniel: What are the risks associated with transitioning to net-zero? A change in public policy is one of the largest risks and it is not always foreseeable as they rely on political processes.   Public policy can cause certain goods or services to rise in price and therefore be consumed less. [12:07] Farzana: Would you like to add anything to the risks associated with transitioning to net-zero? One of the big things to highlight is data, in order for a bank to work out their finance emissions they need to have a view of what the emissions linked to every asset are, and this requires a huge amount of data tracking. Another risk is choosing which technology they should invest in, this can vary from country to country and certain technologies are more advanced in certain markets.  [15:34]  Daniel: What strategies are clients going for when trying to balance rising energy prices, maintaining a profit and pushing forward to net-zero? There are firms across industries who haven't made sustainability commitments yet as they are waiting for regulatory landscapes to be more clear.  Some may seem to not be doing much on the surface but they're collecting all the data, identifying opportunities and becoming much smarter behind the scenes. [17:27] Daniel: What are the major trends and changes you've seen within ESG and real estate since working at McKinsey? The shift in the quality of data is a big trend that is happening. Another inflection point is that increasingly investors are looking to understand ESG more and in particular what part of ESG may have a financial impact on the business. We have been in an era that has been about the construction of new green buildings, we are now shifting to a phase where we're dealing with much harder topics such as in aviation and transforming current real estate stock to make it more efficient. [20:03] Farzana: What trends have you seen in ESG and the finance and insurance sectors? I see the leaders as those who can convene partnership across the entire value chain of these technologies. You see a number of these partnerships emerging and they will be able to meet targets in sustainability much quicker than smaller set-ups.   [24:35] Daniel: What are the key questions that clients in real estate should be asking? It is very early days, there is certainly a theme around energy efficiency and in some markets that's going to be about regulations and others it's going to be because it improves the value of a property.  The most interesting thing happening is the blocking and tackling in the engine room, a lot of firms don't have the data to understand their portfolio in detail.  [27:33] Daniel: Do you think there is a skill gap at the moment that needs to change? The landscape is moving so fast and that's not something we're used to in the real estate industry. A different skill set is required to understand the technical solutions and how they can monetise.  [29:21] Farzana: What are the two most important questions you can ask as a business owner when trying to make your business more sustainable? Number one is “What do I focus on?” There is so much out there in terms of climate solutions that you could tackle, and businesses need to make a decision on the breadth and the depth of these solutions to inform the capabilities and the resources they need to build up. Number two is “How do I get the skills in?” Hiring new talent is really important but I also believe that everyone is going to need some level of proficiency in climate. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

Summary: In the ninth episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Eric Duchon, Global Head of ESG for Blackstone Real Estate and John Fitzpatrick, Chief Technology Officer of Alternative Asset Management Technology at Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager. John featured previously in Season 2 of The Propcast. Eric and John share where Blackstone is on ESG and why they are seen as one of the leaders in this space. They talk about what Blackstone is focusing on as a business when it comes down to strategy, investment and innovation across their diverse and global portfolio. In this episode you will hear how Blackstone ensures attractive returns for their investors whilst making a positive impact on the communities in which they invest. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: Sphera Schneider Electric EQ Office Willis Tower Aquicore Shout Outs: Don Anderson StuyTown Kenneth Caplan Kathleen McCarthy Baldwin  Jonathan Gray  Key Insights From This Episode:     We believe that ESG is a real source of value and a way to mitigate risk in our portfolio - Eric   What drove me into this space is the use of passion to drive change, whilst driving value - Eric We do need the technologies that help us automate and optimise our buildings but this also requires the people that know what they're doing - Eric Technology is important, but having a clear strategy is the starting place that people should have if they want to achieve their ESG targets - John About Our Guests: Eric Duchon: Eric Duchon is Global Head of ESG for Blackstone Real Estate. As part of the Real Estate Asset Management team, he partners with the firm's central ESG team and Portfolio Operations to initiate, manage, implement and report ESG initiatives across the global Real Estate portfolio. Prior to joining Blackstone in November 2020, Mr. Duchon was at LaSalle Investment Management where he was a Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainability. Prior to LaSalle, Mr. Duchon spent over 9 years at Cushman & Wakefield as the Director of Sustainability Strategies. Mr. Duchon received a BBA from Emory University – Goizueta Business School and a Masters in Real Estate Development Degree from New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate. John Fitzpatrick: John Fitzpatrick is Chief Technology Officer of Alternative Asset Management Technology at Blackstone. He handles all aspects of technology across Blackstone's Real Estate and Private Equity businesses and assists our portfolio companies with managing their technology programs and strategy. He is also involved in the firm's balance sheet investments in targeted, early stage, technology-related opportunities. Prior to his current role, Mr. Fitzpatrick oversaw various initiatives across the entire Technology and Innovations group. Before joining Blackstone in 2011, Mr. Fitzpatrick worked at Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's, for seven years where he was most recently the Head of Product. He received a BS in Finance from St. John's University and currently serves on the Blackstone Charitable Foundation's Leadership Council. About Blackstone: Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $941 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [2:06] Eric: What is your role at Blackstone? I lead ESG for Blackstone Real Estate globally, this means myself and my team work with all the departments at Blackstone to ensure we are implementing our ESG priorities as they are aligned with our fiduciary duty to add value to our portfolio and deliver great returns to our investors. We are finding ways to continue delivering value and ensuring that we are improving the environmental, social and governance performance of our companies and our assets. [4:44] John: What are your responsibilities in your role at Blackstone and how have they changed? My responsibility is alternative asset management technology, this involves everything under our private equity and real estate umbrellas, it's more than half of the AUM at Blackstone and really fits within ESG. [5:35] Eric: What does ESG mean to Blackstone and how has it changed since you joined in 2020? There were great initiatives happening across Blackstone when I joined with regards to ESG however, the firm needed a more programmatic approach which is what we have done over the last 2 years. We're focused on 3 main areas; diversity, decarbonisation and good governance. This guides everything that our ESG teams do and how we continue to integrate this more programmatic approach into our portfolio. [7:40] John: How does your team assist with the ESG part of Blackstone? If you want to hit targets and goals then you need to be able to get the data and track it to see your progress over an extended period of time.  It's our job to collect that data in the most streamlined fashion so we can process that content in real time to ensure we are driving towards those targets [9:05] John: Are there any more climate focused ESG investments across your portfolio that you could share with us? The data and insights that we have got from Sphera have helped us improve and learn in this space and helped our ESG technical ecosystem. [9:42] Eric: How do these investments assist with your portfolios? We worked to develop a framework which sets out Blackstone Real Estates ESG priorities across 6 pillars, these set the tone for how we engage with the portfolio companies in order for them to develop their 3 year strategic ESG roadmaps. [13:31] John: How do you tackle the technology gaps in businesses across your portfolio? We use our data initiatives to help them implore technology and try to make the transition as seamless as possible. We can then analyse and track their data and help them achieve their targets. We tend to make investments in solutions that have a competitive advantage or a unique data set like Sphera.  [17:11]  Eric: What are the main barriers when it comes down to reducing carbon across your portfolios? A couple of years ago the social aspect of ESG was focused around  health, wellness and community engagement. Today, it is more focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. When we look at PropTech solutions for ESG one of the main barriers is being able to identify what the strengths and weaknesses are. There are some really good processes in place but humans are still necessary to ensure the quality data flows through. We need to ensure that we have the right people that understand the technologies and can drive action from it. [20:45] John: Is there anything you would like to mention that you have seen in terms of barriers? Technology is important but having a clear strategy is the starting place that people should have if they want to achieve their ESG targets. [23:00] Eric: What is the balance between automation and optimisation, and reducing carbon footprint?  We need the technologies that help us automate and optimise our buildings but this also requires the people that know what they're doing. When our US office portfolio company EQ office implemented Aquicore, it really improved our insight into the daily operations of all the operating equipment. This allowed us to recognise better start-stop sequences in the building. L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career within this space? Eric: You need to stay nimble in everything that you do, different things come at you everyday and you need to be able to take them in your stride. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. John: Jonathan Gray, President at Blackstone, he is committed to ESG and doing it the right way.  R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working in ESG? Eric: Whether you're reducing carbon emissions, whether you're ensuring that folks from under-resourced communities are getting better opportunities working with our portfolio companies. That to me is what drove me into the space connecting the passion to drive change. E - What are you excited about in the future of the ESG space? John: The innovation that is coming down the pipe, some of the best and brightest minds are in this space that are really passionate about this topic so the landscape in a few years time is going to look vastly different. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@apodcastcompany.com

Summary: In the eighth episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Sonu Panda, the CEO of Prescriptive Data and Becca Rushin, the Director of ESG at Jamestown. Becca and Sonu discuss challenges in the industry including the impact of the current geopolitical climate and whether this will slow down the journey to net zero. Becca and Sonu share their career journeys to ESG and technology. In this episode you'll hear Sonu explain more about script data and how it improves sustainability in buildings. Becca talks about Jamestown's sustainability and social responsibility initiatives and shares information on their green program and charitable foundation. The key takeaway from this episode is that people want to work in healthy buildings and environments, however, achieving carbon neutrality through offsets is not enough. Instead, true science based approaches are what's needed to tackle the bigger issue of climate change. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken The RHINO Principle, Paul Johnson Companies Mentioned: Rudin Management  Carbon Lighthouse  Measurabl Deepki Boston Properties The James Beard Foundation   Shout Outs: John Gilbert, COO of Rudin Management Ben Myers, Vice President of Boston Properties   Key Insights From This Episode:   So much of what we do is a function of the deep thoughts that our customers have and the feedback that we receive. - Sonu I think the holy grail for a tech company is to find some sort of portfolio deployment that works for every single asset, everyone wants that package deal. - Becca I see a more widespread recognition that climate change is real, that achieving carbon neutrality through offsets is not enough, and that true science based approaches are what's called for - Sonu One thing that is really important about our portfolio is that it is very diverse, we don't own glass office towers, we have a lot of special snowflakes. - Becca People want to work in healthy buildings and environments, these are the things that people are paying attention to, it's the new employee value proposition. - Louisa   About Our Guests: Sonu Panda:  Sonu Panda is the CEO of Prescriptive Data, a privately-held SaaS company focused on the intersection of the Internet of Things, big data, and machine learning as applied to built environments of all types. Sonu develops and executes Prescriptive Data's business and technology strategy, and oversees all functions within the company, including sales, business development, marketing, customer onboarding and success, engineering, talent management, finance and administrative operations. Prior to Prescriptive Data, Panda most recently served as the co-founder and COO of H.Bloom, a B2B marketplace company, where he developed the company's operational model, established both product/technology development and process engineering efforts and managed day-to-day business operations.    Becca Rushin: Becca Rushin the Director of ESG at Jamestown. She leads environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives through the Jamestown Green program and the Jamestown Charitable Foundation. Prior to joining Jamestown in 2012, Ms Rushin worked as a local government consultant for Clark Patterson Lee, where she served as Community Development Coordinator and Sustainability Commission Staff Liaison for the City of Dunwoody. She is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and holds a LEED AP O+M credential. Ms Rushin is an active volunteer with the Urban Land Institute, the US Green Building Council, and Community Farmers Markets. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Environmental Policy from Sewanee: the University of the South and a Master of Science in Sustainable Development: Environmental Policy and Management from Utrecht University.   About Jamestown: Jamestown is a global, design-focused real estate investment and management firm with a 38-year track record and mission to create places that inspire. Since its founding in 1983, Jamestown has executed transactions in excess of $35 billion. As of June 30, 2022, Jamestown has assets under management of $13.1 billion and a portfolio spanning key markets throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Jamestown employs more than 400 people worldwide with headquarters in Atlanta and Cologne, and offices in Amsterdam, Bogotá, Boston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. Current and previous projects include One Times Square and Chelsea Market in New York, Industry City in Brooklyn, Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, the Innovation and Design Building in Boston, and Groot Handelsgebouw in Rotterdam. For more information, visit www.jamestownLP.com.   About Prescriptive Data:   Prescriptive Data is the creator of Nantum OS, an award-winning platform optimising building's operational performance while saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and lowering costs without sacrificing occupant health or comfort. Combining historical data with predictive analysis and real-time occupancy, Nantum OS enables buildings to hit their ESG goals.https://twitter.com/prescriptivedat https://www.facebook.com/prescriptivedata About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Timestamps: [2:43] Becca: How did you get to become in the ESG space at Jamestown and how do you know Sonu? I learnt about sustainability whilst I was studying environmental policy, from there I decided to go to the Netherlands to study sustainable development. Over the last ten years I have focused on putting systems into place that have evolved from the benchmarking of monthly utility performance to more robust energy management platforms. I first heard about Prescriptive Data through a friend of mine that worked there. I then sat on a panel with Sonu and listened to John Gilbert from Rudin talk about the evolution of the Nantum platform. [5:41] Sonu: How did you become CEO of Prescriptive Data and can you tell us more about the product? I have always been in the enterprise software business, when I had my son I started thinking about how I can work in a field that is fundamentally important to the world and what will have an impact, this led me to meeting Rudin Management. Prescriptive Data started as a project within the Rudin Management portfolio, we are now entirely independent. Our original premise was the idea that commercial offices exist to provide productive and comfortable workplaces, a big part of that is indoor air quality and thermal comfort. We used occupancy sensors so we could learn the rhythms of the building and correlate with the technology controlling the air quality in the buildings. This was the beginning of the Nantum OS. [12:33] Becca: Can you talk us through Jamestown's initiatives, what your strategy is and what you're working on at the moment? The Jamestown Green program and the Jamestown Charitable Foundation are ultimately about our efforts to reduce Jamestown's impact on the environment and support the communities where we own property and where we operate.  The Charitable Foundation was established to help host community events that benefit nonprofits. We invest in metropolitan centres and then support the nonprofits that make those cities more desirable places to work. The Jamestown Green program is for sustainability efforts. We look to find management practices and initiatives that help increase our net operating income, drive financial performance at our assets and make our assets more valuable  [16:45] Becca: Are there any other companies that you are piloting on the portfolio that are helping to reduce emissions more specific to ESG?  I've been focused on first just having a system in place, and over the last couple of years focusing more on the quality of the platform and matching specific tech solutions and providers with a specific type of asset. We have partnered with a company called Carbon Lighthouse, they identify energy saving products that the team then implements. They help back up those projections with their energy models and monitor the projects so they stay in place over the long term. [19:22] Sonu: What is the main challenge you face in the industry? Everybody is worried about the geopolitical situation, however I try not to think about it, largely because there is so much momentum around sustainability. I see a more widespread recognition that climate change is real, that achieving carbon neutrality through offsets is not enough and that true science based approaches are what's called for.   L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Sonu - The RHINO principle, keep your eye on the prize, there is an impact to be made, we are doing really important work and we must stay focused on it. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Becca -  I think that part of the reason that I've been successful is because I've been relentless about networking and finding partnerships. R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working in PropTech? Sonu: The fact that we are working on something that is a shared concern and if we resolve it will be a shared benefit. E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech?  Sonu answered earlier in the show: I'm excited about the transition towards net zero I've witnessed in the last six months. I think it's a great opportunity because people have realised something needs to be done.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

Summary:  In the seventh episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Peter Epping, Global Head of ESG and Kathryn Scheckel, Global Head of Innovation at Hines. Peter and Kathryn will share how their careers led them to ESG and innovation. The guests discuss Hines' target to reach net zero by 2040 and the strategy they are going to use to get there. They talk about their key focus to bring down the emissions of their current buildings. In this episode you will hear about how Hines are going to reduce energy demand in their vast portfolio using both a customer centric approach and a variety of tools and technologies that can help create more positive outcomes for their communities and buildings. You'll also hear how different countries around the world are leading the charge towards net zero by using innovation in building technology and renewable energy. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: McKinsey and Company Halo The Square Shout Outs: Dr. Michael Crow, President at Arizona State University  Key Insights From This Episode:   In our view, innovation and ESG cannot operate one without the other - Kathryn If you pick the best expertise from different places around the world you will arrive at a product that is better for everyone - Peter The world is changing quickly so having curiosity and staying open to knowing what you don't know is crucial - Kathryn We need to solve this collectively to change our systems, the spirit of having realised that and everyone being willing to collaborate is really, in the literal sense, energising - Peter Millennials applying for jobs are going to be much more conscious about the health of the building they're going to be working in, and whether the business they're going to be working for is making an impact - Louisa About Our Guests: Peter Epping: Peter is Global Head of ESG, responsible for developing and implementing the firm's ESG strategy in close coordination with the firm's leadership, as well as its regional and key functional groups. He previously served as Fund Manager in Hines' European Investment Management Team.    He joined the firm in 2001 and until 2006 worked in various development roles with Hines Germany and the Hines European Development Fund. In 2006, he became a portfolio manager in the investment management team and starting 2013, he took on the role of fund manager of the Hines European Core Fund. From 2014 until 2021 he was also responsible for building three separate account portfolios investing across the risk spectrum and asset classes in major European cities.   Epping holds a degree of economics business administration from University of Mannheim as Diplom-Kaufmann and an MBA from Union College in Schenectady.   Kathryn Scheckel: Kathryn leads the Strategic Project Office in delivering firm-wide strategies for complex, multi-stakeholder projects involving internal and external parties, reporting to the Office of the CEO. Additionally, she currently serves as the Interim Head, Office of Innovation, reporting to the Global CIO. In these capacities, Ms. Scheckel oversees the progress and implementation of cross-functional initiatives at Hines that help push the business forward.     Prior to joining Hines, Ms. Scheckel's career includes strategic roles at McKinsey & Company in New York, focusing on organisational strategy & commercial real estate; and at Arizona State University serving in a variety of roles including as a senior director in the Office of the President, building & launching novel strategic partnerships, including the Starbucks College Achievement Plan.     Ms. Scheckel is inspired to connect and foster female talent in commercial real estate. Since joining Hines in 2019, Kathryn has initiated the global relaunch of OneHines Women's Network, which strengthens and empowers diversity, equity, and inclusion amongst women at Hines.   Ms. Scheckel received her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biosciences & Biotechnology, Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance, and Masters in Public Policy from Arizona State University. Aside from dividing her time between Houston Headquarters and her home in New York City, Kathryn takes joy in spending time with her family and travelling extensively.   About Hines:  Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 285 cities in 28 countries. Hines oversees investment assets under management valued at approximately $90 billion. In addition, Hines provides third-party property-level services to 373 properties totalling 114.2 million square feet. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired approximately 1,530 properties, totalling over 511 million square feet. The firm currently has more than 198 developments underway around the world. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a foundational commitment to ESG, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organisations in the world.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Timestamps: [2:35] Kathryn: How did you become the leader of Hines' innovation platform? Working at Arizona State University was the foundational underpinning that drove my interest for innovation, unique ecosystems and enterprises that drive different types of solutions. Following this, whilst working at McKinsey I was exposed to the global challenges the built environment faces. I joined Hines' investment management platform in 2019, at the time they were working to tackle and solve these challenges. From there I started a team with the intention to help cross-functional initiatives within the firm and our overall governance. I am now named our innovation lead in driving forward a reimagined way of approaching innovation. [4:25] Peter: How did your role in ESG come about? I joined Hines after university, working on development projects around Europe. When the first rules and regulations came up on energy performance in Europe we felt that there was a lot more we could do as a company. We started collecting significant amounts of data and measuring our performance. We wanted to achieve the highest level of efficiency and make our office and residential buildings as healthy as possible for their occupiers. This created a positive feedback loop with our investors that saw that our outcomes were significantly better. Subsequently, I saw a huge opportunity for Hines in ESG given that we were so technically integrated and we had such willingness to innovate.  [8:30] Kathryn: How closely do yours and Peter's teams work together? We work extremely closely together, I think ESG and innovation will become even closer in the future.  We also have a close collaboration with our operations and engineering personnel, who are the execution and implementation arm of so many of the different strategies and innovations. [10:28] Peter: What is Hines' plan for our planet? The target for us is for operational energy, everything we do around our existing buildings we are looking at setting a target for the embodied carbon, which as a developer is a huge exposure. The target we're setting for operational emissions in 2040 is without offsets and will be aligned with the science based targets initiative. We're investing in furthering energy efficiency in our buildings. The key focus for us is that we're bringing down the actual emissions of our buildings. [13:54] Kathryn: Are there any technologies that you are looking at investing in or are currently piloting? We're taking a truly customer centric approach within the innovation platform to solve some of the challenges within ESG. All types of solutions, tools and technologies can help support carbon tracking, carbon mitigation and create more positive outcomes for our communities and buildings.  Hines already has a tremendous playbook and history of innovation, but we are managing processes to think about more obstacles in innovation that may be on the horizon. [17:53] Peter: What are the major trends you've observed across different geographies within innovation, digital transformation and ESG? In the Nordics we have seen great expertise in the area of heat pumps and renewable energy, they have decided much earlier than the rest of the world that they want to stop using fossil fuels. They have a very open mindset to innovation which is extremely refreshing. We have a new development in Manhattan where we are applying the same concepts that people use in Nordic countries and the result is an all electric building which not only will eventually be net-zero but is comfortable for the tenants. If you pick the best expertise from different places around the world you will arrive at a product that is better for everyone.  [21:23] Kathryn: What trends have refocused you to work on the innovation side at Hines? What we're seeing across geographies is the concept of flexibility and what our tenants are really demanding, especially in the post COVID world. One particular venture that I can share with you is a software play called Halo. It supports broader flexibility options in the office domain as well as what the tenants are wanting.  We also have a flexible workspace product called the Square which is a hardware that offers more flexible types of office spaces. Another trend we are seeing is the concept of data, the data coming out of our building systems can help solve other pain points for our clients. L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Kathryn: There is no single person in a team. The power and the force of networks and partnerships is crucial. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Peter - My colleagues who are running the European Core Fund at Hines are managing to implement what we want to do across the whole firm in such a consistent and coherent way. I also want to shout out to the leaders in this industry who are being very open and collaborative, this mindset is extremely refreshing. R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working in the innovation side of real estate? Kathryn: The evermore converging of our product types, our industry and the built environment. E - What are you excited about in the future of Proptech? Peter: I'm excited about seeing how much opportunity there is and how this will work financially, as this will be the biggest catalyst for making this happen.  Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com 

