Estates Gazette Property Podcasts

"We are a rare breed". CBRE's former digital boss on his leap from traditional real estate to start-up CEO. Plus, how the United Nations is harnessing real estate tech to tackle slum living

On this week's episode of We're Still Here, host Emily Wright is joined by tech reporter Lucy Alderson to talk about anything but the recession. 

From the United Nation's collaboration with affordable housing developer Planet Smart City to improve living conditions in African slums to the continuing acceleration of tech in real estate, this week's episode is all about focusing on some of the more positive news stories out there this week. That and a typically British review of all things weather related of course. 

Also on this week's We're Still Here, Wright is joined by Thomas Herr, CBRE's former EMEA head of digital innovation who joined German tech company Evana as chief executive in May. He calls in from Berlin to reveal how he has managed the first few months in his new role after taking over the reins during lockdown. He also discusses how he plans to take Evana, which analyses databases and documents using algorithms to help the real estate and insurance sectors as they face overwhelming volumes of data, forward over the next few months. 

For all the details, tune in to this week's episode. 

Bricks & Mortar: Brecher’s Nicky Richmond on perfecting the art of working in an online environment

This latest episode of Bricks & Mortar sees EG’s Sarah Jackman catch up with Nicky Richmond, managing partner and head of banking and real estate finance at west end law firm Brecher.

 

Nicky acts as the firm’s training partner and is currently developing training on working in an online environment. Here she shares her thoughts on staying professional in the home office, managing client relationships remotely and whether there are absolute dos and don’ts that ought to be kept in mind when communicating via online conferencing platforms.

 

She has a range of tips to share, gathered from a wealth of meetings undertaken since lockdown and sets out how to work as effectively as possible while away from the office.

Will disconnected teams be the price we pay for increased productivity? And should we all really be "eating the frog"? All of this and more on this week's episode of We're Still Here

On this week's episode of We're Still Here, Emily Wright is joined once again by editor Sam McClary to discuss productivity, positivity and frogs. 

 

From the price we must pay for the increased productivity many are reporting as they continue to work from home to some of the more positive elements of lockdown, the duo considers how the sector is faring as we move into the depths of the summer and approach five months of a very different way of living and working. 

 

Also this week we consider what we really mean by the phrase "new normal", the tech titans leading the world's biggest real estate companies through the uncomfortable transition ready for a post-pandemic world and guest interviewee Michael Chittenden on his career path from motorbike mechanic to property investor and why we should all be "eating the frog."

 

Tune in for more. 

'Survival of the fittest': How the restaurant sector can survive the Covid-19 crisis

EG's Jess Harrold and his co-moderator - Nicky Richmond, managing partner at law firm Brecher and part-time restaurant reviewer - are joined by a panel of experts from the restaurant industry to discuss the unique challenges it faces as a result of the pandemic.

Adam Hyman, the founder of CODE Hospitality; Jyotin Sethi, co-founder and CEO of JKS Restaurants; Julia Wilkinson, group restaurant strategy executive at Shaftesbury; and Hugh Richard Wright, restaurant PR and communications consultant offer their insights on which operators will be in the best position to survive this unprecedented climate.

The discussion covers the success of measures including additional use of outside space and change of use to provide takeaway service; what responsible landlords can do to aid their restaurant tenants, including such measures as turnover rents; and how changes in our working lives will affect the demand for high quality dining both in central London and outside.

Future of Leeds: Digital health

With a tech hub at its heart, will digital health become a future focus for Leeds?

Future of Leeds: Resilient to the core

EG editor in chief Damian Wild talks with an expert panel about the city's future recovery and growth

The Future of Leeds: Tom Riordan

EG's editor in chief Damian Wild discusses the vision for Leeds – and how football might just help – with Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan

"We have all had to get used to a new version of normal, but it's not normal at all." As meetings in real life creep back into our schedules, remote working isolation becomes ever more apparent

On this week's We're Still Here podcast, host Emily Wright and EG editor Sam McClary talk about the joy of a few rare in real life meetings but also delve into the power of online events. 

 

How can we take the lessons we have learned from the humanising impact of catching a glimpse into the home lives of our colleagues and contacts back into the real world with us when life starts to return to normal? And how can we deal with the (now) relative familiarity of remote working and isolated existences as in person meetings creep back into our schedules and we are reminded of how life used to be?

 

All of this plus a round-up of the week's biggest news stories on this episode of We're Still Here. 

 

 

Accelerating business recovery and improving operational efficiency

In a world where everyone is now under increased pressure on their top-line numbers, and where growth opportunities are limited at least in the short term, margin is ever more important. Every business is looking for ways to drive operational efficiency – from people, process, technology and data.   This new Radius podcast will discuss how technology can be a huge driver of operational efficiency and debate new and better ways of working.  EG’s Richard O’Connor talks to Matt Cheung of Clarasys and Steve Jack of JLL on their priorities and business outlook.

 

Richard O’Connor, Commercial Director, EG 

Steve Jack, COO UK & International Capital markets, EMEA, JLL 

Matt Cheung, CEO and Founder, Clarasys 

Tech Talk Radio: What can property learn from fashion?

On this week’s Tech Talk Radio, tech and global reporter Lucy Alderson is joined by Skwire chief executive and co-founder Elisabeth Kohlbach to talk about how tech can be used to make savvy PRS investment decisions.

 

Kohlbach set up Skwire to help spur change in the PRS sector, and ultimately show investors that they can provide homes which aren't always "magnolia with someone's old brown leather sofa and Oak Furniture Land circa 2008 furniture".

 

Having started her career in real estate overseeing acquisitions for Duschel, Kohlbach then dipped into the fashion industry, using data to predict key trends. She returned to property in 2018 to set up Skwire, and outlines how important it is to learn from other industries to bring new skills and ideas to the table.

 

Kohlbach also outlines the challenges of navigating a business through a pandemic, and Skwire's plans for the future.