The adoption of a hybrid communication style — using both online and in-person methods — can be seen already in the commercial real estate investment industry.

“You are also likely to see less travel in the early stages of diligence, as LPs and GPs alike have found it can be more efficient to have initial conversations virtually,” says Scott Arden, managing director at Sentinel Real Estate Corp. “The same could be said for ‘desktop’ work, like operational due diligence, given folks have found this can, for the most part, be done virtually.”

But such a hybrid communication style means you don’t simply get credit for showing up.

“Investors also seem to be spending more time virtually when conducting due diligence,” explains Heather Fernstrom Border, co-founder and managing partner of Alliance Global Advisors. She says that means real estate managers need to work harder to stand out from the crowd.

“It is more important than ever to s