Summary:  In the sixth episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Zachary Denning and Jerremy Spillman, co-founders of Hank. JLL's recently acquired AI-powered virtual engineering platform for buildings. Zach and Jerremy share how Hank is helping the commercial real estate world reduce emissions and assist clients in their transition to net zero. The guests discuss the geographical differences surrounding the adoption and consensus of technology that they have noticed since Hank successfully expanded to Europe.  In this episode you'll hear about the ever changing appetite for efficiency within commercial real estate, how technology can help real estate meet its sustainability goals and what the future holds for Hank.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Shout Outs: Rob Baker, Head of Product, Hank Key Insights From This Episode:   You could put a Ferrari engine into a building, but if you don't know how to drive it you're not going to get anything out of it - Jerremy If you're not able to satisfy both the ownership and the investor level as well as the property level, you're never going to have a successful product - Jerremy We're driving a culture of execution, everybody on the team is on the same mission to drive revenue, if we're not driving revenue then we're stagnant - Zachary I figured out that smart buildings aren't so smart, machine learning is the future of this industry - Zachary  Why not be inside the largest, most progressive property management ownership firm in the world? There's no more strategic partnership than that - Zachary   About Our Guests: Zachary Denning:   Zachary Denning earned his degree in mechanical engineering and has always had a strong aptitude for software development. In his +10 years in the smart buildings industry, he was able to identify and solve core building engineering challenges using applied machine-learning and AI – Eventually leading to the development of a new market, virtual engineering. Zach has grown the Hank virtual engineering team to over 50 members under JLL and together they're pushing the boundaries of machine-learning in building operations to maximise client value.   Jerremy Spillman:   Over the last 12 years Jerremy has worked in the clean tech space ranging from utility DSM program management to battery powered electric vehicle charging stations.  Most recently Jerremy co-founded Hank, an A.I. powered HVAC management tool for commercial office buildings.  Hank was recently acquired by JLL Technologies as a key tool to meet their aggressive sustainability goals.   About Hank:   Recently acquired by JLL, Hank is a virtual engineering platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that autonomously optimises the management systems of commercial buildings to deliver increased comfort, air quality and energy savings.   Hank's system applies machine learning and AI to solve many of the commercial real estate (CRE) industry's largest operational challenges, including HVAC programming inconsistencies and energy and equipment performance inefficiencies. Its cloud-based platform optimises energy efficiency, air quality, maintenance costs and tenant comfort - ultimately delivering increased net operating income (NOI) to real estate investors.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Timestamps: [2:04] Zach: Can you tell us about your career journey to founding Hank and also how you know Jerremy? I started out as a mechanical engineer in the smart building industry. I learnt that the owners of buildings rarely know which control systems are in their buildings despite these softwares generating savings. I taught myself machine learning and realised that it has the ability to solve these problems in a long term capacity.  I won a grant and spent time developing a software that proved that machine learning could drive substantial savings in buildings and we can generate huge economics for clients. I went out fundraising through several channels and that's when I met Jerremy and pulled him in as co-founder and CRO, and this carried us to JLL.   [4:15] Zach: How long did it take you to develop the software? The first year I spent developing a solid foundation for the software so I had a product that I could test the market with. I received a grant in year 2 and by testing the market, proved that it had improved the comfort within buildings dramatically. By the end of year 3, we had viable proof of the product and concept and therefore the ability to go out and fundraise.  [6:02] Jerremy: What has it been like since your introduction to Zach? I started my career in sales so since meeting Zach it has been really exciting understanding the new market that there is for technology and quickly picking up the nuances in the industry. This completely new way of managing the largest energy consumer and cost driver in a building has made me really passionate about what we're doing with Hank. [7:47] Zach: Can you explain a little bit about what Hank is? The Hank product itself is a true machine learning virtual engineer, we don't do any physical work in buildings or have an onsite team. Hank enables engineers in buildings to do their job more effectively and not have to worry about changing setpoints, tuning systems in or working with a variety of different stakeholders to solve their problems. We work alongside existing smart building systems that are already in place, we drive a saving on energy of at least 15% and sometimes as much as 50%. [11:50] Jerremy: How does Hank help investors meet their sustainability goals? Hank is a Software-as-a-Service, so there is no replacing of controllers, we just drive what is already in place to its highest efficiency and that allows them to build their sustainability plan for the future.  If you're not able to satisfy both the ownership and the investor level as well as the property level, you're never going to have a successful product. We have utilised the data and found that we can fix comfort without sacrificing energy and we can save energy without sacrificing comfort. [16:06] Jerremy: How did your acquisition by JLL Technologies come about and what does it mean for your business? We align well with JLL because our number one priority for meeting sustainability is carbon reduction which JLL succeeds in with all of their vendors. Adding JLL's property management team to our virtual team adds an additional level of expertise and differentiates us from other management services. Zachary: For us to be primed to grow, the most strategic partnership we can use is to be inside the largest and most progressive property management firm in the world.  [22:05]  Zachary: What core values do you have in your business? We're driving a culture of execution, everybody on the team is on the same mission to drive revenue, if we're not driving revenue then we're stagnant. We have a very transparent approach, we have a mentality that we're building this together and all have an equal voice.  When we bring people on board they can individually see the impact they're making and that drives them towards our common goal of producing revenue and growing as a business. [24:49] Jerremy: Now you have expanded to EMEA, what are the differences you have seen between the US and Europe? Europe is far more advanced and focused on emission reduction which has helped us fit in straight away. They have helped us learn what property teams and investors are doing to push sustainability efforts and what the US needs to do to progress. Buildings in Europe already have the infrastructure in place with other smart technologies that we can integrate into, to feed our machine learning models and produce more data. The market in EMEA is ready for a solution like Hank, whereas in North America we're having to get the market ready. [28:02] Zachary: What is next for Hank? We're in the midst of a complete redesign of a new user interface, we want to give our customers a new evolution of what building automation can be without an additional cost. We want to push forward on evolving this product whilst proving everything to our customers comes under one subscription with no additional fees, we want them to know that this is just an inherent part of our service that we will continue to improve. L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Jerremy: As long as you have got hard work and dedication you are always going to push things forward. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Zachary: Rob Baker, he was an internal JLL employee that gravitated towards our team, he was a project manager and now he is involved in everything, he has been phenomenal to work with. R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working in PropTech? Zachary: Watching this product come to fruition and having Jerremy's team and our operations team execute it successfully. E - What are you excited about in the future of Proptech? Jerremy: I'm excited for Proptech and sustainability to become the norm in the real estate industry.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com 

Summary: In the fifth episode of season 10 of The Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Jonathan Flaherty, Global Head of Sustainability and Building Technology Innovation at Tishman Speyer and Philippe Le Fort, leader of Ambio, a smart buildings SaaS platform by PATRIZIA. Jonathan and Philippe talk to Louisa about their journeys into ESG and elaborate on the technologies they believe will help real estate reach net zero. They discuss the differences in innovation adoption across geographies and the long term benefits and cost of innovation on the asset, the tenant and on our built environment. Philippe talks about how he's been leading PATRIZIA's very own smart building SaaS platform, Ambio, and both guests share their thoughts on whether full digitalisation is actually possible. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Ambio, PATRIZIA's Smart Building Platform   Key Insights From This Episode:   I don't think one particular technology is going to drive us to low carbon buildings, it's going to be a combination of everything working together to get that outcome. - Jonathan People will go back to offices in the future but people need to have a reason to do so, and the traditional office product is going to have to change.The buildings that don't make that change are going to become obsolete. - Jonathan Customer experience is really significant to the focus of companies such as Amazon and Apple. Real estate has not paid much attention to that up until now, however technology is now coming to change the way people operate and the way people use buildings every day. - Philippe I think we're living in one of those moments where all these mega trends are converging together and really accelerating how we have to adapt as an industry. - Philippe Is any of this digitalisation really possible within a brick and mortar business, which is so large, slow moving and slightly archaic? - Louis   About Our Guests: Jonathan Flaherty:   Jonathan Flaherty is the Global Head- Sustainability and Building Technology Innovation at Tishman Speyer. Mr. Flaherty joined Tishman Speyer in 2007 as part of the Leadership Development Program and has held various roles with the company, including in asset management and portfolio management for New York. He transitioned to the Sustainability department in 2010, becoming the Director of Sustainability, and most recently the Global Head – Sustainability and Building Technology Innovation. In this role, he manages the firm's evolving sustainability strategy: property and fund sustainability certifications, communication with current and future investors, worldwide performance tracking, energy procurement strategy, building technology innovation, diligence in alternative green investments, and execution of the firm's commitment to Net Zero by 2050. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a legislative aide for Senator Schumer in Washington, DC. Mr. Flaherty is the chair of the board of directors for the Building Energy Exchange, the co-chair of the REBNY Sustainability Committee and is on the board of the New York Energy Consumers Council. He holds a BA in political science from Kenyon College, and an MBA and MSUP from Columbia University.   Philippe Le Fort: Philippe Le Fort leads Ambio, a smart buildings Saas platform by PATRIZIA. Philippe joined the company in 2020 and has been in charge of setting up a new business line from the ground up. Today he is leading its execution and responsible for deploying the technology at scale across the portfolio, advancing how buildings perform for businesses, people and the planet.  Previously, Philippe was an Investment Director at Tishman Speyer London and started a proptech venture to democratise access to institutional grade real estate using blockchain technology. He has also advised early-stage companies in the U.S.  Philippe has a MSc in architecture from EPFL and an MBA from London Business School. He lives in London.   About Tishman Speyer: Tishman Speyer is a leading owner, developer, operator and investment manager of first-class real estate in 32 key markets across the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. We develop, build and manage premier office, residential and retail spaces for industry-leading tenants, as well as state-of-the-art life science centres through our Breakthrough Properties venture. With global vision, on-the-ground expertise and a personalised approach, we are unparalleled in our ability to foster innovation, quickly adapt to global and local trends and proactively anticipate our customers' evolving needs.  By focusing on health and wellness, enlightened placemaking and customer-focused initiatives such as our tenant amenities platform, ZO., and our flexible space and co-working brand, Studio, we tend not just to our physical buildings, but to the people who inhabit them on a daily basis. Since our inception in 1978, Tishman Speyer has acquired, developed, and operated 512 properties, totalling 217 million square feet, with a combined value of over $126 billion (U.S.). Our current portfolio includes such iconic assets as Rockefeller Center in New York City, The Springs in Shanghai, TaunusTurm in Frankfurt and the Mission Rock neighbourhood currently being realised in San Francisco.   About PATRIZIA: With operations around the world, PATRIZIA has been offering investment opportunities in real estate and infrastructure assets for institutional, semi-professional and private investors for 38 years. PATRIZIA manages more than EUR 55 billion in assets and employs over 1,000 professionals at 28 locations worldwide. Through its PATRIZIA Foundation, PATRIZIA is committed to social responsibility. The Foundation has helped around 250,000 children in need worldwide gain access to education and thus, has given them the chance of a better life over the last 21 years. You can find further information at www.patrizia.ag   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [2:10] Jonathan: Talk us through your role and journey into ESG and how you and Philippe first met each other? I have been at Tishman Speyer for 15 years this week. I started as an intern in the designing construction compartment before ending up in the sustainability department. Philippe was based in our London office and we ended up on a whole bunch of projects together. At the time when I joined the department in 2011 it was a much different world and sustainability was a much smaller corner of the universe. However, I thought it would be an increasingly important force in the future. [4:26] Philippe: Talk us through your role at PATRIZIA and how it has changed? Could you also give us an introduction to your SaaS solution product, Ambio? I joined PATRIZIA about 2 years ago in the tech innovation team with the mission to improve operations, reduce carbon footprint and improve experiences within buildings through technology. The topic has been accelerated over the last couple of years by the demand for ESG products and for better data throughout the industry  We started from the fact that we needed to understand our buildings better, understand how good the tech infrastructure was and how good it needed to be. We soon realised that there was no such tool in the market that did that and we had to build one, that's how we started Ambio which we have just launched. Ambio involves doing health checks of buildings, identifying opportunities to add value by using technology to smarten things up and working with suppliers in the market to connect them to our investment managers so that we cover the entire spectrum of digital transformation and decarbonisation.  [6:30] Jonathan: What is the major factor for pursuing ESG at Tishman Speyer? The biggest driver for Tishman Speyer has been the long term equity of the business, investors would like to know that 10 years from now the building they're buying today will retain its resale value and will still be leasable after future regulations have come into place. When buying buildings now you need to be thinking about the owner after you and that owner is going to have it when all of the regulations related to decarbonisation and low energy are going to hit across the world.  [11:20] Philippe: What's the big focus of PATRIZIA in terms of pushing forward on smart buildings? On one hand you have more demanding capital, and on the other hand the increasing expectations from tenants which is moving the needle of what people want in terms of space. Customer experience is really significant to the focus of companies such as Amazon and Apple. Real estate has not paid much attention to that up until now, however technology is now coming to change the way people operate and the way people use buildings every day.  All these mega trends are converging together and really accelerating how we have to adapt as an industry. Covid has been a very big booster and we're still trying to figure out the implications of that, because there is a lot of elasticity in the market. [14:02] Jonathan: Can you explain what you mean by a haircut on exit and how this can be avoided? A building should be worth a particular number upon exit based on the rents that you're getting in that building, if the market is valuing your product below that then it is below the logical value that the market is assigning to other buildings. You need to predict what the market is going to look like in the future, most leases last for 10 years, so buying a building now you need to be thinking about the market and the regulations in 2032.  [18:30] Philippe: Can you tell us more about the technologies PATRIZIA are utilising to help maximise an asset value? Heating and cooling a building is one of the biggest energy buckets in commercial buildings, so a technology that tracks the weather is really important. Another technology we are looking at is predictive maintenance in lifts, predicting when a lift is going to break saves money on lift management contracts. Since the pandemic, people are much more conscious of the air quality in buildings. Also, to help people that are coming back into offices be healthy and productive, we need to ensure the air quality is good with regards to the CO2 concentration affecting brain productivity. [22:11] Jonathan: Is there anything you would like to add in terms of which technologies Tishman Speyers are using? Indoor air quality has been a big focus and will continue to be, but if anything that's more monitoring than a technology and has been around for a while.  I don't think one particular technology is going to drive us to low carbon buildings, it's going to be a combination of everything working together to get that outcome. [23:59] Jonathan: what can we do to get these brick and mortar businesses on board with technology adoption and ESG? Our primary focus is office buildings, we don't see the end of an office but that the office product needs to transform into something that is much more focused on digital, hospitality and low carbon. The changes in offices are very large and are coming at a rapid rate. People will go to offices in the future but people need to have a reason to do so and the traditional office product is going to have to change, the buildings that don't make that change are going to become obsolete.   L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Jonathan - You never know where your career is going to go, you have to be ready for twists and turns. There are so many opportunities out there so allow yourself to be flexible. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Philippe - I'd like to mention Ambio and the team who have worked really hard to launch the product. R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working in PropTech? Jonathan - It is enormously rewarding working in PropTech and sustainability, it is full of fascinating people doing really interesting work around the world. E - What are you excited about in the future of sustainability and smart building? Philippe -  I like it when things are not so straightforward, PropTech and ESG are creating dislocation and value add opportunities in our industry which is really exciting. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In the fourth episode of season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Sally Jones, Head of Strategy, Digital and Technology at British Land and Matt Webster, Head of Environmental Sustainability at British Land. They share British Land's strategy for sustainable developments and how they are going to achieve net zero by 2030. Sally shares how her role at British Land has changed since 2010 and shifted her focus towards strategy and technology. Matt talks about how their most recent sustainable projects, 100 Liverpool Street and Canada Water, have been designed to reduce both operational and embodied carbon in both the development and the running of the buildings. Sally and Matt discuss the advancement of technologies and successful utilisation of data and what this means for the future of sustainable real estate. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews 100 Liverpool Street Canada Water Companies Mentioned: Equiem Facilio  Cadbury Arup Shout Outs: Gabrielle McMillan Key Insights From This Episode:   I think the next few years will be challenging, but the more business that successfully deliver their strategies, the closer we will be to net zero - Louisa Technology is changing the shape of the property industry - Sally I'm confident as a sector that we've got the technologies, skill sets and the ambition to play our part in this, to come together and deliver - Matt The digitalisation of real estate will have a significant part to play in the decarbonisation of the built environment - Matt We have to figure out a cheaper way of delivering digital transformation, especially with the rising energy costs - Sally   About Our Guests: Sally Jones, Head of Strategy, Digital and Technology: Sally joined British Land in February 2010 as Head of Investor Relations and took responsibility for Strategy alongside Investor Relations in January 2015. In May 2016, she was appointed Head of Strategy and Investments. Subsequently, she has expanded her role to include data and insights and the Group's Smart technology initiatives. She joined the Executive Committee in 2015. Sally is also a Non-executive Director of Equiem, the leading tenant experience digital platform provider.   Previous Experience: Before joining British Land Sally worked at Cadbury Schweppes where she held a variety of roles over ten years including Director of Investor Relations, Director of Communications and Finance Director Group Sales and Marketing. Prior to that she worked in the City.   Matt Webster, Head of Environmental Sustainability   As Head of Environmental Sustainability, Matt leads the environmental performance of British Land's standing portfolio and development pipeline, responsible for implementing our pathway to net zero carbon by 2030 and wider environmental sustainability agenda. Matt works across the business to ensure our assets are designed, built and operated to the highest environmental standards. Matt led British Land to a 55% reduction in its operational energy intensity achieved in 2019. He has held various roles across the business, including establishing our approach to wellbeing and most recently developing and implementing our approach to smart buildings and digital placemaking. Recent development projects include the delivery of British Land's first net zero development at 100 Liverpool Street and leading sustainability at Canada Water - a 53 acre mixed use regeneration project. Prior to joining British Land, Matt held various sustainability consulting and banking roles. Matt has a Master's degree from Forum for the Future.   About British Land:Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Campuses and Retail & Fulfilment assets throughout the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at £14.3bn (British Land share: £10.5bn) as at 31 March 2022 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies.    We create Places People Prefer, delivering the best, most sustainable places for our customers and communities. Our strategy is to leverage our best in class platform and proven expertise in development, repositioning and active management, investing behind two key themes: Campuses and Retail & Fulfilment.    Our three Campuses at Broadgate, Paddington Central and Regent's Place are dynamic neighbourhoods, attracting growth customers and sectors, and offering some of the best connected, highest quality and most sustainable space in London. We are delivering our fourth Campus at Canada Water, where we have planning consent to deliver 5m sq ft of residential, commercial, retail and community space over 53 acres. Our Campuses account for 67% of our portfolio.    Retail & Fulfilment accounts for 33% of the portfolio and is focused on retail parks which are aligned to the growth of convenience, online and last mile fulfilment. We are complementing this with urban logistics primarily in London, focused on development-led opportunities.    Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. In 2020, we set out our sustainability strategy which focuses on two time-critical areas where British Land can create the most benefit: making our whole portfolio net zero carbon by 2030, and partnering to grow social value and wellbeing in the communities where we operate.    Further details can be found on the British Land website at www.britishland.com   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Timestamps: [2:10] Sally: How did you get into your strategy, technology and digital role?  It has been so fascinating to be able to combine strategy with all things digital and technology and I am now in charge of building tech, insights and the whole technology stack. My interest in technology started when I realised how technology was changing the shape of the property industry. [3:50] Matt: Could you tell us what your role at British Land entails? I have been at British Land for a number of years now and worked in different sections around the business, but always with an angle on sustainability. I was retained to deliver the 55% energy target and we were very proud to be able to deliver that over a 10 year period from 2009 to 2019. We were early adopters of the idea that it was our responsibility to collaborate with customers to work towards understanding our carbon footprint and start utilising data and technologies. [5:35] Sally: Could you elaborate on your digital strategy? We started working on it in 2015 and created a smart team after realising that digitalising buildings was going to become a big thing. We wanted to create a strategy with a very focused approach on improving people's experience of our real estate, building greater understanding through data and driving greater efficiency. [6:58] Matt: How does the sustainability strategy fit into the digital strategy? Our latest strategy runs from 2019 to 2030 and is balanced between environmental and social issues. Our target is to reach net zero carbon by 2030, as an operator and developer of space our two big sources of carbon are embodied from the development of our assets and operational which is related to the energy from running our assets. We are aiming for a 50% reduction in our embodied carbon and a 75% reduction in our operational carbon. The digital plan will help us deliver these ambitious targets. [8:45] Matt: Tell us about your current development projects and how they're helping socially and environmentally? 100 Liverpool Street is our first net zero development, it has benefited from significant reuse of the previous structure of the building and we worked really hard to design without carbon throughout the process. A lot of thought has gone into how it is going to operate once it's a live building. It's our first building to deliver some of the things in our digital strategy as well.  Canada Water is a really exciting project that we are embedding sustainability principles into. The building is implementing our smart building design guide which will help the building run more efficiently by retrieving useful data out of it during the design stage. [12:35] Sally: What technologies are working for British Land and how are you utilising them? Smart enabling a building makes it digitally capable, the key for that is to allow us to get data out of the building in such a way that we can surface it through a single platform. The data allows us to see what is working and manage the building more efficiently over time. Machine learning and AI helps us control the building to drive more efficiencies. We're working with a company called Facilio, they have built this entire data platform for us which things like AI can sit on. The Equiem platform works alongside Facilio to see how and when rooms in buildings are being used. [16:08] Matt: Is there anything you would like to add to the data side of smart buildings? We have learnt a lot in the development and delivery of 100 Liverpool Street. Installing smart metre systems lets us know exactly where and when energy is consumed in a building. The system will also communicate the data to a wider platform, allowing us to take a software approach to the building.  With this data we can apply it at a portfolio level rather than replicating it within each building. [19:29] Sally: What do we need to tackle in the future? We are now turning our attention to our old developments, ultimately we're all going to have to think about retrofitting our old buildings.  We have to figure out a way of delivering this digital transformation much more cheaply, especially with the rising energy costs. [22:15] Matt: What lies ahead in terms of environmental sustainability? People are finally listening to this issue and it is really important to make sure we've got the resources and skill sets to respond to it. We have been tackling operational carbon for a long time, we need more understanding and data surrounding embodied carbon so we have a more rapid process to help reduce it in the next few years.   L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Sally: What stands out for me at companies that I have worked for is the culture value and leadership. British Land and Cadbury are the two places where I have enjoyed and achieved the most. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Matt: Our own internal digital placemaking team, they have been working really hard working on the vision and delivering 100 Liverpool Street. R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working within the digitalisation space? Sally: Working with this small team at British Land, they've been brilliant at navigating their way through a very complex landscape in a cost effective way with an incredible set of products. E - What are you excited about in the future of environmental sustainability? Matt: I'm excited about the recognition that ESG is now gaining and the seriousness that people are starting to approach the subject with. Also, the digitalisation of real estate because that will have a significant part to play in the decarbonisation of the built environment.    Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@apodcastcompany.com

