By Fascinating, insightful and brilliant, the superlatives could go on forever. FUTURE: PropTech was a great event dedicated to technology innovation in the property / real estate sector. Hosted in Victoria House, London with over 800 attendees, this was the perfect opportunity to meet potential business partners, hear from thought leaders and get up-to-speed with all the latest developments in and around PropTech.
Make no mistake about it, this event had everything you needed to know about PropTech. There were great discussions around the role of technology in the property industry, the changing role of agents and how they can counteract the threat of the cheaper "online" models. Not to mention Google’s compelling talk on machine learning and AI and what it means and how that fits into property. Hot topics also included generation rent and potential solutions in helping to solve the housing crisis, digital strategies for real estate and how agents can use technology as a competitive advantage.
Here’s what the team from Estate Apps had to say:
I attended a few of the different discussions happening in the main ballroom area but by far my favourite was the "Modernising Your Agency" topic. The discussion featured panelists - Rob Symes from Rightmove, Eric Walker from Northwood, Kristjan Byfield from Base Property, Alison Nunez from Andrews, Richard White from Goodlord, Matt Robinson from Nested and was hosted by Graham Norwood, the Editor of Estate Agent Today.
Within the discussion, there were lots of nuggets of information, with insight into tech being used currently and also, the direction in which it's heading.
I also, found the Keynote presentation from Colby Short (GetAgent) titled "Purple Smoke & Mirrors" really interesting. Lots of stats and the general consensus being, "using an online agent might not actually save you any money at all".
Networking is the real USP of this event and it did not disappoint. Not only did we catch up with friends and industry peers but also, met a whole host of new contacts.
Overall, a great event and I congratulate Gary and the team at FUTURE:Proptech 2017 - it gets better and better and I look forward to being a part of the next one (roll on #PropTech2018!).
This years FUTURE: PropTech was hands-down the best PropTech event of the year so far. The exhibitors were diverse and each one was bringing some real value to the industry. On display was everything from improved property management software looking to improve our service today, all the way through to VR and thinking about how we will be marketing the homes of tomorrow.
As an exhibitor, I didn’t make it to many of the panel discussions however I was certainly kept busy! We were surrounded by some of the most forward thinking agents, service providers, and experts from across the industry, each with their own unique insights on how to breath new life into property marketing. The networking opportunities were amazing, providing us not only with a chance for new business but sparked the conversation for future collaborative projects.
We couldn’t have asked for more from Gary and his team at FUTURE: PropTech and we’re very excited to see what he has coming next.
Julien Cote
It was actually a special one for me. It was my first tech conference ever and I’m already looking forward to the next one! ! A super fascinating event that had everything, from lovely perks such as free food and drinks to great networking and great talks.
Networking with people from other European countries was great, it was refreshing to see so people from Europe who have the same interests.
All discussions were intriguing but as a developer, the one that really captivated me was Duncan Watts talk on Google machine learning and automation in advertising. Thank you FUTURE: PropTech for making my first experience at a tech conference worthwhile.
The brand name might be ‘FUTURE: PropTech’ but that bears no resemblance with PropTech's current status. PropTech is right here and in full flow with huge increases in investment for new business. There appears to have been a shift in the property industry as it becomes more aware that it's about time to adapt to meet the needs and expectations of the coming generation. It’s an exciting time for everyone involved in PropTech and it’s interesting to see what the future holds!
Finally, we want to say a massive thank you to Gary and his team at FUTURE: PropTech for a refreshing and an amazing well-rounded event.
