Five years ago, Proptech and CRE tech were far from common terms. Fast forward to today and we’re operating in a completely different world, with an almost endless list of new software solutions on offer for the commercial property space. The events of the past nine months have only accelerated the innovation taking place and the need for companies to leverage smart tools to adapt, recover, and drive ongoing growth.
Re-Leased recently hosted a webinar to discuss how to cut through the noise and find the right technology solutions to benefit your business. You can watch the full webinar here with insights from experts from PwC Canada, IREM, and Avison Young.
Here are some of the highlights:
“COVID has really forced property managers to be more online and to leave the paper alone. I think, by nature, property managers are hoarders, especially the older generations. For some reason, we just like to hold on to our hard files. We like to be able to grab our lease file and go through it. Now, we have to be able to do things on the move and be able to work from home. I hadn't heard the word Zoom before March. It's really forcing those in our industry to really get up to speed on technology, because it's very difficult to operate without it.”
Natalie Allred, Principal & VP of Real Estate Management Services, Avison Young
“Consider the return on investment: How much does it cost versus the time it’s going to take me to shutdown, reconfigure, and put that into my Proptech stack? Is it going to cause my staff headaches by making the transition? How long is that transition and what’s the cost?”
Chip Watts, President, IREM
“Understand what problem you think you're trying to solve and check that you have consensus with others in your organization that it’s actually a problem worth solving. Spending time on defining the problem early is really important.
It's also really important to think about the impact five years from now. Are the problems you're solving going to unlock capacity in your business to become more profitable in line with your strategy? Or are you solving a pain point just because it's frustrating on a daily basis and you don't like it?”
Jordan Bennett, Partner - Cloud Finance, PwC Canada
Chip Watts, CPM®, CCIM, is the 2021 President of IREM (the Institute of Real Estate Management). He is president and executive CPM for Watts Realty Co., Inc., AMO®, in Birmingham, Alabama. He started his real estate career in 1998 as general manager of Watts Realty, and earned his current title in 2006. During his tenure, he received the AMO accreditation on behalf of the company.
Jordan Bennett is a partner at PwC Canada, and leads PwC Canada’s Cloud Finance practice. Based in the Greater Toronto Area, Jordan works closely with his clients to solve their business challenges. Jordan helps clients adopt leading Cloud Accounting technology to improve efficiency and gain deeper insights into their businesses. Jordan is passionate about the success of his clients, and this is clear in the enthusiasm and responsiveness that he brings to his clients.
Natalie A. Allred, CPM joined Avison Young in July of 2017 as Principal of Avison Young and Vice-President of Property Management in Las Vegas. She leads the firm’s local property management group with a mandate to facilitate continued client satisfaction while integrating with Avison Young’s national investor services platform to attract new clients. She also collaborates with colleagues in Las Vegas on the expansion of local office operations through the recruitment of property management, sales and leasing specialists. In addition, she will liaise with Avison Young’s corporate leaders to grow the company’s footprint in Southern Nevada.
A Global Sales Leader skilled at introducing Financial Services and Real Estate firms to ground-breaking technology and research, and adopting best process to generate and operate business. Currently helping scale and grow Re-Leased globally.
With a background in B2B marketing in enterprise tech, Matthew - or "Mateo" - now manages the marketing initiatives and partner engagements across North America for Re-Leased, focusing his time on developing relationships with partners who share a passion for digital transformation and technological efficiencies.