In the third episode of season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Aleksandra (Sasha) Njagulj, Managing Director and Global Head of Real Estate ESG at DWS Group and Simon Wallace, Global Head of Research and Strategy at DWS Group.  They discuss the key data points in ESG in real estate and how and why Aleksandra and Simon have risen to the top of the DWS Group and are focusing their careers within ESG. They share the products that DWS Group has found useful in their workplace and the regulation changes they have seen in the market. Lastly, they discuss how the current market may disadvantage or benefit investment in ESG. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews CRREM   Key Insights From This Episode:   ESG influences a lot of my work nowadays, it's always been a factor but now ESG touches pretty much every part of the research and strategy that we do. - Simon Whether you believe in climate change or not, if the energy prices continue to rise, tenants are going to want more energy efficient buildings. - Aleksandra I think we are in a market environment in general where we will see less investment in real estate, we got the real capital analytics data for the second quarter for Europe today and year on year investments are down by about 20%. - Simon The current market is accelerating the focus on ESG in real estate, energy prices will favour buildings that are energy efficient. - Aleksandra You can do it because you want to look after the environment, but now you can do it because there is a financial incentive as well. - Louisa   About Our Guests:   Aleksandra Njagulj, Managing Director and Global Head of ESG, Real Estate at DWS Group: Aleksandra (Sasha) Njagulj is the Managing Director, Global Head of ESG (environmental, social, and governance), Real Estate at DWS group. She is responsible for ESG integration across global real estate portfolios. Sasha is an accomplished ESG expert with over 20 years of practical experience in architectural design, design management and the sustainable built environment. In her previous role with CBRE Global Investors, she was Global Head of ESG with overall responsibility for developing and communicating global sustainability priorities and strategies across all business lines. Prior to this, Sasha was head of the Sustainability, R&D and Innovation department at Bouygues U.K. Throughout her career, Sasha has built a reputation both professionally and personally for championing the cause of responsible real estate investment. She received the UK-based edie 2020 Sustainability Leaders Award for Investor of the Year for an ESG programme she designed and delivered for CBRE. In addition, Sasha was awarded the global 2020 GRESB/BREEAM Individual Leadership Award, recognising strong leadership and commitment in the field of sustainable development. In 2021, she won the global Future Proof Real Estate Woman award as a leader in applying digitalisation, technology, open innovation and sustainability to create a better built environment.   A qualified architect, Sasha holds a Master's degree in Architectural Design from the University of Belgrade; a Master's degree in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge. She is a BRE Academy fellow, sits on the INREV ESG Committee and ULI ESG Council, leads the IIGCC Real Estate Workstream and chairs the GRESB Foundation Real Estate Standards Committee.   Simon Wallace, Head of Research, Real Estate at DWS Group. Simon joined the Company in 2011. Prior to his current role, Simon served as Head of Europe Research and Strategy for Alternatives. Prior to joining, he served as an economist for real estate research at Hammerson. Previously, Simon worked as an economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research   BSc in Politics and Economics and MSc in Economics from University of Bristol; Investment Management Certificate (IMC)   About DWS Group: DWS Group (DWS) is one of the world's leading asset managers with EUR 902bn of assets under management (as of 31 March 2022). Building on more than 60 years of experience, it has a reputation for excellence in Germany, Europe, the Americas and Asia. DWS is recognized by clients globally as a trusted source for integrated investment solutions, stability and innovation across a full spectrum of investment disciplines.   We offer individuals and institutions access to our strong investment capabilities across all major liquid and illiquid asset classes as well as solutions aligned to growth trends. Our diverse expertise in Active, Passive and Alternatives asset management – as well as our deep environmental, social and governance focus – complement each other when creating targeted solutions for our clients. Our expertise and on-the-ground knowledge of our economists, research analysts and investment professionals are brought together in one consistent global CIO View, giving strategic guidance to our investment approach.     DWS wants to innovate and shape the future of investing. We understand that, both as a corporate as well as a trusted advisor to our clients, we have a crucial role in helping navigate the transition to a more sustainable future. With approximately 3,600 employees in offices all over the world, we are local while being one global team. We are committed to acting on behalf of our clients and investing with their best interests at heart so that they can reach their financial goals, no matter what the future holds. With our entrepreneurial, collaborative spirit, we work every day to deliver outstanding investment results, in both good and challenging times to build the best foundation for our clients' financial future.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.   About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [1:44] Aleksandra: What initially sparked your interest in sustainability within real estate? Originally I was an architect so my primary expertise is in real estate, I know how it is designed, constructed and managed. I discovered the issue of sustainability when I was working as a design manager for the Building Schools for the Future Program. One of the requirements of the funding was that it had to achieve a sustainability certification to a certain level. I feel sustainability is a primary issue so if I can contribute to it using my primary expertise then I will. [3:54]  Simon: How did you get into this role in ESG? I started off my career as an economist working for a very small economics consultancy in London and then moved to DWS Group 11 years ago. ESG influences a lot of my work nowadays, it's always been a factor but now ESG touches pretty much every part of the research and strategy that we do.  [7:47] Simon: Are there any key data points and trends you can show us from your research? We still struggle for data in this area and there is a lot of noise around it so it is important that the more data points we get, the better the analysis.  I think we will be moving from a world of green premium to a world of brown discount. I think the industry will in time all have high levels of environmental credential sustainability and the buildings that don't will be at a discount rather than the market average. [9:26] Aleksandra: How do you tie the live data into your strategy? The critical point is your due diligence when you're making the acquisition decision and getting the actual performance data from the building. It is still not practised in the market to provide full information of how the asset performs to the potential buyer. Historically we used energy performance certificates which are not reflective of reality, they are a theoretical model which only looks at regulated energy. The live data for both the asset management and acquisition management process is incredibly important. The issue is that a huge number of assets have old meters, therefore smart solutions are really important to help digitise the data on those buildings. [13:10]  Simon: Do you think the rising interest rates, inflation and geopolitical uncertainty will affect the investment and adoption of ESG? I think we are in a market environment in general where we will see less investment in real estate, we got the real capital analytics data for the second quarter for Europe today and year on year investments are down by about 20%. ESG strategies will not be fully immune to what is going on but the trend towards ESG based strategies will continue to grow and accelerate. I think there are some positives to be taken from the price correction going on. The buildings today that are of poor quality and low environmental standards are likely to reprice at more than the market average, allowing opportunities for repositioning and impact. [15:45] Aleksandra: In terms of rising interest rates, inflation and geopolitical uncertainty, what is affecting your strategy and investment decisions? Some of these aspects are actually accelerating the focus on energy usage. Energy prices rising will definitely favour buildings that are energy efficient and give tenants a financial incentive. These measures are payback to sustainable buildings either in low utility costs or higher tenant demand. Whether you believe in climate change or not, if the energy prices continue to rise, tenants are going to want more energy efficient buildings. [18:58] Simon: Have you got any data points about how much money people could save if they used a certain technology? Given the rise in gas, carbon and energy prices, those buildings with low energy ratings are susceptible to rental declines and rental underperformance. Looking at it from a risk perspective, if you come into conflict with regulation and you're no longer able to lease that building because it is not meeting the standards then you have an obsolete building. [20:28] Aleksandra: What changes in regulations have you seen in your career and how do you collect data on it? We are assessing the risks accordingly, we use a tool called CRREM which is based on real life data to help assess stranding risks of these assets. That then directly has an impact on our investment and asset management decisions. Regulations will have to deal with existing building stock if we are to achieve net zero carbon goals. Therefore, some of the regulations that come in will need to regulate private house owners, not just commercial landlords. [25:25] Simon: What do you have to say about regulations? I think we should see regulations as a part of life not as a negative or a risk from an investor perspective.When regulations are well specified and known in advance then we can respond accordingly. In terms of collecting data on regulations, it is important to have people on the ground engaging with local bodies and the government, in order to understand how that regulation will impact upon your investment. [27:20] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Aleksandra: Flexibility and being open for opportunities, if you want to be successful in your career then being flexible and open-minded is the best advice. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Aleksandra: IOT solutions and the geniuses that are coming up with them around the world are resolving real problems and issues within real estate. R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working within the ESG space? Simon: Being a part of the solution on the quality of affordable housing, through ESG we can certainly make a positive difference. E - What are you excited about in the future of ESG? Aleksandra: ESG and sustainability as a whole is seen as added value, as something that should be embedded throughout the business to make it better.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

Summary: On the 2nd episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Taylor Wescoatt, General Partner at Concrete VC and Guy Grainger, Global Head of Sustainability Services and ESG at JLL.  They discuss why global real estate leaders are refocusing their investment strategy and turning to venture capital to help reach net zero. Taylor Wescoatt shares Concrete VC's big plans with the sustainable fund and how they managed to get some huge real estate names to invest. Guy talks about JLL's strategy around net zero and their involvement in the fund. Taylor and Guy share with Louisa how technology, both internally and externally, will help businesses reach their sustainability goals. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Measurabl Hank  Hillbreak   Companies Mentioned: JLL Spark JLL Technologies SEGRO Ardent Starwood Capital Catella  Timeout AOL Shout Outs: Arnaud Van Der Wyck, Managing Partner at Concrete VC Key Insights From This Episode:   We're out recruiting and looking at how we can grow our capabilities in multiple countries to give clients the silver bullet of seamless integration of strategies across multiple geographies, which is really hard to do. - Guy There is a direct link between transitioning a building to net-zero, and creating economic value and we need to prove that much more clearly. - Guy We've created an investment platform that helps large real estate organisations see more clearly into the early stage tech space so they understand what will be creating and driving change in their industry. - Taylor  As we see more consistent data coming out of the sector, new artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities will evolve. - Taylor According to a JLL report, the value of green certifications on buildings results in a rent premium of 6% and a sales premium of 8%  - Louisa If we wait for the government to set the regulation it will be too late. - Guy   About Our Guests: Taylor Wescoatt: Taylor's career in technology product management spans 20 years of startups and larger pioneers like eBay and AOL. He started Concrete in 2016 with Starwood and JLL as founding partners out of a recognition that the coming wave of change in Real Estate would be primarily driven by technology. Concrete's mission remains to help leading players in the Real Estate sector see better into the future by engaging with the most compelling and visionary founders in the technology sector to drive revenue, operational efficiency, and net-zero environmental goals.   Guy Grainger: Guy Grainger is Global Head of Sustainability Services and ESG at NYSE-listed real estate services company JLL. He has overall responsibility for sustainability services, products and strategy, and for JLL's corporate sustainability program.   Previously, Guy led the EMEA region since June 2016, also serving as a member of JLL's Global Executive Board. Prior to that, he was CEO of the UK business between 2013 and 2016, having originally joined as a senior leader of the Churston Heard business acquired by JLL in 2008. Outside of JLL, Guy is Chair of the Circular Economy Taskforce at responsible business organisation Business in the Community and Vice President at the British Property Federation. An alumnus of the London Business School Senior Executive Programme, he is also an established media commentator on sustainability, the built and natural environment, and amateur triathlete in his spare time.   About Concrete Ventures: Concrete Ventures is a venture capital investor working closely with leading global real estate partners to understand their key challenges and identify and invest in the technology startup founders delivering real impact.   About JLL: We're here to create rewarding opportunities and amazing spaces around the globe where people can achieve their ambitions. In doing so, we are building a better tomorrow for our clients, our people and our communities. We're a world leader in real estate services, powered by an entrepreneurial spirit. We want the most ambitious clients to work with us, and the most ambitious people to work for us. It's as simple as that. We buy, build, occupy and invest in a variety of assets including industrial, commercial, retail, residential and hotel real estate. From tech startups to global firms, our clients span industries including banking, energy, healthcare, law, life sciences, manufacturing and technology.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In the first episode of Season 10 of the Propcast, host Louisa Dickins is joined by Vincent Bryant, Co-Founder and CEO of Deepki and Grigor Hadjiev, Head of Product and Development for West Europe at Allianz Real Estate. Louisa and Vincent discuss the founding of Deepki in 2014 and how their SaaS solution data intelligence platform is helping to guide top real estate players in their net zero transition. Grigor is one of Deepki's clients and in this episode you'll hear how they're utilising the SaaS solution to leverage the data from their ESG performance against their goals into the wider business environmental strategy. Grigor also talks about the obstacles in getting businesses to adopt and transform through digitisation and how to overcome this.   Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews   Companies Mentioned: Fabriq La Solive   Shout Outs: Emmanuel Blanchet, Co-Founder of Deepki   Key Insights From This Episode:   I think it's so important when you're hiring and growing a business to have that clear mission and vision - especially for millennials and Gen Zs, that's what they look for, because it's so important to culture. - Louisa We want to harness data so we can give our customers the resources they need to create and implement a comprehensive view of their ESG strategy and to help them to transition towards net zero. - Vincent Practically speaking, our SaaS solution data intelligence platform helps all stakeholders make sure that everybody is aligned to reduce the CO2 impact of the assets. - Vincent We need to work together to make sure that the solutions are viable and useful for us to reduce the environmental footprint, whilst being profitable for the PropTech companies. - Grigor With multiple pressures coming from regulations, expectations from investors and expectations from the people, this is enough to accelerate and to move faster. - Grigor   About Our Guests: Vincent Bryant: Vincent Bryant, co-founder and CEO of Deepki. His passion for energy goes all the way back to his early professional days. Vincent began his career with an energy consulting firm, before spending eight years at ENGIE as Energy Efficiency Director. In 2014 he created Deepki with Emmanuel Blanchet, driven by their shared vision: using data to make real estate more sustainable.   Grigor Hadjiev: Grigor Hadjiev is Allianz Real Estate's Head of Product & Development for West Europe responsible for the design and execution of large capex programs and topics including ESG and ‘smart‘. He also leads the Innovation & Digitalization activities, bringing data asset management into the firm's existing expertise. Prior to joining Allianz Real Estate in 2018, he was Director for French-speaking Switzerland at Drees & Sommer. He started his career as an architect and general planner before joining a strategy & finance advisory firm. An alumnus of ETH Zurich, HEC Paris and ENSAPLV, Grigor holds a master's degree in Architecture and Management. In 2017, he became a qualified member of RICS.   About Deepki: Founded in 2014, Deepki has developed a SaaS solution that uses data intelligence to guide real estate players in their net-zero transition. The solution leverages customer data to improve assets' ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) performance and maximise asset value. Deepki operates in 39 countries, with 180 team members across offices in Paris, London, Berlin, Milan and Madrid. The company serves clients including AEW, Primonial REIM, Generali Real Estate, SwissLife Asset Managers and the French government, helping to make their real estate assets more sustainable at scale. In March 2022 Deepki raised €150 million in a Series C round of funding which was jointly led by Highland Europe and One Peak Partners. Other investors include Bpifrance, through their Large Venture fund, and Revaia.   About Allianz: Allianz Real Estate is a PIMCO Company, comprising Allianz Real Estate GmbH and Allianz Real Estate of America and their subsidiaries and affiliates.  It is one of the world's largest real estate investment managers, developing and executing tailored portfolio and investment strategies globally on behalf of a range of global liability driven investors, creating long-term value for clients through direct as well as indirect investments and real estate financing. The operational management of investments and assets is performed out of 17 offices in key gateway cities across 4 regions (West Europe, North & Central Europe, USA and Asia Pacific). For more information, please visit: www.allianz-realestate.com.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

Propcast Season 10 is here! We are focusing on ESG within the built environment, and we are thrilled to be joined by some of the leading companies in the industry to speak about what their business ESG strategy is - and what they're doing to reduce their carbon footprint. Our guests share not only professional but personal experiences and the valuable lessons they have learnt for our listeners to find out more about the evolution of the built environment. Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode & drop a 5 Star rating on Apple or Spotify. We're thankful for everyone who has been on this journey with us this far, and everyone who will join that number this season. Your support is the reason this show exists. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

Summary: In the final episode of The Propcast Season 9, Louisa is joined by Kevin Danehy, Vice Chair, North America and Global Head of Corporate Development and Allison Lloyds, Global Head of Investor Relations and Capital Development at Willow.  They discuss why digital twins are getting the attention of investors, what a digital twin is, how they both got into the digital twin space, and how Willow's clients use their product. While there is an inherent reluctance to embrace change, digitisation is here and it's time for people in the real estate industry to realise that tech, a digital twin, or data can make their portfolios stronger and more sustainable. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: CBRE Brookfield Properties  Shout Outs: Joshua Ridley, CEO and Co-Founder of Willow Nick Moore, Executive Director at Gresham  Key Insights From This Episode:  Working with potential investors and customers, I encourage them to look at things differently. To be more flexible and say, “How can tech, a digital twin, or data make my portfolio stronger or more sustainable?” - Allison We're leveraging the computing power of the cloud to digitise real world assets. - Allison There's no secret that the confluence of inflation, rising rates, and geopolitical unrest have had an acutely negative impact on the public market. - Allison  Change is here, we're not going back - digitisation is here. - Allison There is an inherent reluctance to embrace change. - Kevin With a digital twin, preventive maintenance is accelerated and the utilisation of the rail increases from 85% to the very high 90%. - Kevin Over the last 15 years, the co-location of high rise office buildings along with high rise multi-family apartment buildings integrated with retail and hospitality or hotels, offer the opportunity for an increasingly dynamic live, work, play ecosystem that attracts people 24 hours a day, seven days a week. - Kevin In 1950, 28% of the world's population were living in urban areas, in 2007 it became 50/50. By 2050, despite the pandemic and migration, the UN and other research indicate that two-thirds of the world's population will be in global gateway cities. - Kevin About Our Guests: Kevin Danehy: Kevin Danehy is Vice Chair, North America and Global Head of Corporate Development at Willow. As Vice Chair of North America, Kevin leads the strategic direction, growth, and management of regional operations. Throughout his career, Kevin has cultivated, established, and led relationships with clients, as well as actively participated in transactional, leadership, and change management activities. Prior to joining Willow, Kevin served as Executive Vice President & Global Head of Corporate Development at Brookfield Properties for 9 years. In this role, he worked to accelerate revenue and asset value growth across a global portfolio and played a pivotal role in the identification, introduction, and deployment of new technology platforms. From 2019, Danehy was instrumental in the deployment of WillowTwinTM on Brookfield's premier development, One Manhattan West, a project that has since led to him joining Willow. Allison Lloyds: Allison Lloyds is Global Head of Investor Relations and Capital Development. In this role, Allison leads Willow's external capital activities and is the company's primary point of contact for both internal and external investors. Allison was an integral part of Willow's most recent capital raise. She began her career in real estate at CBRE, where she specialised in strategic planning and operational performance improvement for multinational corporate clients. About Willow: Willow is the “digital twin” for the built world. Through their software and professional services, Willow creates a digital replica of a built asset, that collects and aggregates data into a “twin”. Through this approach, Willow enables the owners and operators of major portfolios and infrastructure to make smarter, more proactive, and data-led decisions. By providing data-driven insights, Willow empowers users to manage with greater efficiency, drive operational improvements at scale and provide their occupants with an enhanced and more connected experience. Willow is a global technology company with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Seattle, Dallas, Toronto, London, Amersfoort and Manila. About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [02:45] Kevin: How did you get into real estate and how did you move into your position? I have been in the real estate business for over 35 years, I spent the first half of my career at CBRE as an advisor and for about a decade, I was with Brookfield.  Part of my responsibility at Brookfield was to search for the new emerging business practices and approaches that would have a positive impact on the real estate industry and Willow was one of the most interesting. After a significant amount of time with Willow and the corresponding endorsement from the Brookfield team, I joined Willow to help the adoption of digitisation of physical assets. [06:20] Allison: How did you go about transitioning to Willow and why did you make the transition?   I worked at CBRE in New York and London in the global corporate services division and after a decade I pivoted to organisational psychology and went back and got my PhD.  As my kids got older and the pandemic came,  things shifted and I found myself wanting to re-enter the real estate space.  I reconnected with Kevin and I was always interested in tech and curious about that space. [10:15] Kevin: Can you give us an example of when Willow's product has been used? You were involved in the Super Bowl, can you talk us through how that would have worked and what value would have added there? SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles where the Super Bowl is held is a beneficiary of having a full digital twin. The digital twin integrates all the different technology systems that exist. A digital twin is an integration hub for technology. The benefit is it allows for the end user to have more data available as well as analytics using science and using artificial intelligence to be able to make predictions.  Some of our projects in the US are Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and One Manhattan West. In London, one of our buildings is 22 Bishopsgate.  [14:45] Allison: Can you talk us through Willow's fundraising narrative to date and then what you have planned for the future? We have been really thoughtful about how we have raised capital to date, we don't have a traditional story. We use capital raised to invest in the business. We have a big focus on attracting and retaining top talent.  There's no secret that the confluence of inflation, rising rates, and geopolitical unrest have had an acutely negative impact on public market and because of this we see VCs scrutinising perspective companies like Willow to a greater degree.  [22:35] Kevin: What is next for Willow?  We're in the process of digitising Brookfield's office building portfolio in New York City. Across our categories, rail both in terms of railroad systems, computers, systems, and mining companies there is a large area for growth.  The big opportunity for us right now is to increase our deployment across portfolios.  [28:30] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Kevin: It's incredibly valuable to have a mentor. The harder I've worked, the luckier I've been. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Allison: Kevin Danehy and Josh Ridley R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working in PropTech? Kevin : The physical part of real estate has always been what has thrilled me and gives me a great sense of fulfilment. E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Allison: PropTech is a space in which we just see so much potential and it's about how we can make the future better for generations that come after us.   Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@apodcastcompany.com 

Summary: In the penultimate episode of season 9 of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by Nobu Iguchi, Managing Partner at Agya Ventures, and Fatima Dicko, Founder & CEO at Sugar. In this episode, they discuss their journeys into the real estate innovation space and how, over the years, they've come to realise how important the concept of “community” has become.  We hear from Fatima about the mission, product and value of Sugar in the real estate industry, while Nobu explains how Agya Ventures helps businesses expand into Japan. The key takeaway from this episode is that innovation happens as a result of people taking risks. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned:   Sidewalk Labs   Shout Outs: Kunal Lunawat, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Agya Ventures Aaron Farr, Analyst at Agya Ventures Elian Haddock, Analyst at Agya Ventures Key Insights From This Episode:  The largest expense for building managers and owners is apartment turnover. - Fatima Gen Z will represent over 40% of the workforce by 2024. Most of them will be renters versus home buyers. - Fatima Community is a universal need. - Nobu If we continue building a product that customers love, continue listening to the product feedback, and continue solving this large and growing problem then we can build a company that is not only relevant right now, but sustainable over the long run. - Fatima Real estate has both a local component to it and a global component to it. - Nobu  Innovation happens as a result of people taking risks. - Fatima  Real estate is the largest global asset class with a 1% technology utilisation rate. - Fatima   About Our Guests: Nobu Iguchi, Managing Partners at Agya Ventures Nobu Iguchi is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Agya Ventures. Before Agya Ventures, Nobu worked at Bridgewater Associates, as a senior investment professional on the micro equities team. Nobu started his career at McKinsey & Company, where he was based out of the Tokyo office, and worked on projects across the United States, Thailand and Germany. Nobu holds a BS in Chemistry from Yale College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.    Agya VenturesAgya Ventures is a technology-focused real estate fund investing in exceptional entrepreneurs and early-stage companies.   Fatima Dicko, Founder & CEO at Sugar Fatima Dicko is the Founder & CEO of Sugar, a resident experience platform that helps property managers build stronger communities. Before Sugar, Fatima spent 5 years at P&G as a senior engineer on a product innovation team. While at P&G, she received several patents and was 1 of 127 nominated technologists awarded the annual 'Most Transformative Product Innovation' award.Fatima came to the U.S. from Mali at a young age and grew up in New York City, receiving her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University and MBA from Stanford Business School. She was named as '18 Inspiring Women to Watch' by Inc Magazine, listed on the 2021 Forbes 'Next 1000' list and has been featured in major publications such as TechCrunch, Business Insider, Crunchbase, Black Enterprise and CNBC.   Sugar Sugar is a modern resident engagement platform that turns apartment buildings into vibrant communities. Sugar allows residents to pay rent, unlock doors and earn rewards for engaging with their community. By elevating the residential experience at their properties, Sugar helps managers attract new residents, increase lease renewal rates and introduce additional revenue streams. Sugar's vision is to turn strangers into neighbours and neighbours into friends.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market-leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [02:20] Fatima: Can you share your journey to this space?  My background is in chemical engineering.  I started thinking about communities when I was at Stanford Business School, how do they  form, what strengthens communities and what keeps communities alive? When I moved to LA, I lived in an apartment building with hundreds of people and I started an experiment where we put a QR code in the elevator, from there we started looking at traditional property management platforms and found residents weren't very happy with them. The name Sugar came from the cup of sugar from your neighbour.  [04:20] Nobu: Can you tell us about your journey to the VC space?  My co-founder and I were at college together but we went on very different paths.  In 2019,  I had an idea about raising capital from real estate developers and other entities with an interest in real estate and investing the capital in promising real estate technology startups. We left our previous jobs and started Agya Ventures. Our LPs are real estate developers, construction companies and other entities that are interested in real estate and construction innovation. [05:40]  Nobu: What do you call “early stage” and how much capital do you look to put in? Seed is our sweet spot but we invest pre-seed. $500,000 to $1 million.  [07:40] Fatima: Can you talk a bit more about how you can strengthen community resident spaces and how did you go about your raise with Nobu?  Building Community in Residential Spaces:  The largest expense for building managers and owners is apartment turnover.  Gen Z, who will represent over 40% of the workforce by 2024, most of them will be renters versus home buyers.  Community is not a nice to have or luxury, it's a necessity.  Raising with Nobu:  Nobu understood the vision and the importance of community from the early days. When we dove into the nuances of the actual opportunity and what things are going to look like moving forward, they continued to resonate.  [09:30] Fatima: Where is Sugar based?  We are alive in properties in different regions across the country, our largest presence is in LA but we live in properties in Florida, North Carolina and New York.  What makes an ideal Sugar property and profile - 30 or more units and we have seen a lot of engagement in senior living properties so our ideas about demographics are changing.  Community resonates with people of different ages and geographic regions. [12:40] Nobu: What change have you seen pre and post-COVID? Have you been investing at the same rate? How many more investments are you looking to secure by the end of this year?  What changes have you seen pre- and post-COVID?  The need for community has been direr and has been more pronounced with COVID. Some people were working remotely before COVID and now hybrid work is an integral part of how employers are thinking about their workforce. Our fund started investing post-COVID and one of the things that emerged with COVID were a lot of amazing startup ideas. Have you been investing at the same rate?  2021 was a booming year for VC and many startups emerged.  There has been a change since then because of inflations.  Some of the best companies come out of these uncertain times. [16:20] Nobu: Do you think valuations will go slightly down or be more slightly realistic? We are already seeing late-stage correction that's in response to a public market correction and we're seeing mid-stage valuation correction in response to the late-stage correction. [16:50] Fatima: How have the last nine months been since securing your investor? Over the last year, we've invested heavily in the product which has led to greater efficiency within sales and marketing. If we continue building a product that customers love, continue listening to the product feedback, and continue solving this large and growing problem then we can build a company that is not only relevant right now, but sustainable over the long run.  [19:15] Nobu: You help businesses expand out to Japan, how do you go about it?  We invest in US-based technology companies and one of the things we do bring to the table for founders is an expansion to Japan. We also work with companies that are not necessarily portfolio. [22:20] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Nobu: There is a risk in not taking a risk. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Nobu: Kunal, Aaron, Elian, my wife, Megan and my daughter, Ruth.  R – What has been the most  rewarding  aspect of working in PropTech? Fatima:  It's a very relationship-driven industry.  E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Fatima:  There's so much opportunity in this space. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@apodcastcompany.com 

