For all the sustained discussions about mobile apps and voice-activated home assistants, the profound effect technology, and Big Data, are having on the property sector is often forgotten. Buildings are physical, after all, and while the benefits of technology might be tangible, the ways software works can seem mysterious, if thought of at all.
In 2020, we look ahead to what some have dubbed the “decade of delivery”. The focus has firmly shifted from statements of sustainable intent to tangible improvements that are critical to addressing global and local sustainability challenges.
By the end of April this year, 223,000 hospitality businesses in Germany had lost around €10 billion in turnover, leaving 70,000 businesses threatened with insolvency. The figures, compiled by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association, show that the hotel industry has been one of the hardest hit sectors during the coronavirus crisis.
At the start of 2020, shopping centres had just emerged from a hugely challenging decade.
Before the COVID-19 crisis, real estate markets presented core investors with a dilemma. Stick to proven definitions of “core” and accept lower absolute returns — or pursue enhanced performance. There were risks associated with both paths.
The real estate sector is one of the biggest contributors to global warming, with the World Economic Forum estimating that the industry consumes 41 percent of global energy annually and accounts for 20 percent of all carbon emissions.
Slowly but surely, we seem to be emerging from the coronavirus crisis. New cases and deaths from COVID-19 are on a steady and encouraging downward trend across Europe.