What a year

If you had told someone back in December last year that we would now be walking around in masks, adhering to strict social distancing regulations and mostly working from home, then they would have suggested that you go and lie down in a quiet room for a little while, writes Arno van Grondelle.

Today, we accept these restrictions as normal, or as some people say, the dreaded “new normal”.

Everyone has suffered, in one way or another. From the tragic loss of life, to the emotional scarring, to the heavy damage absorbed by our economies, no one has been able to escape the effects of the pandemic, which are, of course, ongoing and show little sign of ending any time soon.

Our inability to meet with colleagues from different countries and organisations has left a huge gap in our professional lives, as has the slowdown in transactions and business in general for the real estate investment community.

Granted, managers have still been able to raise some capit