Summary: Louisa is joined by Mark Furness, Founder & CEO of essensys and Kally Kang-Kersey, Chief People Officer at essensys for the 8th episode of season 9 of The Propcast. During the course of the episode, they discuss what it means to digitally enable buildings and office spaces. Mark shares his journey from founding essensys back in 2006 to listing it on the stock exchange in 2019. Kally speaks about what people are looking for when joining a business in the post-pandemic world and how to build a successful business in a market that is constantly shifting. The discussion evolves into an overview of the major trends in the market and predictions for the future. 2019, 2020 and beyond have been a huge catalyst in terms of the change in real estate; post pandemic, people want purpose in their work and they want to be connected to the business that they're working in. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Key Insights From This Episode:  Digitalisation and frictionless building experience are right at the heart of the real estate industry, as well as sustainability. - Mark Post pandemic, people want purpose in their work and they want to be connected to the business that they're working in. - Kally 2019, 2020 and beyond have been a huge catalyst in terms of the change in real estate. - Mark  The operation of real estate has not had huge adoption because the acceleration of digital-first type solutions and digital enablement has only really happened in the last few years. - Mark We've got to create a growth mindset in our employees. - Kally   About Our Guests: Mark Furness, Founder & CEO of essensys Mark Furness is the CEO of essensys, the world's largest provider of mission-critical software and services to the flexible workspace industry. He has over 15 years of experience in building global SaaS and IT organisations. With a focus on automation and self-service, he founded essensys in 2006 to change the way space providers deliver services and meet occupier requirements in the flexible office sector. Mark is passionate about innovation, customer success and company culture. He is a determined leader and a visionary, guiding essensys to a public listing on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in May of 2019.   Kally Kang-Kersey, Chief People Officer at essensys  Kally Kang-Kersey is a true commercial business HR leader with over 25 years' experience driving inspirational approaches to enable organisational change and human capital management at international and globally scaled technology-led businesses. She was most recently VP, Talent & Organisational Development at Zebra Technologies, a $4bn revenue global technology business, where she led their global talent function, and previously served as HR leader for EMEA. Prior to Zebra Technologies, she held various senior HR and leadership roles at Xerox, American Express and Yellow Pages Sales Ltd (BT).  In this newly created role of Chief People Officer, Kally joins essensys' Executive and Operating Board, and will lead on all HR and human capital matters across the group, including talent development, culture, employee engagement, inclusion and diversity.   essensys essensys is a leading global technology company for commercial real estate. Our platform is designed to solve the problems faced by today's modern landlords and flex workspace providers, providing the intelligent digital backbone that enables the real-time provisioning of digital services through intelligent network automation. essensys delivers a simple, secure and scalable solution that helps our customers to create digitally enabled buildings and spaces portfolio-wide, to deliver seamless experiences, and realise smart building and ESG ambitions. We simplify network management, reduce operational complexity, provide enterprise-grade security, deliver on-demand digital services and access the data and insights to drive success. Founded in 2006, and AIM-listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2019, essensys is active in the UK, Europe, North America and APAC.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation.   About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.   Timestamps: [03:05] Mark: Talk us through founding essensys in 2006 and give us some information about the product.  essensys is the word ‘essential systems' chopped up and I started it in 2006 because I wasn't sure many people would consider employing me at that time or in the future.  The world of technology especially IT and Service Delivery as well as the technology around network services was hugely complicated.  The genesis of the business was could we automate and make self-service, the management to control IT and infrastructure in an enterprise?  [08:10] Mark: Can you give an example of someone who might be your customer?  Think about the world's largest real estate brands and companies, whether it is flex, industrious or big asset owners.  We have a global private network and then we have technologies that we control - imagine walking into a building, you can get your phone out and you can tap your phone and not only will it connect you to the network, but it will also open the door as well as book the space and charge you, all in less than half a second. [11:30] Kally: What have you seen post-pandemic in terms of what people are looking for when joining a business?  People want purpose and they want to be connected to the business they're working in.    Communication and how we engage are more imperative than how many days we are working.  Aligning your culture to the actions you want to see.   [16:20] Mark: In 2019, essensys IPO'd and raised a significant amount of capital, what has changed in the business since then?  We bootstrapped to 2019 but we had to set our stall out for the future and the ambition of the business.  It was an evolution in the real estate sector that drove that thinking.  [18:50] Mark: What are the major trends you've seen?  I think the trends are the same, but I think they are accelerating.  Since 2006, flex was already moving in the direction I thought it would go in.  Finally sustainability. Do we do this as a tick box exercise? Do we do it because we're forced to? Is it part of the responsibility of real estate as such a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions? [21:15] Kally: How do you build for success in such a rapidly changing market?  We're evolving fast so companies can get wrapped up in the transactional but we're trying to transform. We launched our first sales academy from a structured methodology but also evolving and getting people to understand the impact we make. Everybody should be able to have a connection and passion for the company.  [24:45] Mark: What's next for essensys and what are your future predictions for the market? For essensys, we are looking for where we can work with those big global real estate providers and those at-scale flex providers to help them with their growth, with their digital transformation and to make their operations more efficient. Real estate is going back to the era of let & forget because buildings are becoming more autonomous.  The main lesson I have learned is to be yourself, have authenticity in every part of what we do. I want people to challenge me and be passionate about what we are doing. The importance of a work-life balance.  [28:20] Kally: What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Excitement through empowerment.  If you are high energy, you've got curiosity, and you want to solve problems. It's a great culture. And, even when you fail, it's still a great culture.   Sponsors  Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@apodcastcompany.com 

Summary: In collaboration with our community partners PropTech Denmark, our Regional Manager for the Nordics, Sanna Walfridsson recorded a live podcast at the PropTech Symposium: Real Impact joined by the Nordic industry leaders Rikke Lykke, Group CEO for Deas Group, Filippa Dracke von Euler, Head of Digital Service Development at Newsec, and partner at Stronghold Invest, and finally Rasmus Juul-Nyholm, Founder of Cobblestone A/S and Home.Earth.During this episode, they deep dive into some of the hottest topics discussed in real estate today, ESG, Sustainability, Investment and Talent and most importantly how we move from buzz words to actions. Companies Mentioned: Deas Group Deepki Plentific Cobblestone Home.Earth Stronghold Invest Newsec Wework LMRE PropTech Denmark Axeleo Capital Regus Amazon Shout Outs: Antony Slumbers, Founder antonyslumbers.com Daniel Kraft, Partner at Stronghold Invest, co-founder Nordic Proptech Initiative Magnus Svantegård, Partner Stronghold Invest Nadim Stub, Group Vice President | Digital Ventures & Partnerships, DEAS Group. Key Insights From This Episode: The real estate and Proptech world are 10 years behind banks and the financial industry, so we have a lot to do. - FilippaDon't focus on talent as we know it, look at other industries, we need other perspectives to move the industry forward. – FilippaIn order to make change, we have to engage everyone. All employees, not just the C level people. You can set the vision at C level, but you need to let the employees decide the process. - RikkeThe evolution of real estate that we have seen over the past 10 years has gone more and more towards the digital world. - RikkeThe biggest office space today, it is not in the office, it's at home. - RikkeThings are changing now because of a pressure. Things are changing now as a reaction to ESG demands, and reaction to the taxonomy and the whole financial instrument that is being implemented. It is still a reactionary movement - RasmusWho will start the more proactive approach and work towards the opportunities? - Rasmus

Summary: In the 7th episode of the 9th season of The Propcast, Louisa is joined by the Co-Founders of Smart Building Bootcamp Matthew Marson and Michael Grant to chat about the secret to becoming a “Smart Building Expert”.  Matthew and Michael describe what is offered by Smart Building Bootcamp and how they equip their customers with the skills they need to become Smart Building Experts. By cutting through the jargon and enabling people to see through the smoke and mirrors, Smart Building Bootcamp simplifies smart technology.  They discuss the wide range of businesses that sign up for their courses - from real estate firms to investment banks - and why it's so important to walk these clients through the fundamental components of smart building technology. After all, digitising a building can't happen overnight, it's a journey that requires a certain level of understanding. Later in the episode, they touch on what skills they are looking for in the hiring process before they wrap things up with their expectations of the smart building industry.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: WSP Accenture AirRated Shout Outs: Olga Turner Baker, Co-Founder and Managing Director Co-Founder and Managing Director Ekkist Charlotte Laing, Head of Marketing at Metrikus and Co-founder at Smart Building Bootcamp Brad Koerner, VP Product & Innovation MgtVP Product & Innovation Mgt at LUXTECH LED Modules Key Insights From This Episode:  Before you invest in digitising your estate, you need to educate yourself. - Michael Digitising your building can't happen overnight, it's a journey. - Matthew Hiring managers should think of their teams as a patchwork that is tied together with all those different experiences, rather than looking for a herd of unicorns, cause you won't find them. - Michael  If we're going to stop the world from warming up, if we're going to reduce energy costs and we're going to improve indoor air quality, you need to make buildings smarter. - Michael People want their buildings to be smart and they want their buildings to react immediately. - Michael Customers are looking for different services, some want indoor air quality, some want energy and water monitoring and some want occupancy and capacity monitoring. - Matthew Since COVID, I have seen the 3 Cs; compliance, coerce and collaboration. First, it was making sure the air quality was suitable, then it was how can we get people back into the office and finally it has been about collaboration. - Matthew  To get people back to the office, the obvious answer is to deploy the right smart building technology in order to prove and adapt to all the things that are going on. - Matthew About Our Guests: Matthew Marson, Co-Founder of Smart Building BootcampMatthew Marson is the Global Technology Sector Director at a large consultancy firm and the co-founder of the recently launched Smart Building Bootcamp. Having founded WSP's Smart Places practice and grown Accenture's offering in this field, Matthew now leads a €100m business across a range of asset types and geographies. Marson was named as the Royal Academy of Engineering's Young Engineer of the Year 2022 and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Young Visionary 2016 for his work in creating The World's Most Connected Building. He now sits on the Institution's Strategy Committee.  As a recognised thought leader, Matthew is a keynote speaker at international industry events related to emerging technology, net-zero design and places at the building and city scales. He was an author in the Encyclopaedia of Sustainable Technologies and a published writer in a variety of journals, earning a doctorate in Smart Buildings. He has recently launched Smart Building Bootcamp in an effort to share his knowledge and bring smart technology leaders together, to educate the real estate industry on how they can benefit from smart buildings. Michael Grant, COO & Co-Founder at Metrikus and Co-Founder at Smart Building Bootcamp Michael Grant is the co-founder and COO of Metrikus, and co-founder of recently launched Smart Building Bootcamp. Michael is an operations, strategy and management professional with over 20 years in the technology sector. Specialising in technology, software, IoT, ESG and cloud, Michael has over 10 years' experience working at Senior Management and C-Level and has dealt with large teams to deliver solutions with exceptional service – clients include those from banking, commercial real estate and IT sectors. Smart Building Bootcamp Smart Building Bootcamp makes smart simple. The smart building industry is overwhelmingly complicated. There are hundreds of vendors all saying the same thing while at the same time all claiming they do smart ‘differently'. We exist to equip you with the skills you need to interpret technical jargon. With our online on-demand courses, you'll be a smart building expert in no time. About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [02:00] Matthew: Can you elaborate on your career journey? I trained as an architect and engineer and started off working at a bank. I then went on to Accenture in the sustainability team where we were looking for ways in which we could reduce energy consumption for our clients. After that, I went to WSP to set up their smart places practice. [03:35] Matthew: How did you meet Michael?  A chance meeting at an industry event.  [04:20] Michael: Can you talk us through your career journey?  I am a sparky (electrician) by trade, I then went into engineering and then IT.  I was never in real estate until I got brought into the previous company and then I did a buyout with Metrikus Ltd, 3 years ago.  AirRated sprung out of Metrikus and is now run as a separate business.  [07:55] Matthew: Can you talk us through Smart Building Bootcamp's key modules?  There are 15 modules and we have arranged them into three tracks of five.  Track 1: Trends Track 2: Physical Track 3: Digital  [09:40] Matthew: Give us an example of some jargon which you teach.  Different types of databases. What's a server?  How different systems come together.  [11:10] Michael: Who are the main people taking this course? Quite a wide mix, people from real estate, investment bankers, heads of operations, surveyors, heads of workplaces or heads of facilitates.   [16:45] Matthew: Coming out of COVID what are your customers looking for and what are they wanting from your product? It depends on the customer and what they want.    Before COVID, 95% of our customers were tenants/occupiers and now it is almost 50/50. We have more landlords than we have ever worked with before.  Some customers want indoor air quality, some want energy and water monitoring and some want occupancy and capacity monitoring. Michael: The 3 Cs: compliance, coerce and collaboration.  [22:00] Matthew: What skills do you look for when hiring people, and where do you see the talent coming from?  Having a good combination of software, some built environment experience, good problem solvers and technically minded. I'm looking for more to do with curiosity and interest and the right attitude. [24:45] Michael: What skills do you look for when hiring people, and where do you see the talent coming from?  We only have 1 hire that came from the real estate industry (building management systems). It is really difficult to find people. I don't think people need to come from the real estate industry as long as they are smart and they understand what it is you are trying to do.  [28:45] Why are you both passionate about making buildings smart? Matthew: Growing up, I wanted to be an architect and I was inspired by throwing away ornamentation and antiquity and using the technologies of the time. Now I see this as a new architecture kind that will fundamentally change how we manage our space. Michael: I didn't come from this space, I came from a place where state of the art and cutting edge were everything you wanted but with the real estate industry, it's like going back in time. Michael: If we're going to stop the world from warming up, if we're going to reduce energy costs and if we're going to improve indoor air quality, you need to make buildings smarter.  [33:20] What are the major trends you've seen and do you have any expectations in the smart building industry? Matthew:  We are seeing a rationalisation in the number of companies that offer sensors and  we will see an upsurge in more master systems integrators.  Matthew: On the professional services side, we will probably run out of opportunities to do use-case playbooks and the customers will become much more sophisticated in setting the agenda of what they want to do around intelligent procurement decisions. Michael: A lot of drivers are if the government's going to give me a huge tax rebate or pay for 50% of me digitising my building and help make it more efficient then I'm going to do it. [40:40] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Matthew: When you're designing a system, know the difference between cool and creepy.  Michael: You need to deliver what you say you're going to deliver in this space. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Matthew: Brad Koerner, Presentation at Integrated Systems Europe Michael: Charlotte Laing R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech? Matthew: Creation of a new architecture 2.0 and the difference it will make to the built environment. Michael: Feedback from customers that say we've genuinely helped them.  E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Michael: Smart Building Bootcamps Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@apodcastcompany.com 

