Craig Robinson Addresses Real Estate Tech Start-Ups and Investors, Evolving Tenant Needs
Newmark Knight Frank (NKF) is pleased to announce Global Corporate Services CEO Craig Robinson’s informative participation in CoreNet’s Global Summit in Seattle, Washington this week. Robinson spoke on a panel along with Modo Labs CEO Stewart Elliot; Serraview CEO Stephen Macnee; and StateBook International Inc. CEO Calandra Cruickshank, and discussed the latest perspectives in the real estate technology space from the view point of CEO/entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and occupiers.
The panel, entitled “How Corporate Real Estate Tech Start-Ups & Investors Are Betting on the Evolving Needs of Occupiers,” focused on emerging investment trends in corporate real estate technology. Real estate tech funding, has increased tenfold in the past five years, with the number of real estate tech start-ups increasing from less than five per year to 50-to-100 per year.
The latest technologies are driven by key demands, including multi-generational employees seeking a work environment that suits their unique needs, often with highly disparate points of view on what the workplace should look like. Today, employers are faced with expectations created by digital technologies and features that employees use in their personal daily lives. For example, if employees can order groceries on an app while in an Uber, why can’t they reserve a conference room or pre-order lunch from their employee app? Faced with this reality, corporations and landlords are also seeking ways to create more productive and sustainable workspaces that better the lives of their employees while driving a stronger work culture.
“As key advisors for our partners and clients around the world, we need to stay abreast of the leading trends when considering their needs and what will take them into the future,” said Robinson. “To ensure efficiency in our clients’ facilities and increased engagement with their employees, it is mandatory to invest in the human experience and transform the workplace. That means increased focus on mobile technologies, highly personalized interactions with employees, data analytics and advanced workplace management services. This matches our holistic view of meeting our clients’ overall objectives.”
During the panel, Robinson also spoke about ways CRE tech innovators could scale more quickly in the fragmented CRE industry, as well as how end-users and service providers can be stronger advocates inside their firms for introducing and onboarding new technologies.
About Newmark Knight Frank
Newmark Knight Frank (NKF) is one of the world's leading commercial real estate advisory firms. Together with London-based partner Knight Frank and independently-owned offices, NKF's 15,000 professionals operate from more than 400 offices in established and emerging property markets on six continents.
With roots dating back to 1929, NKF's strong foundation makes it one of the most trusted names in commercial real estate. NKF's full-service platform comprises BGC's real estate services segment, offering commercial real estate tenants, landlords, investors and developers a wide range of services including leasing; capital markets services, including investment sales, debt placement, valuation and advisory services; commercial mortgage brokerage services; as well as corporate advisory services, consulting, project and development management, and property and corporate facilities management services. For further information, visit www.ngkf.com.
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