Summary: Louisa is joined by Jeff Allen, President of CubiCasa and Nikki Rinkus, Field Staff Appraiser at Clario Appraisal Network for the 6th episode of season 9 of The Propcast. The discussion kicks off with a description of CubiCasa's product, what it provides, and how it speeds up floorplan and appraisal processes. Louisa, Jeff, and Nikki chat about the trend of tech adoption and digitization in the industry and how CubiCasa has a strong foothold in 142 different countries. Jeff explains how their company differentiates itself from competitors and describes the PropTech scene in Finland. One of the main takeaways in this episode is that technology isn't eliminating any jobs, it's creating more efficiencies.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: JRL Property Group CBRE  Apprao bowery Shout Outs: Jarmo Lumpus, Director Global Business Development at CubiCasa Key Insights From This Episode:  You can go completely digital, I walk into an appraisal inspection with just my phone, no pad of paper, just the phone and it does everything. - Nikki Technology isn't eliminating any jobs, it's creating more efficiencies. - Jeff Appraisers are naturally a sceptical bunch, we want to check and double-check everything so we are slow to adopt new technology. - Nikki PropTech touches something universal and is important to everybody in the world. - Jeff About Our Guests: Jeff Allen, President of CubiCasa   Jeff Allen serves as President of CubiCasa where he leads the company's overall strategy to digitize property data collection and unlock actionable data insights for homeowners and mortgage professionals alike. In addition, Jeff serves as Executive Vice President, Innovation Labs for Clear Capital, the real estate valuation technology company that acquired CubiCasa in 2021. In this capacity, Jeff spearheads Clear Capital's in-house innovation hub, which focuses on the research, testing, and development of new products and solutions. Jeff has held a wide range of leadership roles throughout his career, including Vice President of Operations at CoreLogic, Chief Operating Officer at Rels, Director of Research Services at 10k Researching and Marketing, as well as Research Manager at Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®.    About CubiCasa CubiCasa is a PropTech company focused on providing value for real estate professionals through the digitization of properties. Headquartered in Oulu, Finland, CubiCasa is the global market leader in mobile indoor scanning and is known for its fast and easy-to-use floor plan app on the App Store and Google Play Store. CubiCasa's technology is used in 144 different countries and has helped create over 1 million floor plans to date. CubiCasa provides technology for the real estate, appraisal, and mortgage industries and is on a mission to digitise real estate.   Nikki Rinkus: Nikki Rinkus has been appraising real estate in the Chicagoland market for 30 years and also holds her sales broker license. Over those 30 years, she has experienced unprecedented technological shifts in both arenas and has always been an early adapter. Some of her most interesting side jobs over the years include international courier and DJ.    About Clario Appraisal Network Clario Appraisal Network is a full-service residential real estate appraisal firm. Composed of highly-experienced appraisers, we provide the highest quality services across the nation. We specialise in real estate valuations for the mortgage lending and financial services industries.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [03:20] Jeff: Can you talk us through your journey to the PropTech space in CubiCasa?  I've been involved in either real estate or mortgage appraisal, for my entire career.  Before I came to CubiCasa, I was running the R&D Innovation Lab at Clear Capital. We were trying to find something that would enable anyone to collect accurate property data and floor plan measurements without any training and we found CubiCasa and made the acquisition.  It's something that enables anybody with a smartphone to do a five-minute walk-through scan of a property, and then receive back accurate and detailed floor plans.  [05:25] Nikki: How did you meet Jeff?  I had a long road to Clario, but about six years ago, I started working there and they are a subsidiary of Clear Capital and Jeff recruited me for one of his pilot programs.  Before CubiCasa we had an app that allowed us to walk through a property to get data points and someone at Clear Capital sent back information.  CubiCasa saves a lot of time for the appraiser so we could focus more on the valuation part and less on the data entry part.  [06:45] Jeff: Can you go into a bit more detail about CubiCasa's product? The product works on a smartphone, a user can download the app and use it without training.  You just walk through the property room by room, pointing your smartphone down, where the walls meet the floor then the data that's collected and captured is processed through our computer vision and proprietary. Ultimately then it is reviewed by a human to make sure that we produce an accurate end floorplan result and then delivered back to the user.  Floor plan in a lot of different versions and property data as well, bed and bath counts and square footage.  [08:40] Nikki: How long would it usually take to do something like that without CubiCasa? It varies between ranch style or cottage style houses at one level, rectangular properties, complex properties and multi-story properties.  Overall it can cut it by ¾ of the time and accuracy is much better.   [11:15] Jeff: CubiCasa is in over 142 countries, what trends have you seen in terms of tech adoption and are there any countries you are looking to launch in? What's cool about CubiCasa is that the technology scales to different use cases and many different geographies. It's really a general-purpose technology that fits a lot of different use cases so it has organically grown. [14:00] Jeff: The debate that is going on is that tech is taking away people's jobs but CubiCasa helps people do their job as well as create new ones, would you say so?  Technology isn't eliminating any jobs, it's creating more efficiencies.   A lot of people spend a lot of time drawing floor plans and it is easy to get it wrong when doing it by hand.  [15:00] Nikki: What are you seeing in terms of people being hesitant to adopt new methods?  With a lot of appraisers, there's a level of trust involved and appraisers are slow to come to it. What I would say to appraisers is; “Do you want to go back to the cut and paste era of appraisals?” [17:55] Jeff: How does CubiCasa differentiate itself from its competitors in an ever-growing market? The major things that set us apart are ease of capture, and getting the data and information.  The most common way to get floor plans for people is either to hand draw or a virtual tour and you're going to be scanning the house with special hardware, it's going to take you an hour and you're going to need specialised training. It's not scalable or democratising. With our product, all you need is a smartphone and you are doing a 5-minute scan with no training. [21:15] Jeff: Could you tell the audience more about the Finland technology ecosystem?  Before finding CubiCasa, I didn't know there was a PropTech scene in Finland.  There is a huge pipeline of talent and great technical talent coming out of the universities.  The Finnish PropTech scene is growing pretty significantly. [22:40] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Nikki: Just be adaptable. Jeff: Be nice to people and good things will happen, M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Nikki: CubiCasa Jeff: Nikki for testing out crazy stuff for us. R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech? Nikki: Just being able to use the technology in the appraisal space and see how it's made the process more reliable and streamlined. Jeff:  PropTech touches something universal and important to everybody in the world.   E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Nikki: To see the appraisal forms go from the static format that we've had for the last 19 years to a more logic-based cloud environment. Jeff: AI and computer vision are already making an impact, but it's just getting started.  Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: Louisa is joined by Jessica Beck, Co-Founder and COO of Alfred and Marcela Sapone, CEO and Co-Founder of Alfred for the 5th episode of season 9. During this episode, they discuss how building management platforms are changing the way we live. Taking a deeper dive into how Alfred came about and in which city it all began, they also touch on what the product is, what trends they are seeing, and why Alfred acquired a property management company. They wrap up this riveting chat by talking about their journey as female founders and what is next for Alfred. The value bomb from this episode is, “Once you build an asset, you need someone to manage that asset.” Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: The Peloton Brookfield Properties Hines Related  RXR  Jamestown Greystar  Shout Outs:   John Fagan, Co-founder & CEO at doorkee   Key Insights From This Episode:  The people who were able to make it all work had one thing in common: they got really comfortable with asking for help as well as comfortable with the idea of a team backing them up. - Marcela  ​Once you build an asset, you need someone to manage that asset. - Marcela   Real estate has been very resistant towards tech enablement. - Marcela My advice to founders would be; it does take time but if you build a relationship and you go building by building, one building to ten buildings, you not only build a great relationship, but you actually get to build a great product and you get to learn and work with your customers to bring something to market. - Jessica We learned that in this space, there's so much fragmentation; there's fragmentation on the technology side, on the services side and on the operator side. - Jessica About Our Guests: Jessica Beck, Co-Founder and COO at Alfred  Jessica Beck is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Alfred. Beck leads Alfred's day-to-day operations and under her direction, Alfred has grown to be a leader in hospitality, successfully rolling out a national resident experience and building management platform with hundreds of thousands of units managed.  In an effort to expand Alfred's footprint, Beck has negotiated and developed partnerships with some of the country's largest real estate developers, expanding Alfred to 44 major cities across the country.  Along with Alfred's Co-Founder, Marcela Sapone, Beck supports founders who want to live more consciously through WHITESPACE Ventures, a seed investment firm focused on design-led tech for better business.  From SXSW to the Sante Fe Institute's Annual Business Network & Board of Trustees Symposium, Jess speaks regularly on entrepreneurship and building scalable solutions in the sharing economy. Beck holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in economics from Williams College, where she was captain of the women's rugby team and graduated cum laude. Marcela Sapone, Co-Founder and CEO of Alfred  Marcela Sapone is the CEO and Co-Founder of Alfred. Sapone launched Alfred with a mission to make help a universal utility in every home. Since 2014, under Sapone's leadership, Alfred has expanded to serve more than 135,000 residents in 44 cities across the United States and Canada, and has been named as Fast Company's Top 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2018, 2019, and 2020.  As one of the first leaders in the sharing economy to advocate for fair compensation of service workers, Sapone adopted the company-wide policy of hiring all Alfred staff as W2 employees. Sapone has worked with the U.S. Department of Labor and the White House under the administration of President Barack Obama, as well as The Brookings Institute and The Aspen Institute's Economic Opportunities and Financial Security Program, to advance these efforts of economic security for the future of employment. Along with Alfred's Co-Founder, Jess Beck, Sapone supports founders who want to live more consciously through WHITESPACE Ventures, a seed investment firm focused on design-led tech for better business.  Named one of Goldman Sachs's “most intriguing entrepreneurs,” Sapone writes and speaks frequently on principled leadership, human-centered technology, and her commitment to being a steward of good jobs and meaningful change. Her writing has appeared in Forbes, Quartz, and Recode, among other highly reputable publications. She has been included in Fast Company's Most Creative People list, featured as the face of Consumer Tech in Forbes 30 Under 30, and was also a winner of Connect Media's Women in Real Estate Award in 2021. Sapone serves on the Norwalk Zoning Commission, where she supports initiatives and creates opportunities for urban development and growth. Sapone earned her BA from Boston University and holds an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.  Alfred  Operating at the intersection of real estate and technology, Alfred is the leading resident experience building management platform that is changing the way we live. Founded in 2014 by Marcela Sapone and Jessica Beck, Alfred's mission is clear: to create an industry shift in real estate, transforming renters into residents and apartment properties into neighbourhoods. Named by Fast Company as one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World, Alfred has been recognized as a leader in the on-demand and in-home economy, investing in the local ecosystems and neighbourhood businesses that give meaning to our communities. Alfred to date operates in over 135,000 residential units in 44 markets across the U.S. and Canada through strategic partnerships with international real-estate operators, such as Brookfield, Hines, Related, RXR, Greystar and Jamestown. To learn more, visit www.helloalfred.com. About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [02:10] Marcela: How did Alfred come about and how did you meet?  I went to Harvard Business School and ended up sitting next to Jessica, we were both working 90-100 hour weeks.  Our objective, both as individuals and personally, was to figure out if it would be possible to start our own adventure, build our own business and to find a co-founder.  Our question was, “How can we enable women to stay in the workforce longer?”  Our solution was, “Could we create a business that would put groceries in your fridge, dry-cleaning your closet, packages on your counter and have everything you ever needed at the tap of the button. And could that be included in our rent?”  [05:40] Jessica: In which city did this all begin?  We were one of the few consumer companies that originated in Boston as we were still students.  We opened our next market in New York. We have scaled to Canada and now we are in 52 cities.  [07:25] Marcela: Can you tell us more about the product?  We focus on the largest category and asset class in the world, which is housing and we are making it digital.  We take technology and we take a resident first, very consumer perspective and we are disrupting the way that traditional property management happens in multifamily and single family build-to-rent communities. At your fingertips is an application that allows you to buy services, to pay your rent, to book amenities, to book the Peloton, to book the workspace, to complain about something going wrong in your apartment and to request your packages to be delivered to your front door. [10:05] Jessica: How did you go about bringing on your first massive client? Our approach in working with the industry and gaining our first customers was really one of partnering. Our first big customer was Related Rentals.  My advice to founders would be; it does take time but if you build a relationship and you go building by building one building to ten buildings, you not only build a great relationship, but you actually get to build a great product and you get to learn and work with your customers to bring something to market. We always took a partnership oriented, consultative approach.  [12:05] Marcela: What are the major trends you have seen between Boston or New York in terms of what a resident is looking for. In Boston and New York, one of our biggest categories in the service marketplace in terms of time-saving service, was dry cleaning. But in San Francisco, you have absolutely no dry cleaning, and in Texas pet care was our largest category. In the last three to five years while we've been building the business, there's been a tremendous amount of change in the industry. [15:10] Jessica: What was the reasoning behind acquiring a property management company?  One of the things that we learned along the journey is if you really want to change how people live and you want to do it past the front door of their home, you need to be much more connected than you would guess. We realised in order to really deliver the product, we had to become much more integrated into building operations to create an end to end user experience and to deliver on top of that platform, you need to have a consolidation. We learned that in this space, there's so much fragmentation.  [21:15] Jessica: How long on average does a resident stay in an apartment? The average in the US, for annual churn in a property is about 45 - 50% a year and as a consumer business that means there is a lot of opportunity. What we've found is when you put a community in a building and residents start to participate and their lifestyle starts to get automated they end up staying longer.  In properties where we've been operating for some time, we've increased the  renewal rates for our partners by 5-10%.  [24:25] Marcela: Any advice you can give to other female founders? We try to ignore the fact that we're female founders, we would never do female only panels or raise and go out and say, “Female led companies raising X amount.” Focus on the business and the fundamentals of the business.  Have an extreme level of patience and a level of acceptance. Jessica: Being a founder is hard so find a good support system.  [27:55] Marcela/Jessica: How do you support your growing team as well as retain employees?  All of us on the planet are at a point where we're taking a big step back to evaluate our choices. There's been a reshuffling of where people are putting their energy and the careers they want to be in. One thing that is extremely clear is that connecting back to your mission and having an incredibly clear set of values as well as being as radically transparent.  Being empathetic and personal with each member of your team and understanding their goals.  [31:40] Marcela: What is next for Alfred?  Slowly and steadily continually leading the category forward to become the leading brand in residential real estate as well as work with our stakeholders to move the industry forward.  Continuing to add value to all of our customers [34:15] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Marcela: First things first and one line to do lists.  Jessica:  When you're a founder, you're kind of the captain of a ship and you see calm seas and stormy seas but you are always in both.  M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Marcela: John Fagan, Co-founder & CEO at doorkee. Jessica: Our whole team. R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech? Marcela:  We're taking things from a piece of paper and turning them into something that you can engage with and interact with.  Jessica: Echo what Marcela said.  E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Marcela:  Getting through 2022 and 2023 and being able to reflect back and be proud of making it through a pretty challenging market with lots of ups and downs and twists. Jessica: Keep pushing the envelope in the industry.  [36:05] Jessica: Are there any plans to come to Europe?  100% Yes Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: On the 4th episode of season 9, Louisa is joined by Timothy Cocaro, CEO and Founder of canibuild and Simon Curtis, Chief Operating Officer at G.J. Gardner Homes. They discuss the story behind canibuild and how its product is revolutionising compliance, design and sales in the construction world. Simon shares how G.J. Gardner Homes is using canibuild's product. They chat about what major trends can be seen in the ConTech industry and what is upcoming for canibuild. The key insight in this episode is that in ConTech, the one thing you don't want to do is to lose the human touch by detaching from your customer. Instead, you need to bring the customer along on the journey.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: Procore OpenSpace Bridgit Trimble HazardCo Open Data Australia Digital Twinning Shout Outs: Shuvajeet Nag, Co-Founder of canibuild Deepankur Malhotra, Co-Founder of canibuild Stella Cocaro, Co-Founder of canibuild Key Insights From This Episode:  With ConTech, the one thing you don't want to do is detach from your customer. - Simon Clients are reaching a point where they're seeing construction similar to buying something on Amazon. They want answers quickly and they want transparency. - Timothy Customers have a huge thirst for knowledge. - Simon Keywords: Construction, ConTech, technology, built environment About Our Guests: Timothy Cocaro, CEO/Founder of canibuild Timothy Cocaro possesses the unlikely mix of being both a builder by trade and a holder of a computer science degree.  Timothy's tenure as Founder and CEO of Australia's leading Granny Flat company, provided the necessary insight to see and, more importantly, understand the pain points of the construction industry.   This led Timothy to put his degree in computer science to use by creating a modern solution, that genuinely aligns with the needs of the construction industry.  In 2019, Timothy hung up his hard hat when he became Founder and CEO of canibuild, a world-first, hypergrowth Prop Tech that is transforming the construction landscape.   canibuild was developed to be the solution to the many root problems in the construction industry with its AI engine allowing home, pool, granny flat & other builders to instantly check site feasibility, site costs, generate site plans & produce quotes with just a click.  canibuild has gained unprecedented traction across the construction industry since its inception, with thousands of searches on the platform every day. canibuild has re-energised the industry by providing its subscribers the ability to be hyper-efficient at a time when the market is booming.  canibuild  canibuild allows builders to replace the need for physical site visits, drafting, surveying, estimating and instead optimising this complex series of high friction steps into an instant point of transaction. canibuild clients can now go from seeing a project site virtually with a client to contract instantly. This not only allows builders to be more efficient but also covers a much wider area geographically which is a game-changer in an industry that is so fragmented. Simon Curtis, Chief Operating Officer at G.J. Gardner Homes Simon Curtis is the Chief Operating Officer of G.J. Gardner Homes NSW/ACT and WA and is responsible for the brand's operation in these states. Leading a Head Office team, Simon's primary responsibilities are: To advise and support franchise partners within all areas of their business  To work with the State Marketing Manager on State and Local Area marketing activities To drive franchise growth of GJ Gardner Homes in NSW/ACT and WA  To provide training to the group in all areas of their business  To ensure the group continues to have the support, tools and resources necessary for growth With more than 20 years of experience at some of Australia's largest property companies under his belt, Simon has proven that he is a strong leader and clear communicator who possesses the ability to motivate, mentor and inspire others. Simon holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Queensland and a Master of Project Management from the University of Southern Queensland. G.J Gardner Homes   G.J. Gardner Homes is a custom home building company. They have built over 36,000 quality, customised homes over the past 37 years and continue to grow on the back of a single premise - ensuring every customer would refer them to their closest friend. Throughout the building of a new home, they are dedicated to the highest standard of workmanship. Each of their qualified builders and preferred subcontractors have been selected for their individual standards of expertise and their commitment to excellence. From humble beginnings in 1983 in Queensland as an independent building firm owned by Greg Gardner, G.J. Gardner Homes quickly grew to 8 regional offices, building as many as 1,000 custom homes a year. G.J. Gardner Homes quickly established a reputation for building great value, quality homes. Due to popular demand, Greg decided to franchise the business and almost immediately became one of Queensland's largest privately owned building companies. Fast forward to today, G.J. Gardner Homes has become a household name throughout Australia, New Zealand and the USA. With over 120 franchisees operating throughout the world, supported by multiple global offices, G.J. Gardner Homes continues to build a reputation for reliability and for being a company our customers can trust. About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [02:45] Timothy: Can you talk us through your journey to founding canibuild? I have a background in computer science and in the .com crash, I moved over to construction where I spent a few years developing a construction company that focused in the granny flat industry.  During my boots on the ground experience, I tried to see how technology can better improve construction and one aspect is how construction is sold.  We have been developing our application for 6 years and we went to market 2 years ago.   [05:45] Timothy: Can you elaborate a bit more about your product? Client facing sales application tool for construction companies that condenses all the steps involved in construction into a single transaction.  It does all the compliance and visually shows how that build looks on that block of land, it also takes into account factors such as contours so all parties can visually see what's happening. [08:25] Simon: Can you talk us through your role when it comes down to innovation technology and how you came across Tim's business, canibuild?  We're a residential builder, building mainly for mum and dads, but more importantly, we're a franchised business. canibuild technology came to us from one of our salespeople - a client walked into the office and had a print out of an outcome of what this tech does and in a short space of time, we adopted the technology. [11:15] Timothy: How much time does this save?  You have to imagine that a sales consultant needs to answer quite a few questions that might presumably look easy.  The back and forth process might take weeks but canibuild collapses all of those down to potentially the same day. [13:45] Simon: This product must allow you to retain buyers and not let them go to competitors, can you elaborate?  The one thing you don't want to do is detach from your customer but rather demonstrate knowledge.  This allows us to show the customer in real time and keep the conversation going without detaching. [16:15] Simon: How have you gone about upskilling your 80-90 consultants?  We brought this technology in early in 2020, nicely coinciding with the lockdowns so we trained all of our team remotely and in one session. Our house designs are preloaded onto the software. We had a sales conference at some point, which Tim presented.   [17:35] Simon: Have you seen an increase in sales or customers?  The market over the last 18 months has been incredibly buoyant so it is difficult to judge.  We can have a look at how the performance is and we can have a look at the uptake. We can also see if it is utilising the software or not. The feedback from the new hands consultants has been overwhelmingly positive.  [18:50] Simon: When did you start looking at your innovation strategy? Was it pre- or post-COVID? The brand has always operated off its own software and in 2019 there was a redesign of the software to move to a cloud based system and that encompasses all aspects that we need to run these businesses. We use 2 external pieces of technology, canibuild and HazardCo.  [20:25] Timothy: What is next for the growth and development of your product? Continue expanding on the features of the system to be able to better help our clients. We are releasing a 3D component as well as doing  site costs automatically. There are marketplace opportunities like bushfire reports and engineer reports and even architectural reports, particularly in the pool industry.  We are expanding our footprint in the United States. [22:00] Both: Are there any major trends which you can pick out across construction and what are you forecasting for the next couple of years? Timothy: Builders have started to adopt technology in ways that they haven't, prior to COVID. Simon: Customers have a thirst for knowledge, so when they are walking through a display home for the first time, they know a lot about us.  Simon: We need to bring customers along for the journey, especially in construction.  [27:00] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Timothy: Start early, get your hands dirty and build a business that doesn't scale, you can worry about the scaling later. Simon: Self-belief and never stop learning.  M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Timothy: All our current clients.  Simon: Tim and his team.  R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech? Timothy: Nothing more rewarding than seeing a mum, dad and their family move into their home. E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Timothy: Stay positive and keep pushing forward. Simon: All the things I don't know about tech.  Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary:  On the the 3rd episode of Season 9 of The Propcast, Louisa is joined by Jonathan Hannam, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Taronga Ventures and Joanna Marsh, GM Innovation & Advanced Analytics at Investa Property Group. They chat about their journeys towards a built environment and innovation space, with a focus on what can be done to bridge the gap between technologists and real estate institutions and corporates.  The discussion zeroes in on how companies can improve diversity and ultimately speed up transformation as well as ESG technologies in the industry. The key understanding from this episode is that there is an incredible opportunity to be in between the real estate world and the emerging technology companies.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: SPACECUBE Taronga Ventures  Shout Outs: William Cosby, Ex Omnia  Key Insights From This Episode:  There is this incredible opportunity to be in between the real estate world and the emerging technology companies. - Jonathan There is a much greater focus on using ESG to actually deliver real outcomes. - Jonathan Historically in real estate, the industry has been extremely opaque. - Joanna For the last 12 months, every investor and every discussion has been about ESG. - Jonathan One of the trends in real estate has been the move from the point solutions to something that is more of a holistic ecosystem as well as the blending of the technologies together. - Joanna We build better products and better businesses with diverse thoughts. - Joanna Globally, the real estate sector isn't greatly diverse especially at the senior leadership level. - Jonathan We tell founders that, “Your business will be more attractive to us from a capital perspective, if you can demonstrate that you've got diversity of leadership.” - Jonathan In 2019, 2.8% of funding went to women-led startups and in 2020, that fell to 2.3%. - Louisa  Keywords: Technology, ESG, Diversity, Real Estate, Proptech  About Our Guests: Jonathan Hannam, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Taronga Ventures  Jonathan is a global citizen, having held senior executive and board roles across Asia and Europe in real estate, venture capital, technology, and infrastructure-related investments. In 2015, Jonathan jointly founded Taronga Ventures, Asia's leading technology and innovation investor focused on the real estate sector and the wider built environment. His vision is to bridge the gap between real estate institutions and corporates, and the emerging technology companies that are now targeting the real estate sector. Through Taronga Ventures, Jonathan's focus is on real estate technology (RealTech) investments that drive real and measurable impact across ESG, including carbon reduction, renewable energy, sustainability, and health & safety. Prior to Taronga Ventures, Jonathan has also held executive roles at Mirvac, as a Director at AREIM in Sweden and as the Portfolio Manager Asia for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) during a period when ADIA completed more than 40 transactions across Asia.  In other roles, Jonathan has lived and worked in China, the Philippines and Singapore with Savills, and was also the Managing Director South East Asia based in Singapore for ING Real Estate. Jonathan attended the INSEAD AMP course in Singapore & Abu Dhabi in 2015-2016. He holds an MBA from the University of South Australia, a Bachelor of Planning & Design and a Bachelor of Town & Regional Planning from the University of Melbourne. He also completed postgraduate studies at Tsinghua University and is fluent in Mandarin and Swedish.  About Taronga Ventures  Taronga Ventures is Asia's leading technology and innovation investor focused on the real estate sector and the wider built environment. The group consists of the RealTech Ventures Fund, the RealTechX innovation program and Taronga Advisory and has offices in Singapore and Australia. The Fund is backed by global institutional investors and major real estate owners including APG, Ivanhoé Cambridge, CBRE Inc., PGIM Real Estate, Mitsubishi Corporation, Nomura Real Estate, Patrizia AG, Dexus, Vicinity Centres, amongst others. The Fund invests into scalable technology and innovation that enhances or challenges the traditional real estate and infrastructure sectors. Taronga Ventures is focused on investing in strategic opportunities and providing its institutional partners first mover advantage, whilst maintaining a focus on creating a better built environment, through sustainable and responsible investment practices. Recognising that climate change is the biggest global challenge we all face, Taronga Ventures has been independently certified as being 100% carbon neutral. Joanna Marsh, GM Innovation & Advanced Analytics at Investa Property Group Joanna is a leader with 15+ years of Australian & International property experience, across office, industrial and residential sectors. Currently, she is GM of Innovation & Advanced Analytics at Investa and is disrupting the property markets globally though data & AI/ML analytics. Over her career, she has transformed big property companies and small ones. Grown property businesses through acquisitions, financing and leasing. Sold down assets and restructured portfolios. Created property management & tenant service businesses. Built technology platforms with corresponding systems, processes and people. Prior to Investa, she led Transformation & Innovation in Property at Lendlease, and Strategy & Strategic Operations at Dexus.  Joanna studied Neuroscience at Harvard University, Design Thinking at Stanford and has a variety of AI/ML and data nanodegrees; as well as attending the entrepreneurial school of hard knocks. About Investa   Investa is a commercial real estate management and development service provider in the Australian office sector. With more than $11 billion in assets under management, we maximise the value of Australian workplaces for our tenants, investors and the community through our office management expertise and by consistently delivering a superior customer experience, while remaining in industry leader in sustainable building management and responsible property investment.t. About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [02:20] Jonathan: Talk us through your career and tell us how you ended up at Taronga Ventures? My career started in China, I did my post-grad at a Chinese University and I started doing Urban Planning and from there I stumbled into real estate working for a Singaporean firm in China (one the first VC funds in that markert).  After working in VC, I started at Savills and I have now been in real estate for the last 25 years.  I then worked for Abu Dhabi Investment Authority before moving on to ING Real Estate Finance and most recently Mirvac. [04:30] Joanna: Can you tell us about your 15 years in real estate?  I started at Harvard studying neuroscience. Investment banks, consulting companies and banks love Ivy league kids with science degrees so I went to work at KeyBank Real Estate Capital where we did the structural and financial side of real estate.   I decided I wanted to be an entrepreneur and started a small fund where we bought multifamily assets, refurbished them and started a property management company to do that.  I arrived in Australia at 30, with a failed business and a banking career so I started working on strategy at DEXUS Property Group.  I was more interested in the cutting edge and at Lendlease I was doing transformation and innovation, moving further up the R and D curve. [07:20] Joanna: What are investors honing in on when it comes to innovation?  We have a broad innovation strategy. Advanced analytics and data underpins all of it.  One of the ways of innovating is to take on startups and scaleups and integrate new technologies.  Data and analytics sit under everything that we do.  [09:20] Jonathan: You are currently running an ESG impact program, can you talk us through the program and the mission of it?  We needed to have both the fund and a growth program.  The ESG program is for select high calibre quality companies We needed to move up to the scalable businesses who already had customers and they had some level of traction because the real estate world actually couldn't deal with startups.  It is an ecosystem builder.  [13:00] Joanna: With ESG, it is difficult to get good data from it as well as finding technology to support it. What is your take on this?  Historically in real estate, the industry has been extremely opaque. There's been huge information asymmetry and that's resulted in a massive lack of transparency.  The information asymmetries are breaking down and what's happening is we're starting to be able to abstract data from other industries and from other data sets in order to back solve and fill in data that the real estate industry either doesn't have or is not sharing.  The pressure from the investors and the capital regarding ESG is forcing a level of transparency and scrutiny that is going to become akin to financial reporting.   [15:35] On the topic of investment going into the real estate space and ESG, are there any technologies which you guys can share?  For the last 12 months, every investor and every discussion has been about ESG.   In the building management, energy efficiency space, there are a lot of Companies that are targeting that as an area, but we are looking for a more complete solution.  It often isn't a cost, it's actually a benefit and an upside for the corporates that start using this technique [18:30] Joanna: Are there any major trends that you have seen in the real estate space?  The move from the point solutions to something that is more of a holistic ecosystem as well as the blending of the technologies together. Some technologies simplify a part of something but causes so much extra exhaustion. [21:25] How do we attract and retain more people into the real estate and data world?  The first thing is to know that it is possible.  In terms of diversity, I think it is about honouring diversity of thought and innovation.  [24:40] Jonathan: What are your thoughts on this, knowing that you are in the hiring process?  What we've tried to do from within our advisory board and from our hiring policy, is to have the most diverse approach hiring that we can have.  When we've looked through the businesses that we are investing in, we often see that it is male founded.   We're doing a lot of work to try to positively fund female founded enterprises.   [29:35] Have you seen any change happening when it comes down to education and exploring technology as a career path? Jonathan: I moved from Australia from Sweden, and in Sweden there is just a different approach. We have systematic issues in Australia when it comes to childcare.  Joanna: I think there is a lack of how to even do this and things like how to raise capital. [32:30] Jonathan: What is next for Taronga?  In the next three months we will be churning through hundreds of deals to work out the partners for the ESG program. [33:25] Joanna: What is exciting that is coming up?  The data, analytics and advanced analytics of ESG and the ecosystem around that.  Giving the power back to the people  where you no longer have to big IT for innovation.  [35:50] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Jonathan: Decision-making in the corporate real estate world takes longer and you need to build your business to be able to withstand that challenge. Joanna: Be really resourceful and find a way. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Jonathan: SPACECUBE Joanna: William Cosby - Ex Omina   R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech? Jonathan: The people Joanna: Partnering E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Joanna: Distilling down to the fundamental set of data points. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: On the 2nd Episode of Season 9, Louisa is joined by Laura Smith, Managing Director at Berkadia and Neda Fields, Director of Product Management at Berkadia to chat about digital transformation within real estate. They discussed how Berkadia went about their own transformation for internal product development and the use of external technologies. They also touched on how to attract a diverse workforce; a key issue during the Great Rehiring that's sweeping the post-pandemic market. During the global Covid outbreak, while everyone else was downsizing, Berkadia's adoption of industry-leading technologies helped them to double their workforce. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews redIQ  Companies Mentioned: Dwight Capital (Love Funding) Arbinger Institute Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Jefferies Financial Group redIQ Shout Outs: Eric Flohr Key Insights From This Episode:  During the pandemic while everyone else was downsizing, we were recalibrating and employee staff sizes had almost doubled. - Laura Job candidates are asking about the culture, what does the business contribute to the community, are there different programs, different intentions, what is the whole progression and what do they offer? - Louisa It is important to have different backgrounds to contribute to innovations. - Neda  Diversity is not just about gender. - Neda Bring your YOU to work. Be yourself, and have that freedom to express yourself as yourself so that you feel comfortable sharing your ideas and contributing to the innovation. - Neda  Give people flexibility, especially if we've learned nothing else from COVID, we all have to learn to embrace change and be flexible with whatever comes our way. - Laura Business is not usual, there's no more normal. Noone knows what the new normal is. - Laura The real estate industry has been an industry that has been reluctant to technology innovation. - Neda Keywords: Technology, PropTech, Women, Data, Digital Transformation About Our Guests: Neda Fields Neda Fields leads cross-functional efforts and teams in the development of data insight and visualisation tools for real estate market research. Berkadia's Data and Analytics tools synthesise property fundamentals, demographics and market intelligence to optimise the evaluation of real estate investments. Neda was selected as one of Real Estate Forum's CRE Tech Influencers in 2021. Neda began her career with KPMG in the Information Risk Management practice where she advised numerous clients on their Information Technology internal control frameworks. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Missouri State University. Laura Smith As Managing Director, Laura Smith is responsible for loan origination of market-rate multifamily, affordable and healthcare properties nationwide. Over the course of her career, she has underwritten approximately $6 billion in FHA, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Wall street conduit transactions. She has originated and closed more than 120 transactions totaling nearly $1 billion. Laura holds a bachelor's degree in political science from West Chester University and in German from the University of Marburg, Germany. In 1992, she received her Masters of Business Administration from American University with a concentration in real estate finance. Berkadia Berkadia, a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Jefferies Financial Group, is a leader in the commercial real estate industry, offering a robust suite of services to our multifamily and commercial property clients. Powered by deep relationships and industry-changing technology, our people sell, finance, and service commercial real estate, providing support for the entire life cycle of our clients' assets. Our unique ownership structure allows us to put our clients' interests first and create a marketplace that delivers a superior experience About Our Host Louisa Dickins Louisa is the co-founder of LMRE, which has rapidly become the market leading global PropTech recruitment platform and search consultancy with operations across North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To promote the industry she is so passionate about, Louisa set up the Global podcast ‘The Propcast' where she hosts and invites guests from the built environment space to join her in conversation about innovation. About LMRE LMRE is globally recognised for leading the way in Real Estate Tech & Innovation talent management. From the outset our vision was to become a global provider of the very best strategic talent to the most innovative organisations in PropTech, ConTech, Smart Buildings, ESG, Sustainability and Strategic Consulting. At LMRE we are fully committed at all times to exceed the expectations of our candidates and clients by providing the very best advice and by unlocking exclusive opportunities across our global network in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Timestamps: [01:10] Laura: Talk us through your journey to Berkadia.  I left Love Funding (Dwight Capital) when the company was bought by a bank and the culture started to change.   The unique culture and technology blew me away when I met with Berkadia's senior management team.   [02:50] Neda: Talk us through your journey to Berkadia and what your role entails.  I joined Berkadia about 9 years ago because we decided to relocate to the Philadelphia area.  I was really impressed with Berkadia's leadership and that is why I joined the company. And the best part is that I have had the opportunity to do several different roles.  I started in compliance then slowly moved into the data and data science group and then evolved into the product team and through that continue to develop the data analytics tools that Berkadia has developed.  [04:20] Neda: Talk us through the digital transformation at Berkadia.  Berkadia is sitting on a lot of data, we service over $350 billion in our servicing portfolio right now as well as over 100 bankers and investment sales advisors.  We have the ability to gather a lot of data from all of the markets across the US and we combine that with other demographics and have built-out a big base for us to build our tools on.  We started to see, how do we bring value with this data and how do we transform our managers directors into advisors, more so than transaction managers.  How do we help our clients make sure that they have the right investment strategies through data-driven analytics? [06:00] Can you give a couple examples of your clients?  Real Estate Investors of all sizes.  Mid-market and institutional investors.  [09:50] Your workforce has doubled, where have you seen the biggest growth at Berkadia? In Berkadia's technology team, we have had exponential growth over the last few years.  Berkadia is a privately held company so when there is any type of downturn, we are able to take advantage and attract good talent to accelerate the company's vision.  [11:15] Can you expand on how Berkadia is engaging with people at different levels in the education system?  We have an employee resource group called Be United, a summer internship program and we are participating in a work-study program.  [13:05] How do you attract people to your teams, what initiatives are working at Berkadia at the moment?  The DIB initiative has launched and it is management's commitment to diversity.   Berkadia's commitment is not just about women but all backgrounds. Bring your YOU to work. Be yourself, and have that freedom to express yourself as yourself so that you feel comfortable sharing your ideas and contributing to the innovation.  We are highlighting individual stories.  Mentoring. [20:25] What products are you working on?  We have a lot of internal data visualisation tools to drive the advice strategy of our producers to help our clients be successful.  We have an external product called redIQ. It is advancing how rent roll statements and operating statements are ingested and analysed.  We have an internal initiative working on tech startups in the real estate industry.   [26:30] What are the different reactions you have seen from your products?  The non-profit, mom and pop oriented are the ones we are trying to get on board.  Larger clients who have portfolios of 20 and more, they get it.  [27:20] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Neda: You have to embrace the change.  Neda: Just go for it, whatever you want to achieve, just act like you are already there. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Laura: Our IT and product development team as well as the senior management team.   R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech? Neda:  Seeing the clients face when they see the technology.  Laura: Watching my team grow.  E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Laura: Continuing to embrace change and working with our technology group.  Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

On the first episode of season 9 of Propcast, Louisa is joined by Michael Bristow, CEO and Co-Founder of CrowdProperty and Faisal Butt, Founder & CEO of Pi Labs. During the episode, they discuss how Pi Labs started, as well as how the PropTech market has changed and grown. Michael shares his journey from investor to founder, and chats about his specialist property development lending platform, CrowdProperty. With their 'property finance by property people' proposition, CrowdProperty and Pi Labs are disrupting property finance for small and medium sized developers who have previously struggled to access the financing they need. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: Spire Ventures OfficeRnD PropTech1 Fifth Wall GREENPASS Okibo  Lantech  Key Insights From This Episode:    We're disrupting property finance for small and medium sized developers, where historically financial services underserved them. - Michael   If you're a B2B SaaS business, it doesn't matter where you are because you can build a globally scalable business. - Faisal  If you can prove one market, you can arguably have the ability to scale in many markets. - Michael Australia has many duopolistic markets which typically drive less aggressive competition between players. - Michael Since there was such a dearth of liquidity for PropTech before, I find that there is more coming in now, but I don't think there is too much. I believe that the market needs to mature and that funding is needed at different stages. - Faisal Retention is what you need to focus on. When you have someone great in your team, you need to look after them because if not, they will go elsewhere. - Michael Keywords: Europe, Technology, Venture Capital, Finance, PropTech, FinTech About Our Guests: Mike Bristow Mike Bristow is the CEO and Co-Founder of CrowdProperty, the UK's leading specialist property development online lending platform. With a background in strategy consultancy advising major corporates and private equity funds on corporate strategy and M&A, Mike has been investing in property since 2002, investing in high potential proptech businesses since 2014 and sits on the Investment Committee of Pi Labs, Europe's first and most prolific venture capital fund investing exclusively in early stage ventures in the proptech vertical, in which he is also an LP. Mike has an MBA from London Business School, is a founding board member of the Innovate Finance 36H Group alongside other leading fintech lending platforms and was named 'Entrepreneur of the Year' at the Midlands Business Awards 2020. About CrowdProperty CrowdProperty is the UK's leading specialist property development online lending platform – a fintech/proptech lending innovator, exceptionally efficiently matching the demand (quality property professionals undertaking quality property projects) and supply (major global financial institutions and private investors) of capital for value-creating property projects. CrowdProperty has built the best SME property development lender in the market, changing the game with a distinct 'property finance by property people' proposition, unlocking the potential of small and medium sized developers to build more homes and drive spend in the UK economy on labour, materials and services.  Small and medium sized property developers and property professionals have been poorly and inefficiently served by traditional funding sources for decades. Actual property development and investment experience lies at the heart of CrowdProperty meaning a hands-on, expertise-led partnership, underpinned by technology for efficiency and deep asset class expertise for effectiveness of lending, increasing the likelihood of success of our customer's projects. CrowdProperty funds property professionals undertaking any sort of property project, structuring the perfect funding product and doing so with greater speed, ease, certainty, transparency and expertise than anyone in the market. As property people providing property finance, we intimately understand market pains and built the business around the needs of small and medium sized property developers.  CrowdProperty has funded over £400,000,000 of property projects and the construction of 2,000 homes. CrowdProperty was recognised as one of the 50 fastest growing tech businesses in the UK (UK #41 and Midlands #1 in the Deloitte Fast50 report) and by the Financial Times as the #132 fastest growing business in Europe. Apply for finance for your property project in just 5 minutes at www.crowdproperty.com/apply View video case studies of projects we've funded at: www.crowdproperty.com/case-studies    Faisal Butt Faisal Butt is CEO and Founder of Pi Labs, a London-based venture capital firm focused on backing companies that are at the forefront of digitalising the real estate and construction sectors. Faisal founded Pi Labs in 2015, after leading the first round of investments in PropTech start-ups Hubble and Trussle as an individual investor. Faisal and his team have built a portfolio of over 60 PropTech companies across the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia, making Pi Labs one of the most active investors in PropTech start-ups globally. Faisal is also the founder of Spire Ventures, a personal investment vehicle with a focus on investment in traditional property services companies. His traditional property investments include POD Management, Beaumont Bailey, and 90 North, a real estate investment manager which has managed $2bn of real estate assets across Europe and the USA. Global proptech venture capital (VC) firm Pi Labs backs the innovators revolutionising the future of physical spaces. Connecting next generation technologists with the real estate world and mentoring forward-thinking founders as they grow and scale their startups, Pi Labs' purpose is to solve the greatest challenges facing the real estate world through technology and create a positive impact on our physical environment for people, businesses and communities. Founded in 2014, London-based Pi Labs invests in early-stage proptech startups which are transforming the future of physical spaces across Europe – where it is the most active proptech VC. Its portfolio companies operate in global markets, including Asia and the US. From pre-seed to Series A and follow-on investments in later funding rounds, Pi Labs has grown its portfolio to more than 60 companies which are shaping the future of our physical spaces, with more than 50% of startups focused on addressing environmental and social issues. About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/ Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community. Timestamps: [02:40] Faisal: Why did you get into this space and how did Pi Labs come about? I started my career in California during the first .com boom and bust.  At 25, I quit the corporate world to join the entrepreneurial world and set up my own tech business. Being a founder led me to segwaying and deciding to do an MBA at Oxford.  In 2009, during the recession caused by real estate, I was looking for investment opportunities and I looked at investments into traditional real estate businesses. In 2013, I wanted to focus on the intersection between real estate and technology.  [05:00] How does Spire Ventures come into all of this?  I made investments before Pi Labs that were in traditional real estate and I decided that if I wanted to continue, I should set up an Investment Management Business - a Fund Management Business-  and separate personal investment from business investment. Pi Labs focuses on PropTech businesses where Spire Ventures focuses on traditional fee-generating businesses.  [05:40] Michael: You are an Investment Committee Member at Pi Labs, what does that mean and can you tell us more about the move you made from being an investor to a founder? My background started in Mechanical Engineering and I went into strategy consulting. I did things in the reverse route. I started as an advisor, went on to be an investor, and then went on to be a founder.  I did my MBA at the London Business School, pre financial crisis.  Since 2002, I have been investing in residential real estate.  Once the investment team has filtered a lot of businesses and they pieced together the investment thesis, they put that to the final approving committee called the “Investment Committee”.  [09:15] Talk us through finding CrowdProperty and the product. We are in full-on growth mode as a profitable FinTech, PropTech business. We fund small to medium sized property developers. We've got a lot of debt capital from major global asset managers; over £400M worth of property projects with over 2000 homes being built.  We have expanded into Australia [11:05] After your third fund raise, is the focus going to remain in Europe?  After our first fund was launched in 2015, we were mostly a UK fund and we had one company in Bulgaria which has turned into a global business. With our second fund, we started investing in the Netherlands, Finland, and throughout Europe and we wanted to focus on businesses that had a global thesis.  Our third fund is our most international fund.  [13:30] How much are you looking to invest?  We can invest anywhere from pre-seed to series A but our sweet spot is anywhere on the seed spectrum.  Checks can be as small as £100,000 to £1 million. This fund has a pretty significant amount of growth capital reserves. [15:00] Michael: Why is Australia the next point of call rather than the US? Most of my consulting career was spent advising businesses on international expansion.  Australia is a smaller market with 24 million in population and they are in the earliest stage of the evolution of FinTech and PropTech.  Australia has many duopolistic markets which typically drive less aggressive competition between players. You can drop in and be quite disruptive. [17:40] Faisal: You've done 25 investments, is there a direction for this fund?  We are quite a dynamic investor.  We are publishing our own research on a number of topics such as sustainability and ESG.  We are interested in robotics and the metaverse.               [20:55] What are the main challenges which are out there for you and other investors? Sifting through the volume and identifying the winners. There is such a dearth of liquidity for PropTech before that now  the market needs to mature.   [23:35] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  L – Touch on the main lessons you have learnt throughout your career. Faisal: Stay focused, be disciplined.  Michael: Focus drives expertise, world-class talent and competitive advantage. M - Please give a mention to anyone / product / service. Michael: Pi Labs R – What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in PropTech? Faisal: Watching businesses grow. Watching a founding team build to scale.  E - What are you excited about in the future of PropTech? Faisal: Deploying this capital into a batch of really exciting high calibre startups. Growing our team.  Michael:  Disrupting property development, finance, and helping more homes get built. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: For the 10th and final episode of Propcast season 8, Louisa is joined by Greg Smithies, Partner and Co-Head of Climate Tech at Fifth Wall and Jonathan Schulhof, co-founder and CEO of FootPrint Coalition Ventures. They talk through their roles and what their funds are doing within the climate and sustainable technology space. They explain the growth and trends that they have seen in the market at the macro and micro level. Finally, they speak about what the future looks like and what we can personally do to reduce our carbon footprint. The key insight from this episode is the simplest thing you can do for the planet is to switch your thermostat down.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned:   Battery Ventures Coldwatt, acquired by Flextronics  Kleiner Perkins GE Conoco Turntide Motors Carbon Cure  Sidewalk Labs  Zero Acre Sealed     Shout Outs: Rob Soni, Executive Chairman, Founder, CEO & Investor Krishna Srinivasan, Founding Partner at LiveOak Venture Partners, Chairman of the Board at DISCO, Chairman of the Board at The Miracle Foundation Stephen M. Ross, Owner of The Related Companies Jeff Blau, CEO at Related Companies  Harvey Spievak, Executive Chairman and Managing Partner, Equinox Group Robert Downey Jr. Key Insights From This Episode:    Looking at climate tech today, the vast majority of them require some level of industrial tech. - Greg     The technologies we're investing in on the climate side are good for the planet, cheaper for the consumer and have higher returns. - Greg We might be in the golden age of climate and impact investing. - Greg We've had a washout of cleantech, 1.0 companies that weren't sustainable without subsidy. - John It is a travesty for the planet that for the last 20 years, the world's best and brightest went through, and spent all of their time doing ad click-through optimization. - Greg When you look at a problem that no one's looked at in the last 200 years, you can come up with some solutions that are cheaper, better and faster. - Greg  People are really looking and examining the food supply and thinking about how we can scale in a way that's compatible with the planet. - John 70% of the world's natural gas is burnt inside buildings for either powering them or heating them. - Greg Keywords: Climate Tech, Sustainable Tech, Future, Climate Change, Sustainability  About Our Guests: Greg Smithies, Partner and Co-Head of Climate Tech at Fifth Wall. Greg is a Partner at Fifth Wall, where he co-leads the Climate Technology Investment team. Prior to joining Fifth Wall, Greg was a Partner at BMW i Ventures where he led the Sustainability investing practice, investing in companies such as Prometheus Fuels, and PureCycle (NASDAQ: ROCH). Before joining BMW i Ventures, Greg led Finance & Operations for both The Boring Company and Neuralink simultaneously. Greg started his investment career at Battery Ventures where he covered early-stage enterprise technology startups, as well as industrial technology buyouts. Successful exits from his work there include Nutanix (NASDAQ: NTNX), AppDynamics (acquired by Cisco Systems, Inc.), and IST (acquired by Scott Brand). Greg was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and currently lives in Oakland, CA. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School where he received a BS in Economics and a BS in Computer Science. Founded in 2016, Fifth Wall, a Certified B Corporation, is the largest venture capital firm focused on technology-driven innovation for the global real estate industry. With approximately $3.0 billion in commitments and capital under management, Fifth Wall connects many of the world's largest owners and operators of real estate with the entrepreneurs who are redefining the future of the Built World. Fifth Wall is backed by a global mix of more than 90 strategic investors from more than 15 countries. Jonathan Schulhof is co-founder and CEO of FootPrint Coalition Ventures, a digital publishing and venture firm he started in partnership with Robert Downey Jr., to back environmentally focused sustainable technologies. FootPrint is a cross-platform digital publisher that features sustainable technology in news and short form video content for social media, and long-form series for streaming networks. FootPrint uses its publishing activity to originate and add value to investments in high growth companies. FootPrint then makes these investments accessible to investors that want to join in our movement through funds and through co-investment syndicates. We invest in areas such as alternative proteins, biodegradable plastics, electric vehicle motors, and energy storage.   Jon has over 20 years of experience investing in clean technology startups.  He was a founder and lead investor in Motivate, which owned and operated Citibike and the other leading North American bike sharing systems (sold to Lyft).  He started Loom Media to finance the rollout of free public electric vehicle charging systems, and other smart city amenities sponsored by corporate media (now part of WPP).  Earlier in his career, Jon created ColdWatt, a high efficiency power 81 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 8HY electronics company (sold to Flextronics); and Glori Energy, a microbially enhanced oil recovery business (IPO).  In addition to his cleantech work, Jon serves as non-executive chairman of GTI Capital Group, a permanent capital investor in India.  Jon started this company while living in New Delhi from 2010 through 2012.  GTI's holdings include Air Works (aviation maintenance), Samhi (hotels), and WebEngage (B2B SaaS tools for ecommerce).  GTI has several prior exits including Brattle Foods (refrigerated logistics, sold to Future Group), National Stock Exchange (sold through secondary trades), Sandhar (autoparts, IPO), and Nova Medical Centers (healthcare services, sold to Apollo).  Jon was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and served on the Board of Northside Center for Early Childhood Development for 10 years.  He is now a mentor at iMentor.  Jon holds a law degree from Stanford, and attended Dartmouth College. About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/ Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community. Timestamps: [02:05] Greg, can you talk us through your journey?  Currently, I co-head the climate investment team at Fifth Wall.  I set up and founded the climate investing team for BMW.  Prior to BMW, I was an Elon Musk world for a number of years. I was head of finance and operations at two of his companies.  I started my investing career at a fund called Battery Ventures. [06:10] John, can you talk us through your journey?  I didn't set out to be a climate tech investor. I have a law degree from Stanford.  I started several companies that were venture-backed, the first was Coldwatt.  I started my first asset management company as an investor in India and set up a permanent capital vehicle for investing.  I partnered with Stephen M. Ross, Jeff Blau and Harvey Spievak and we turned around Citi Bike.   Finally, I set up Footprint Coalition with Robert Downey Jr.  [14:20] Greg, can you talk us through impact investing and how it's going affect our built environment?  Impact investing has historically gotten little bit of a negative connotation to it because in the capital markets people have always said there's real investing and then there is impact investing. A lot of these technologies that people used to think were expensive are now incredibly cheap. [16:50] John, in your 20 years, what major changes have you seen?  We've had a wash out of clean tech, 1.0 companies that weren't sustainable without subsidy. Technology is accelerating, the world looks nothing today, like it did 15 years ago. The talent that has followed the capital that is flooding into this market is truly amazing. [22:30] With technologies such as Carbon Cure and cross-laminated timber, it is expensive for buildings to put into practice and will the cost of these building be higher?  This technology is safer because these things are lighter and they're easier to transport. You need smaller foundations for the buildings and they naturally are able to band with the wind and high-rise buildings.  It's cheaper, it's better for the planets, your buildings go up faster and they weigh less.  We've got to climb up a little bit of a mountain when it comes to training engineers and getting permitting done. [24:50] John, you have experience in alternative proteins, can you expand on that and give an example of a technology in that space?  People are really looking and examining the food supply and thinking about how we can scale in a way that's compatible with the planet. We look for investments in areas where through alternative methods of production, we can create more denser sources of the very things that we need to eat and that are healthier and just better alternatives. Zero Acre Farms ferment in this case, vegetable oil and if you're able to do that you have a much more energy dense way of producing that food without having to go and cut palm forest.  [28:00] Is there something our audience could be looking in to play their part in the future of the built environment?  The simplest thing you can do, inside buildings is turning your thermostat down. What we need is to allow people to voice their opinions and give CEOs and the people who make policy decisions, the power and the space to change how they do business. [30:55] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about;  Lessons learned in your career Greg:  Catch me if you Can and Inventing Anna, these people were to do outstanding things because they had the moxie and the guts to try.  Greg: You fail at a 100% of the things, you don't try. John:  Never underestimate the power of human incentives. Mention a person, product or service Greg: Sealed.com John: My wife Rewarding parts of working in the space: Greg: When you work on anything in climate tech it is quite rewarding inherently because the, technologies you're working on are here to try and save the world. John: I love the community feedback.    What are you most Excited about for the future of the space?: John: I drove a 1968 Volkswagen bus and this one was kitted with a salvaged Tesla engine. Sponsors  Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: On this episode of Propcast, Louisa speaks with Jeanne Casey and Jacinda Lofland from Nuveen Real Estate. They talk about what led them to the innovation, sustainability and technology space at one of the largest real estate investment managers globally. Jeanne and Jacinda explain what works in creating a diverse and inclusive powerful team, and how to avoid the issue of tokenism. They elaborate on needing strategy and investment decisions and how ESG, technology and community play a part in all of it. Lastly, they'll give us some home truths about what they think needs to change in terms of adoption and integration. The key takeaway from this episode is that the crux of the diversity issue is around retaining, promoting and genuinely empowering diverse talent that's already within the organisation. Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: Nuveen Morgan Stanley Cisco Remote Year  PwC Selina Fitwell  Cushman & Wakefield Industrious Office Shout Outs: Zander Geronimos, Head Of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development at MetaProp.vc Abigail Dean, Head of Strategic Insights Nuveen Real Estate Key Insights From This Episode:    In 2021 we saw a 30% increase in ESG consultants and a 26% increase in ESG analysts. We also saw a 20% increase in innovation. - Louisa   The crux of the diversity issue is around retaining, promoting and genuinely empowering diverse talent that's already within the organisation. - Jeanne It's so important that sustainability is not a side job.  - Jacinda There's wide recognition that technology is going to play an outsized role in achieving fairly ambitious net-zero carbon and other sustainability goals. - Jeanne About Our Guests: Jeanne Casey is the Global Head of PropTech and Innovation at Nuveen, and leads investments and insights in PropTech for the firm. Previously, Jeanne was a Principal at MetaProp, a leading PropTech venture capital firm based in New York. Prior to joining MetaProp, Jeanne was a founding team member and Vice President at Digital Alpha where she worked on the launch, fundraising, and deployment of a $300 million growth equity fund focused on digital infrastructure. She has previous experience with Cisco and Morgan Stanley, and holds a MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA with honours from Johns Hopkins University. As Director of Customers & Community, Jacinda Lofland works with Nuveen Real Estate's operating partners to improve customer experience and productivity, engage with customers around ESG initiatives, promote and collaborate with community organisations and local businesses, and to measure, analyse, and act on customer feedback. Jacinda helped develop and roll out Nuveen Real Estate's smart, sustainable building blueprint for various sectors. Prior to Nuveen Real Estate, Jacinda was a Director on the Real Estate team at Selina and prior to that, she led the Finance team at Remote Year. Jacinda has previous experience in real estate equity and debt investments with TIAA, auditing with PwC, and she holds a B.A. in Business Economics from UCLA.  Nuveen Real Estate is one of the largest real estate investment managers in the world with $142 billion of assets under management. Managing a suite of real estate funds and mandates, across both public and private investments, and spanning both debt and equity across diverse geographies and investment styles, we provide access to every aspect of real estate investing. With over 85 years of real estate investing experience and more than 600+ employees located across over 30 cities throughout the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific, the platform offers unparalleled geographic reach, which is married with deep sector expertise.  About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/ Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community. Timestamps: [01:45] Jeanne, how did you get started in this space and your role?  I have been in venture capital for over 10 years. Half of that time I have focussed on PropTech and most recently at MetaProp.  I started my investing career in FinTech at Morgan Stanley in the early 2010s and then I worked at a fund that spun out of Cisco. We were investing in digital infrastructure, including smart cities and IOT and that's what led me to PropTech. [02:55] Jacinda, can you tell us about your journey?  I started out at PwC and I worked mostly on commercial real estate clients.  My first time with Tiaa was back in 2013 and I did commercial mortgage originations as well as equity investments on the West Coast. I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina and was the first finance hire for Remote Year. I worked for Selina for about 10 months after that. After that, I came back to Nuveen where my focus is customers, community and the experience of our end users as well as engaging around ESG.  [06:30] Jeanne, what do you think can be done to attract more diversity to this space? The crux of the issue is around retaining, promoting and genuinely empowering diverse talent that's already within the organisation. [07:20] What is Nuveen doing in terms of their hiring?   Jeanne and I sit on the Insights Team which is led by Abigail Dean and that team includes our research team, sustainability, PropTech, Customers & Communication and Innovation.  [09:40] There is a lot of women leadership at Nuveen, what do you think can be done to increase this? I think it's beyond just attracting and recruiting diverse talent. It is about retaining, promoting and empowering the talent that already sits within an organisation.  Our DEI initiatives are more genuine and actually reflect what our teams look like. [11:45] Jacinda, you are from more of a real estate side, what have you seen in terms of diversity and inclusion?  We're making meaningful progress.  There have been a lot of reports around the benefits of diversity. Implicit bias training has been a really important step for us. It's important to hire outside of the same sets of colleges that might have strong, finance or real estate programs. [19:50] Is there anything more you want to delve into about what you've seen in the more VC (corporate side), or within the startups?  I've seen a lot of genuine improvement over the decade. I've always been at the intersection of finance and technology and both of those are historically very male dominated, very white dominated and a little bit older. I think that's largely, or at least in the process of changing quite a bit. Boardrooms and investment teams look quite a bit different than when I started just 10 years ago. [19:10] Talk us through the focus for 2022. Our tomorrow's world strategy, there are three key things that we focus on; sustainability, technology and demographics.   We have what we call a smart, sustainable building blueprint (SSBB) and there are a number of categories that we think really tied to those three overarching themes; energy, water, waste, resilience, health, and wealth, tenants & community, leasing and data & digitalisation. We want to build on our partnership with Fitwell. We'll be launching a VC strategy in the coming months. The two, overarching themes are;  a data strategy and tools and new technologies that help unlock our own proprietary data across our massive portfolio.  the intersection of sustainability and ESG with PropTech  [27:40] What do you think the industry could do better as a whole to move things forward in terms of adoption/integration? Incentives alignment is an area that is still fairly nebulous. Cascading goals around our own compensation targets that are specifically tied to sustainability and innovation goals.  Rethinking how our buildings work, but also rethinking how we work.    [31:40] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about:   Lessons learned in your career   Jeanne: Throw out for a 5- or 10-year plan.   Mention a person, product or service   Jacinda: Our asset management teams and then the properties that sign up and do pilots. Cushman & Wakefield and Industrious Office   Rewarding parts of working in the space:    Jeanne: I love real estate and PropTech because I love seeing the tangible impacts on the ways that people work, live and spend all of our time.   What are you most Excited about for the future of the space?:     Jacinda:  Data Standardisation and Climate Tech.  Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: In episode 8 of season 8 of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by Benjamin Miller, CEO and Co-Founder and Alison Staloch, CFO of Fundrise. They talk about their journey in PropTech and how they built the Fundrise product to make high-quality real estate investments available to everyone at a low cost. They also discuss the benefits to the everyday user and how they've grown since they launched in 2012. A key takeaway from this episode is that most financial products are built for institutions, so how can we democratise private market real estate for individuals? Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: Blackstone Starwood Capital  Sequoia WHOOP Blueprint  Shout Outs:   Vik Venkatraman   Key Insights From This Episode:    Consumer products are built for people but most financial products are built for institutions. - Benjamin Most people invest in stocks but that is only half of the investment world. The other half is the private investments; venture capital, real estate, private credit and private equity. - Benjamin Good investment performance is usually a long undertaking and the outcome is a result of years of work and many people's contributions. - Benjamin   I dream about disrupting the old-fashioned institutions. If we could tear down the system and rebuild it from scratch, we would all be better off. - Benjamin  Two reasons which have accelerated our ability to find the right team members over the last year are; we've moved to being a remote-first company and we're focused on expanding our source of talent in order to continue to increase the diversity of our team. - Alison  As the business scales; the CFO needs to be thinking about what resources we need, what capital we need so that we can continue to innovate, to pivot and to find breakthroughs. - Alison Keywords: investment, real estate, portfolio, venture capital About Our Guests: Benjamin Miller is Co-Founder and CEO of Fundrise, the largest direct-to-investor real estate investment platform. Fundrise's mission is to use technology to build a better financial system for the individual, one that is simpler, more reliable, lower cost, and transparent. Since launching America's first online real estate investment in 2012, Fundrise has become the largest direct-to-investor real estate investment platform with more than 1.2 million users, more than $2.4 billion worth of equity under management, and $7 billion worth of real estate transacted, including over 18,000 residential units. Thanks to their robust proprietary technology and vertically integrated  infrastructure, they've continued to democratize private market real estate for everyone. Prior to Fundrise, Ben has decades of experience in real estate and finance. As Managing Partner of WestMill Capital Partners and President of Western Development Corporation, Ben was responsible for acquiring, developing, and financing more than $500 million worth of property. Alison Staloch, CFO at Fundrise. Alison joined Fundrise in April 2021, she characterises her workload as typical of a late-stage company. She's focused on accounting and reporting, alongside more strategic work, like improving revenue models and managing diversity, equity and inclusion goals. Prior to joining our Fundrise, she served as the Chief Accountant of the Division of Investment Management at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from December 2017 to April 2021, and before that, served as Assistant Chief Accountant from November 2015 to November 2017. From 2005 to 2015, she was with KPMG LLP in the Asset Management practice. Alison has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Miami University and received a Master of Accounting from the Ohio State University.   About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/ Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community. Timestamps: [02:15] TO BEN: Prior to Fundrise, you were managing partner of WestMill Capital Partners and President of Western Development Corp. Can you tell us about your journey and how you ended up founding Fundrise?  I have been in real estate for 20 years but the first half of my career was very different to the second half. My first half was the ‘normal' real estate, development and investment.  When the financial crisis of 2008 happened, it changed how I viewed the industry. I was not happy with the system and wanted to come up with a solution and Fundrise was born.  Most people invest in stocks but that is only half of the investment world. The other half is the private investments; venture capital, real estate, private credit and private equity.  It was strange to me that individuals were excluded from the private investment industry so we started a mission to go about trying to break down that barrier.  [05:35] TO ALISON: What's the transition been like going from the traditional capital markets investments zone into a fast-growth tech company?  My entire professional life has been in investor protection roles as either a regulator or as an auditor. The investor-centric mission at Fundrise resonated with me as well as that mission focused on building what's best for the individual.  A CFO role obviously encompasses much more than my previous roles. At Fundrise, our business encompasses much more than in a normal CFO role because we're a real estate operator, we're an asset manager and we're a software technology company. [08:45] When you say the ‘normal investor', can you describe that profile?  In any of the private world investments, the normal investor in that world is somebody with a billion-plus dollars and if not, you're not served, you're not a customer of those institutions. If you have tens of millions, maybe they made a little sleeve for you, but you're not really their core customer. [09:55] What is the profile of someone who uses Fundrise?  A person uses our product. Institutions use places like Blackstone, Starwood or Sequoia.  We have investors who have tens of millions of dollars and we have investors who have tens of dollars.  [11:50] Fundrise announced that the average annual return for all Fundrise clients' accounts was 22.99% for the year, can you tell us how you made that happen?  Good investment performance is usually a long undertaking and the outcome is a result of years of work and many people's contributions.  We pursue two strategies; a fixed income strategy and a high growth strategy in real estate.  Under those two strategies, we have two main parts; structural technology advantage and teams of people who are doing the work to drive great results. [13:40] How have you gone about growing the team and attracting people from all other industries to Fundrise?  We have doubled our team since I joined in April 2021 and hiring is a daily effort for our entire team.  We're looking for smart people with a strong work ethic, low ego and who really care about the individual investor. Two reasons which have accelerated our ability to find the right team members over the last year are; we've moved to being a remote first company and we're focused on expanding our source of talent in order to continue to increase the diversity of our team.  [16:40] What is next for the whole sector as well as Fundrise?  One thing that I didn't expect as we achieve scale is that we can do so much more than I imagine, so we now have new initiatives underway that are distinct from the original idea. The goal is to change how investment analysis and operations are done in real estate and finance. [17:50] From the CFO point of view, as the business scales, there are lots of extra bits of structure you're putting in as well to make sure the business can continue to grow and make money. We need to continue to build out our resources, to support all of that growth including from a financial perspective and as portions of the business continue to mature. Thinking about what resources we need, what capital we need so that we can continue to innovate, to pivot and to find these breakthroughs.  [19:15] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about:   Lessons learned in your career   Ben: One of the operating principles is; you have to build your business on bedrock. You have to keep asking why until you get to bedrock.    Mention a person, product or service Alison: My Whoop Rewarding parts of working in the space:    Alison: It's such a nascent part of the tech industry and then being able to see all of the unique and innovative ideas at this stage.   What are you most Excited about for the future of the space?:     Ben:  I dream about disrupting the old-fashioned institutions. If we could tear down the system and rebuild it from scratch, we would all be better off. Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: In the 7th episode of season 8 of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by Julia Paolucci, Managing Director at HqO France and Samuel Warren, Managing Director of HqO UK Ltd about how tenant engagement can slow down the resignation movement and help landlords meet ESG targets. They touched on what tenants can get out of HqO's product, the acquisition of Office App and how ESG plays into the tenant experience. They also discussed what HqO has planned for 2022 as well as JLL Spark being a key investor. The key takeaway from this episode is that the focus in the current era is all about the employee experience.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: HqO WorkWell Insight Partners  JLL Spark  Navitas Capital Cushman & Wakefield Suffolk Capital Office App by HqO Shout Outs:   Chase Garbarino - Cofounder and CEO at HqO   Key Insights From This Episode:    In a tech company, or a very service-driven company, things do change considerably month in, month out – Samuel When we started delivering something to the office market, it was something that was predictable, something pretty stable, and now we've seen everything transforming. - Julia In this era right now, the focus is really being directed at the employee and what their experience is as well as engaging with them and making them see the benefits of the workplace. - Julia  48% of the working population in the US are seeking new employment, therefore employers really need to understand what an employee wants. - Louisa The trend right now for us is; what can the landlord give to their tenant to enhance that tenant experience, to make the experience in the building as attractive as possible? - Julia     Keywords: ESG, tenants, landlords, real estate, office, future of work   About Our Guests: Julia Paolucci Julia Paolucci is Managing Director for France at HqO, where she is responsible for establishing and growing the French business.  Julia brings forward a property technology expertise, and a track record of leading greenfield organisations. In her previous role, as Head of Sales for Workwell, she was tasked with building the organisation's client base in the proptech sector's nascent stages, developing a thorough understanding of the landlord, tenant, service provider, and end-user experiences. Julia started her career in banking, working in New York, Paris and London for the New York Stock Exchange, Deutsche Bank, and lastly HSBC Corporate Bank where she spent 7 years.  Julia graduated with a BComm from McGill University in Montreal and an Executive MBA from IE University in Madrid.    Samuel Warren Samuel Warren is the Managing Director of HqO UK Ltd, our London based business. At HqO Samuel is responsible for the growth of our platform in Northern Europe, including Germany, Netherlands and Nordics.  Prior to HqO, Samuel spent 12 years in the real estate market specialising in growing new businesses and high performing sales and marketing teams with companies such as CBRE and Chesterton Global and developers such as Berkeley Group and Country Garden. He worked in the Middle East, Singapore, China and Russia.  He is a graduate of Exeter University and also commissioned into the British Army, serving as a Bomb Disposal and Search Officer in the Royal Engineers.    About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/ Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community. Timestamps: [01:50] Julia, how did you become the managing director of HqO France? I started my career in finance, working for different financial institutions in New York, Paris and London.  I was one of the first members of WorkWell.  I joined HqO in November 2019 to launch the French market.  [03:15] Sam, how did you end up at HqO and what experience do you bring to it?  I have a varied career, I worked for the British army and now my career in real estate has been focused on growing high-performance sales teams.  I started at HqO and set up a country from the start, I grew the team and brought everything together.  [04:30] Tell us more about the product and how has the product pivoted over the last few years?  One of the underlying things at HqO is regardless of the product, it's working with our customer base to really understand what they're trying to achieve.  We've done a huge amount of work on analytics and data. When we started delivering something to the office market, it was something that was predictable, something pretty stable, and now we've just seen everything transforming.  [06:20] Say I'm one of the tenants, what value do I get out of this product? An individual employee in a building is going to have the technology on their mobile phone and will be able to do a whole range of things in that workplace; from booking different meeting spaces, being able to work in different places to being able to use your phone as an access badge.  Connecting you to those services and features as well as making your day in the building a lot happier and easier.  Bringing perks to employees, thinking of discounts in the vicinity, or promoting local foods and beverages.  [09:25] You have some well known investors; Insight Partners, JLL Spark, Navitas Capital, Cushman & Wakefield and Suffolk Capital. This has allowed you to grow across North America, UK and Europe. Are there any areas of focus or growth for the business which you are looking at?  It varies from region to region so in Europe, we are consolidating what we deliver across those territories.  Making sure that we can service a customer in all the different languages, all the different territories and all the different technologies.  [11:20] You acquired Office App. How did that come about and what does it mean for the business? You also have a fantastic culture; how do you sort of balance that with the acquisition? They were a direct competitor of ours in the European market but our cultures weren't miles apart. What they brought to the table was where we had gaps and vice versa. [13:25] How does ESG play into obviously tenant experience? It is a necessity right now for real estate because they actually have to take action, they have to reduce their carbon footprint but they don't necessarily know how to do that yet.  From the employer's perspective, this is becoming more important because we are in a great resignation period and people are looking for new employment opportunities. [15:50] Can you talk us through how HqO can help clients achieve their ESG goals?  ESG = environmental, social, and governance. Social: Our customer success team can implement for our clients can be things like events that are going to bring about inclusion or can push a different cause.  We've been able to include a lot of guidance to users. [17:00] JLL Spark has made an investment into HqO, what does this mean for the whole of HqO?  Their knowledge of the marketplace has been put forward by them in the early days when no one knew who we were and it was really fundamental.  They provide introductions that ratify who we are. Our clients know and trust JLL and their evaluations. [19:25] What's next for 2022 in HqO, in each of your regions?  The great resignation and people in work spaces are really driving that more holistic experience for both users of our product and people in buildings. With our acquisition of Office App, we have acquired a lot of knowledge about the corporate market. The trend right now for us is; what can the landlord give to their tenant to enhance that tenant experience, to make the experience in the building as attractive as possible.  Enriching the experience for the employee and creating that engagement for them in their workplace in general, not just the building.  Landlords and corporations desperately want to understand more about their population. A big trend of 2022 in the real estate world, in France, is satisfaction, how do we gauge satisfaction? [23:40] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about:   Lessons learned in your career   Julia: Revolutions don't happen overnight but they do happen. To make revolutions happen, you need to keep pushing, you need to have energy, but you also need to have patience.     Mention a person, product or service   Samuel: Some of our early adopters, some of our customers that have got innovation teams that wanted to test the product and innovate, evolve, work with us.    Rewarding parts of working in the space:    Julia: Seeing my clients not refer to tenants anymore but rather as users.    What are you most Excited about for the future of the space?:     Samuel:  A more holistic approach. The big goal is the way that physical space will be totally connected, be it whether you are in a residential component of it, whether you're in an office component of it, whether you're a public visitor. It's not about tenants anymore, it's about customers. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: In the sixth episode of season eight, Louisa hosts the first Propcast on the Italian PropTech market. She is joined by Giorgio Tinacci, Founder & CEO and Fausto Maglia, Chief Product Officer at Casavo to hear about their journey of founding Casavo in 2017. We'll learn about how the product enables the residential community to buy and sell quickly, conveniently and simply. Giorgio talks us through their series C raise back in March 2021 and they discuss how they've adapted their product and their marketing for different European markets.  Resources: LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Companies Mentioned: Casavo Greenoaks Capital 360 Capital Picus Capital  Exor Seeds Boston Consulting Group Key Insights From This Episode:    The Italian PropTech market has been growing rapidly since 2018, the number of PropTech companies operating in Italy has been doubling year by year. - LouisaIn Europe, it's a sellers' market. - Giorgio It was a hyper-growth journey and it still is. - Giorgio Digitalisation in real estate is really green. - Giorgio I was always keen on investing in human capital before technology and business. - Giorgio It's important that new technologies can lead to a disruptive innovation or a new market. - Fausto There are a lot of existing technologies that should be applied to old problems. - Fausto 20 years ago you had to go to a travel agency if you wanted to go to Japan. Today, you can book a ticket with your smartphone. That is the level of simplicity we are looking for in real estate. - Fausto The next three to five years will lead to a substantial change in the real estate market. - Fausto   Keywords: PropTech, Italy, Real Estate, Europe About Our Guests: Giorgio Tinacci graduated with a degree in International Management from Bocconi and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2015. He then joined BCG, where he worked for 2 years focusing on digital transformation projects in banking, insurance, and industrial goods. Giorgio left BCG in September 2017 and founded Casavo, the leading digital residential platform in Europe. Fausto Maglia, is currently Chief Product Officer at Casavo, after leading the Marketing Team in the first phases of the company growth. Fausto has a very variegate background, with the tech world as a constant, as he has been part of product/tech teams in startups and large corporations in the travel, telecommunications, and real estate industry.  About Casavo Casavo is a digital residential platform that is redesigning the experience of selling and buying homes in Europe leveraging proprietary technology in each step of the transaction process. Whether you want to sell or buy a home, Casavo makes it simple, fast and convenient, providing the best solution for your needs. Casavo offers integrated home-related services, providing a turn-key experience with an inclusive approach towards real estate operators (brokers, contractors, banks. etc). Founded in 2017 by Giorgio Tinacci, Casavo currently operates in Italy (Milan, Rome, Turin, Florence and Bologna) and Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), rapidly expanding into other European markets thanks to the work of an international team of over 300 people and the support of top-tier global investors. As of November 2021, Casavo has carried out more than 2,000 transactions for a value in excess of €600 million.  About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/ Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community. Timestamps: [3:20] Tell us more about your journey: you have founded Casavo and studied globally. You've worked at one of the leading consultancies, Boston Consulting Group on digital transformation. Where did your passion for residential tech come from? I grew up in a small village close to Florence with a family of small entrepreneurs. My passion for real estate and entrepreneurship came from my dad.    During my studies abroad I met several startups and I joined some of them as an intern.   After my studies, I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur but I hadn't found that big opportunity yet so after working for 3 years in consulting, I was looking at what was happening in the residential markets globally and in Europe and there hadn't been a lot of innovation over the last 10 years so I decided to found Casavo.  I had a passion for the intersection between the real estate world and the technology world.  [5:15] Fausto, you started out in the marketing world and have now moved over to product as the CPO. Can you tell us a little about the product as well as how you made that transition and if you have any tips for people looking to make that transition? Before joining Casavo, I had a career in product and it had been mainly in travel.  A few months after Casavo launched, Giorgio was looking for someone in marketing and I had a bit of experience in that so I decided to start at Casavo in marketing. After 2 years, it was time for serious and important investment in technology so I moved over.  Coming from marketing, I had a lot of understanding of some dynamics and that would have been harder to get if I was just a product person.  What we offer to the markets is the ability to receive a purchase offer on their property without any kind of human interactions.  [7:40] Who was your first major client that you brought on board? It's a consumer platform, not a B2B platform. We really understood that in Europe, it's a sellers' market so there is no presentation, everything starts from the seller. We started with a very strong and disruptive value proposition in order to solve the issue of a very lengthy, inefficient, and inconvenient traditional selling process.  We did so by changing the paradigm; proposing ourselves to buy the home directly in a matter of days, instead of going through the whole process. Our first clients were the first family who sold us their apartment in Milan. [9:25] Let's talk about your series C, you raised €200 million led by Exor Seeds. You also have some other good investors including 360 Capital, Picus Capital and Greenoaks Capital. What were some of the major challenges when you looked to raise and how did you go about it?  There were three key challenges;  Digitalisation in real estate is really green. The number of investors that were willing to be the first one betting on that category were few.  We started with a very asset-heavy model that requires a certain level of understanding of the balance sheet dynamics and the residential dynamics in order to not be skirted by volatility.   We are a leading technology company in Italy, but the ecosystem is pretty underdeveloped if you compare it to other markets.  It always starts with the team and with a clear vision and executing that vision well. [12:10] Why was the product so successful in Italy? You have expanded to Spain, what are the differences in what the buyers and sellers want?  Do you have to change your marketing technique from country to country?  We are the first movers with the AVM (automated valuation for models) so we were the first ones in Italy to provide free, online real-time valuations of residential properties. We added to that a very strong value proposition, which was you as a sender can sell immediately to us and you don't have to look for a buyer.  The residential stock in Italy is generally quite old and we propose to customers renovated, nice looking apartments.  There are some differences but what we want to do is to build a European platform, a single platform in terms of product but of course, there are some local nuances both in terms of product development and in terms of marketing.  [16:35] How long does it take to buy a property in Italy?  In terms of selling a property in the large, metropolitan cities in Italy, the time needed is around six months. More or less the same applies to Southern Europe in general.    [18:30] Do you have some exciting news to share with us about a potential launch into a different market? We have just launched in our third country, Portugal.  We started our internationalisation journey in the beginning of 2020 in Spain.    [19:40] How have you managed to grow your headcount over 300 people and what are your cultural values?  It was a hyper-growth journey and it still is.   My personal mission from the beginning was to be able to have an impact on the market, be the category-defining business, but with a strong team and building really a talent hub within our markets, all sharing the same vision from the very beginning and being focused on executing on that vision.  I was always keen on investing in human capital before technology and business. When you are growing at the speed of light, launching new products, new markets, you cannot afford processes. You have to trust people, you have to empower your team and let them do what they think is the best for the company. We have our list of values and we live and breathe them in every way:  Focus on customers: our customers come first and we want to create long-term value for them.  Share the drive to innovate   Learn to adapt: continuous, direct, upfront feedback  [23:15] Is there any advice you would give to an aspiring entrepreneur?  Just jump and do it - if you start to analyse everything and overthink it, it's not going to work. Be optimistic - turn challenges into opportunities [25:15] What's next for the Casavo products? Are you planning or developing any new technologies? There are a lot of existing technologies that should be applied to old problems. The challenge is to be able to make portfolio-based decisions and market-based decisions for our investments, rather than transaction-based ones and we have to keep in mind changing consumer preferences that will affect the price properties.  [28:40] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about:   Lessons learned in your career   Change and self-development are very important.    Mention a person, product or service   A company in the FinTech industry called Scallop.    Rewarding parts of working in the space:    To start with no understanding of this industry, which is very complex with a lot of incumbent players, very traditional. Thinking about how to solve problems for our customers within this industry with an out-of-the-box and naive approach.   What are you most Excited about for the future of the space?:     The next three to five years will lead to a substantial change in the real estate market and we have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this change. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: In episode 5 of this season of the Propcast, Louisa is joined by Tarush Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of 5x. He is one of the leading experts in leveraging data for exponential growth and has over 10 years of experience in the field. In this episode Louisa and Tarush talk about his journey through data and his involvement in WeWork that allowed the business to grow 10x in 3 years.  Tarush shares how to convert data into dollars, and how his business does exactly that. They discussed the data trends that he has seen over the years and Tarush gives some tips on how to get into the data space and make it a serious career path.  Companies Mentioned: 5x Salesforce WeWork  Shout Outs: Nelson Lau, CEO at PropertyQuants   Adam Neumann, Co-Founder of WeWork    Key Insights From This Episode:    What is super interesting about the data revolution is that we are still living through it. - Tarush Growth is something that takes time. You can grow really quickly, but at some point, it becomes unsustainable. - Tarush If you are serious about adding business value by being data-driven, you have to develop a data stack, and you are going to have to store it, structure it and clean it. - Tarush We saw a 46% increase in people being hired in data roles... I think this year it is going to increase even more.  - Louisa In today's age data is no longer a nice to have, it's an essential part of any company's business proposition. - Tarush It is easy to have poor company values. - Tarush It's important to have values and write them down, but what are you doing to action them? - Tarush I think sequel is probably the most important skill in any of the data professions - Tarush   About Our Guests: Tarush Aggarwal  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarushaggarwal/  Tarush is one of the leading experts in leveraging data for exponential growth, with over ten years of experience in the field.  After graduating with a degree in Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon in 2011, he became the first data engineer on the analytics team at Salesforce.com. Data was in its infancy, and the log metric framework which Tarush built was critical in allowing Salesforce to analyse data across customers and provide benchmarks across different industries and verticals. Most recently Tarush led Data for WeWork, one of the fastest-growing companies in the world. WeWork leveraged data to be able to grow 10x in 3 years, supporting a  footprint of 800+ offices in 120+ cities in 23+ countries with over 12,000 employees. Tarush scaled the data org from 2 to 100+ and their unique approach allowed them to stay lean while supporting every functional area of the business. In 2019 he moved to China to help establish WeWork's Asia operations and focus on the hyper-growing Chinese market. About 5x https://5x.co/ The biggest challenge for most businesses is converting data into dollars. Businesses lack the expertise to build the data engine (infrastructure, data collection, self-service reporting) That's why we created 5x. To enable companies to answer business questions, without having to worry about building data infrastructure or bringing in the right team.  Because of our prefabricated data blocks & network of remote data engineers, we deliver data reporting faster, cheaper, and of higher quality, than anyone else in the industry.  About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/ Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community. Timestamps [2:35] Can you talk us through your career? You started off at Salesforce, then went on to be the Global Head of Data at WeWork, you have founded and grown your own business. How did you scale the data from two to a hundred plus at WeWork and how did you get Adam to prioritise this as a business need? We are still living through the data revolution. 10 years ago, at Salesforce, no one in the valley had a data team. 10 years later at WeWork, it was completely different, we had an established modern data stack. When I joined, WeWork had about 100 offices and a few years later we had close to a thousand. The business was growing so quickly and we had to scale the team as well. It was slightly unsustainable. [6:10] What does your business do and how does it come together with the modern data stack? How does it drive more value for customers and can you give an example of who one of your customers might be.  Businesses find it difficult to extract value from data because startups today have 10-12 different sources of data. Hiring an ad hoc analyst who builds a few dashboards isn't good enough anymore, it doesn't lead to long-term business value.  If you are serious about adding business value by being data-driven, you have to develop a data stack and you are going to have to store it, structure it and clean it.  5x stitches together the data stack with all the best-in-class vendors, across data collection and Deshon storage modelling and reporting.  We interview and hire engineers and we get to hire the top 1% of these engineers. We can pre-train these engineers on the platform.  5x is faster, cheaper and higher quality. Our sweet spot is a company that has found some success and then they need to go scale the business and they need to go deploy an entire data comprehensive strategy and do so fairly quickly.  [11:10] You are 8 months old and you've already raised, are about to raise again and you have over 50 employees. What's the secret to maintaining a good culture? A lot of it comes from the Founder.   It is easy to have poor company values.  It's important to have values and write them down, but what are you doing to action them? [14:45] Are there any macro trends that you have seen in the 10 years that you have been working in data and what does it mean for companies?  10 years ago, no one was doing digital marketing and no one had a website for their business and Google came along and said that if you don't have an online presence, you are not going to exist.  In the next 10 years there will be the evolution of digital marketing and digital marketing will go more mainstream and that will evolve into data. In very early rounds, venture capitals are asking what's your data strategy.  [17:50] You started off as data engineer, now you are a Founder and you have started a new profession. How can people learn more about it?  We are early in the space and when I started the playbook of data hadn't yet been written.  Ramping up in your tech skills, SQL is really important. Something like Python or any analysis language are skills that are extremely valuable. Understanding the best practises and being able to shadow a company. Doing it well and spending time to really understand the best practises and the trends. [22:55] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about:   Lessons learned in your career When you look at what data it's adding visibility organisation that's kind of one side of the spectrum and on the other side is being in flow, extremely creative and intuitive. We tend to be either or.  Unless you actively try you're just going to move more and more on that spectrum. If you're a data-driven person then likely you're just going to make everything in your life even more data-driven. Moving more towards the middle is something that will serve everyone.  Mention a person, product or service My assistant, Tricia To-Do-List and Google Calendar save my life on a daily basis  Rewarding parts of working in the space:  Impact is a huge one. Being able to leverage data for growth is not something which is trivial.    Being able to take something, spend time in it and work towards helping commoditise it.    What are you most Excited about for the future of the space?:     The evolution is going to continue. In the next few years, we're starting to get more into decision-making, recommendations and insights.  Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: On the fourth episode of Season 8 of the Propcast, Louisa speaks with Liza Benson, covering her journey to becoming a partner at one of the most prominent female-led Venture Capital funds in the Real Estate Tech space, Moderne Ventures. In this episode you'll hear how Liza balances the time being a board member of several companies whilst also raising $200 million in 2021. You'll also hear about the plan for deployment and what Liza and the team look for when evaluating a PropTech business or a tech company. Lastly, you'll hear about Liza's personal experience with being a woman in the Proptech space, as well as a woman in Venture Capital and the effect of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives within some of their portfolio companies. Companies Mentioned: Moderne Ventures DocuSign StarVest Avalon Bay Communities  Greystar  Oak Tree Capital Management  Icon  Hippo  Better Mortage  Widevine  Webify Blackstone Xeal  Resources:  LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Shout Outs: Constance Freedman Founder and Managing Partner at Moderne Ventures Key Insights From This Episode:    April 2000 was an interesting time to join venture capital at a very instructive time in many ways, because we've seen over the last 5+ years everything is up and to the right. - Liza  We actually don't use the term PropTech. We use the term Real Estate Tech. - Liza We think about Real Estate Tech in a very broad way. We actually like companies that have multi verticals because the more verticals, the bigger the market, and also not subject to the cyclicality of real estate. - Liza There are so many different verticals in PropTech, that it touches anything in the built environment, whether it's mobility, ESG or the content. There is a new vertical coming out every month. - Louisa  You could have the greatest market, the greatest business model but without the right leaders to execute on it, it won't work. - Liza    What we're not seeing as much of, unfortunately, is women partners. It is still a very, very low number. I always tell people to make it your advantage. Everyone will remember you when there's eight guys and you on a Zoom call. - Liza    We're in a unique time right now where it's become easier to balance that work-life balance. I think that is going to be a huge benefit for women going forward. - Liza    Keywords: Venture Capital, Real Estate Tech, Women, Investing  About Our Guests: Liza Benson is a Partner with Moderne Ventures and helps lead and manage investment activity with particular focus on high-growth technology companies that can achieve rapid adoption and scale. Prior to Moderne, Liza was a Partner with StarVest Partners, focused on expansion stage B2B SaaS investments. Previously, Liza was a Managing Director of Highbridge Principals Strategies and invested primarily in online video, digital media, and marketing technologies and prior to that she was a Managing Director with Bear Stearns' Constellation Growth Capital and an investment banker at Patricof & Co and First Union where she started her career. About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/?originalSubdomain=uk Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community.   Timestamps:  [02:00] You started off in investment banking, at First Union and then a part of StarVest partners. How did you come to Moderne Venture and meeting your partner, Constance? I have been in venture in growth equity for 20 years. I started in investment banking to learn the technical aspects of modelling and I joined my first fund in April 2000. I joined StarVest, a B2B SaaS investor, and that is where I met Constance.  I have been at Moderne Ventures for 4 years. We have had a great run, we finished investing the first fund which was $43 million. Then, last summer we raised our second fund, where our original goal was a $125 million and our cap was $150 million and we're able to blow through that cap, get our LPs to agree to go to $200 million. [05:50] What makes Moderne unique, besides the 2 female leaders, and what does that mean to you? Is there a set mission behind the fund?  The fund was originally conceived by Constance as a strategic fund out of the National Association of Realtors. The basic premise was; “How can I stack the deck? How can I help my companies in the most in the most profound way?”  We're an early-stage investor in real estate home services, FinTech and InsureTech having to do with real estate. DocuSign is very interesting because it's really not a PropTech company in any way. It has a lot of applicability in our industries, but has many other verticals as well. DocuSign became in the model for how we work with companies. We love companies that have these multi vertical applications.  [8:05] Some of your strategic investors include; Avalon Bay Communities, Greystar and leading real estate companies such as Oak Tree Capital Management. Constance generated a lot of these herself but how do you continue to support them? They are investing in us to improve the operations and ultimately the NOI of their businesses. Therefore, we need to make sure that we're bringing the best tech to these companies so that they can fundamentally innovate right. We have systematized corporate programs that we work with our LPs on.  We also have another program that we call Passport that is our business development group. It is systematised approach, over a seven-month program, where all of our companies are led through a mentorship with our LPs and larger advisory group of 700 real estate execs.  [10:10] You have got about 700 real estate execs of which some notable names are Icon Port, Hippo and Betta Mortage covering real estate, mortgage, finance and insurance. Is there anything Moderne Venture looks for when evaluating a company?  Late seed to early B stage companies. Founders are the number one thing. You could have the greatest market, the greatest business model but without the right leaders to execute on it, it won't work. Total Addressable Market (TAM), we look at it in a very systematic way.  We love companies that have a foothold in real estate or want to have a foothold in real estate but also have multi vertical applications.  We also look at the business model, what is the cost to acquire a customer? What is the long-term value of that customer? What are the fundamental economics of the business at scale? [13:10] You are on various boards as well like Widevine and Webify. What is it like balancing all of this and being on the board of various companies? I am on 8 or 9 boards as a board member or board observer. I keep in touch with all of my CEOs on a bi-weekly or monthly basis for one-on-one phone calls. From the perspective of the executives who are running the companies, they think of Moderne Venture as a strategic investor. We're not necessarily going to help them with their budget, but we will help them get customers. [16:15] Is there any advice that you can give to woman looking to get into the investment space, whether they're coming from the banking side, the consultancy side, the venture capital side?  There are 2 ways to come into venture capital; you work for a particular startup or multiple startups that are successful, or there is the investment banking and consulting route.  Core skills of modelling, deck building and strategic thinking are beneficial.   What we're not seeing as much of unfortunately is women partners, it is still a very, very low number. I always tell people to make it your advantage. Everyone will remember you when there's eight guys and you on a Zoom call.  [17:55] Are there any positive experiences personally for you or any successful changes your various portfolio companies have implemented to ensure DEI?  Giving people the flexibility, they need to balance work and life.  [19:55] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about:   Lessons learned in your career Never have religious beliefs in either a company or an idea. I think you always have to be open to the information that comes in open to criticism, open to other thoughts. Mention a person, product or service Xeal.  Electric Vehicle charger that does not need WiFi or cell service.  Rewarding parts of working in the space:    It changes every day. There is no schedule that has to get done necessarily.   What are you most Excited about for the future of the space?:   Being at a venture fund that is focussed on the real estate industry.    Sponsors CREtech Check out CREtech+, the first streaming platform devoted to innovation and technology in the built world, featuring new weekly videos with the world's leading real estate and tech professionals. The first month of streaming is free, and when you use the code LMRE you'll also receive 25% off the second month. Visit plus.cretech.com for more. Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com

Summary: In the third episode of season 8 of The Propcast, Louisa is chatting to Mallorie Brodie CEO & Co-Founder and Lauren Lake COO & Co-Founder of Canadian-based construction technology company, Bridgit about Women in ConTech. They talk about the growth of the ConTech market, how Bridgit have secured investment from some of the leading VC's and won over some major contractors. You'll hear about how a huge part of their software focuses on people and how they have scaled their team during the war on talent which is a problem that many founders are facing. Companies Mentioned:  Bridgit Local Logic Agora  Autodesk BDCs Capital Women  Camber Creek Storm Ventures  McKinsey  Skanska Ryan Companies  Toric Resources:  LMRE Global Recruitment and Search Consultancy LMRE YouTube Interviews Shout Outs: Amy Abascal, VP of Marketing for Bridgit Courtney Cooper, Principal at Alate Partner Julian Brockhurst, Venture Capital at VentureCrowd | Director at Proptech BNE Michael Beckerman, CEO, CREtech and CREtech Climate Ben Lerner, MRI Qube Global Software Jason Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President Of Sales at Bridgit Thiago Da Costa, Co-Founder & CEO at Toric Key Insights From This Episode:  The war on talent and is a problem most founders are facing, and I'm sure that many entrepreneurs are experiencing the same pain. - Louisa  We found the problem before creating the solution, which we found was different to how a lot of tech companies start. - Lauren  You don't solve the pain point and then stop developing the software and just continue marketing into the industry. We are making improvements and learning from our customers every single week. There is no end to continuing to innovate at Bridgit. - Mallorie ConTech market investment has doubled in the last decade and it's accelerated, far beyond the pace of growth of just the venture capital. - Mallorie The other thing we've seen is just a ton of consolidation in the markets. Not all of that capital is going into seeding new companies. Some of the larger companies out there are seeing all of the innovation within the small and midsize companies and there has been a ton of acquisitions. - Mallorie At the beginning, we certainly found it challenging to raise capital early on in the business... Over time what we were able to do is start to prove our efforts more in the actual metrics and numbers of the business. And that makes the conversation much easier. - Lauren  You have two female founders... I think looking into DEI is extremely important for the growth of a tech business. - Lousia We were females in construction technology really didn't make a selection of two male dominated industries. - Mallorie Companies felt heard. They get to actually give their input into how the product is being developed. And so, through that process, we're also figuring out, which of these companies would actually want to use the product once it's developed. - Lauren  People make the assumption that if they don't have a technical background, they can't work in tech. - Lauren Keywords: Construction, Technology, Women, ConTech About Our Guests: Mallorie Brodie https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorie-brodie-b3885827/  Mallorie Brodie, CEO and Co-Founder of Canadian-based construction technology company Bridgit. She has almost 10 years of entrepreneurial experience and holds various entrepreneurial awards, including receiving the top prize at Google Demo Day, being named Techvibes Entrepreneur of the Year, being named to the Forbes Manufacturing & Industry 30 Under 30, being named to the Best Of Canada Forbes Under 30 Innovators list, and being named to the Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction list. Since opening Bridgit, herself and Lauren have established Bridgit Bench, our flagship product, as the leading workforce intelligence solution in construction today. Bridgit Bench is now used by over 100 leading general contractors across North America like Rogers-O'Brien, DeAngelis Diamond, Ryan Companies, Alberici, and more. Lauren Lake https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-lake/  Lauren Lake is the COO and co-founder of Canadian-based construction technology company Bridgit. With a degree in Civil Structural Engineering from Western University, With her guidance and expertise in the AEC industry, Lauren has helped establish Bridgit Bench, the company's flagship product, as the leading workforce intelligence solution in construction today. Lauren has been named in the TechWeek 100, Forbes Manufacturing & Industry 30 Under 30, and Best Of Canada Forbes Under 30 Innovators lists. Her true source of pride comes from helping over 100 contractors across North America get the most out of their workforce. About Our Host Louisa Dickins https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-dickins-ab065392/?originalSubdomain=uk Louisa started her career in property working at a well-known estate agency in London. Realising her people skills, she moved over to Lloyd May to pursue a career in recruitment. She now is a Director at LMRE, who are a specialist recruitment firm driven by PropTech and recruitment professionals, and Louisa oversees their 5 core areas. Louisa co-founded LMRE and provides a constructive recruitment platform to the new disruptors in real estate. Louisa is also on the board of Directors at UK PropTech Association (UKPA). About LMRE www.lmre.tech LMRE believe there is a better way to recruit. LMRE focus on a more comprehensive, client led focus delivering exceptional talent to the place at the time. They are passionate about the industry and passionate about people's careers. LMRE spend time with each client to become and an extension of the business, and their transparency and core values help them grow with the sector. LMRE simplify recruitment and innovate with our clients and evolve the people driven, PropTech community. Timestamps: [02:30] Talk us through founding Bridgit and the product. You founded it back it in 2014 in the Tech Hub, Waterloo, Canada.  We met through an entrepreneurship program. Lauren was studying civil engineering and Mallorie had been studying business. We also both had family in the industry.  Lauren had some of that first-hand experience from her time on site, how little technology there was, everything was pen and paper back then. We found was people really liked having the opportunity to open up and share their challenges. We found the problem before creating the solution which we found was different to how a lot of tech companies start Through our research and talking with the largest general contractors in the U.S, we learned about the strategic challenges they were having around the labour shortage in general, and just managing their people and really trying to put the best project teams forward. And we set out to create our second product, Bridgit Bench. [08:00] Last year you raised $23 million and you are backed by some big names like Autodesk, BDCs Capital Women and Technology Venture Fund, what are the plans? Is it further growth across the states?  We brought on Camber Creek and Storm Ventures to co-lead the round. Camber brings the deep contraction and property tech expertise and Storm has the B2B enterprise SaaS experience so them joining the board and coming on as investors has been very helpful in the last 6 months.  The key to our overall product development process is that it's very repeatable because we know how to go and do the research, find the pain points and actually launch a product or a module or a feature to solve for those pain points. Selling to mean general contractors right now, our primary user, and really excited to just get more and more contractors onboard the platform over the next year. We're definitely looking at adding new product nodules and also looking at international markets like the UK and Australia.  [10:10] Tell us a bit more about the ConTech market in terms of investment. It's the era that's received the most amount of investment in 2021 and set to be bigger in 2022. What have you seen since founding Bridgit back in 2014?  ConTech market investment has doubled in the last decade and its accelerated, far beyond the pace of growth of just the venture capital.  The other thing we've seen is just a ton of consolidation in the markets. Not all of that capital is going into seeding new companies. Some of the larger companies out there are seeing all of the innovation within the small and midsize companies, and there has been a ton of acquisitions. We've just seen a dramatic shift since when we started the company. The appetite and need for technology now, it feels like we're just at the beginning.  We've started to see solutions where the data is being collected. And now over the next number of years, I think we're going to see some really interesting opportunities around how that data can be put to use.  [13:00] The statistics say it's harder to raise as a female founder. How did you find it? Are there any tips?  At the beginning, we certainly found it challenging to raise capital early on in the business. At that point, you're really just pitching your vision and you're pitching yourselves as founders. And at that point that was much more difficult of a sell.  Over time what we were able to do is start to prove our efforts more in the actual metrics and numbers of the business. And that makes the conversation much easier. And that was just because of the momentum and the product market fit that we were able to show. And just proving that through all of the growth that we have. [15:30] You're fast-growing tech business. How have you gone about recruiting from a diverse talent pool? What would you say are the most attractive parts of working in this space? And why did you both go into it?  We both have family backgrounds in construction. After our studies and hearing all of the different pain points and challenges, we realised we can play a role in helping to solve the problems in the industry. At Bridgit we've been diverse from day one. Mallorie and I did not come from software engineering backgrounds. We were females in construction technology in two male dominated industries. We had little capital to put to work and hired people within our network. If diversity happens early on, it becomes really attractive for a lot of people to come and work at a company that has people with so many different perspectives and so many different backgrounds. We do very specific things in terms of how we're attracting and recruiting talent. We cast a very wide net by how we post our job descriptions and job postings. We eliminate a lot of the criteria that a lot of tech companies would include things like “you need to have X number of years in this type of role at another B2B SaaS company”. For more entry level roles, we've found that you don't need to have that experience to work at Bridgit.  [21:00] You've got some huge clients. How did you go about securing some of your clients? Any tips for people looking to break into this industry you'd like to share? We built our product hand in hand with different customers. The construction industry is a very tight nit group, a very competitive industry. It was a very deliberate choice to start with the enterprise segment, because those companies hold a lot of credibility. To have customers speak to how they've used the product at trade shows doing different podcasts or webinars and having the customers speak to the product, that is what we have found is the most engaging.  We've been very careful to say no when it comes to our strategy and the type of client that we're selling to. So, we could really focus on who we could add the most value to given where the product is at today and deliver a great experience.  We are also very genuine and very honest in how we speak to the product. [26:00] Have you used any sort of external support, associations or groups to help your growth?  There are associations that we are part of. We have integration partners, companies that our product integrates with and we're able to actually show that business use case for how the two products can work together. There're other partners that we work with that are more industry specific. There are marketing partners that we work with to do joint webinars and collaborate together as different teams. Our base of investors who provide a ton of different supports. And we've been quite deliberate in building that group of investors to have those construction backgrounds and people with tech backgrounds. There's been so many people in the industry that have given us so much time. And I think it speaks to everyone's motivation and interest. [30:00] The ‘LMRE' part, Louisa asks the guests to talk about: Lessons learned in your career Importance of corporate values. It's really helped to align everyone and the decisions that we're making and how we're hiring and just the brand that we're putting out to the team and to potential employees.  Deliver results fast. We have win or lose together, which is all about teamwork. We have never stopped learning. Mention a person, product or service Thiago Da Costa, Co-Founder & CEO at Toric. Analytics is such a compelling opportunity in the space right now. Rewarding parts of working in the space:  The industry was open to giving us feedback so that we were able to figure out how to build a product, launch it and build a 90-person diverse team.  The partnership that Lauren and I have together What are you most Excited about for the future of the space?:   Expanding on our product, workforce planning.  The growth and seeing some of the early team members that have been able to just take on challenge after challenge. Sponsors Launch Your Own Podcast Kopus.com is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch jason@kopus.com