A 15-strong Swiss delegation from the international real estate association attended the 70th FIABCI World Congress in the Russian capital at the end of May. They gained many new insights, especially about what lies ahead in the digital age.
If we are not careful, no stone will be left unturned in the coming years, as the major internet companies Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, as well as industry-related players such as Airbnb, are waiting in the wings and will penetrate many areas of the real estate industry in the not too distant future. This insight was presented in particular by Wouter Truffino, who outlined where he believes the journey in the real estate industry will take us. The PropTech specialist from the Netherlands and founder of the Holland Contech & Proptech and Global PropTech networks impressed more than just the Swiss delegation in the Russian metropolis. "Several major global trends are currently visible: with the development and implementation of ultra-fast wireless networks, our world will change at an even faster pace," Truffino is convinced. The Google Group will soon be able to use smart sensor technology and artificial intelligence to predict consumer behaviour and thus optimize the design of shopping centers, for example. This is just one of many practical examples to come with a direct impact on the real estate industry.
For FIABCI-SUISSE Young Members Anaïs and Jonas Fatio, who attended the event, the panel discussions on the use and central storage of shared data and cloud solutions in the real estate industry were of particular interest. "It was very exciting to see how developed the various participating countries are in these areas. Of course, these topics also fostered interesting discussions with real estate professionals from all over the world." Both are employed by Engelmann AG, a long-established real estate trustee in the Biel region. Anaïs and Jonas Fatio also highlight a panel discussion on the second day of the congress that they will remember for a long time: Maurice Leroy (former French Minister for Cities from 2010 to 2012 and now an advisor to the Mayor of Moscow) discussed his "visions for the future of urban transport solutions in megacities like Moscow".
Tour of major Head-Liner project
Another highlight was the case studies with project tours in Moscow. These included, for example, the construction site of the "HeadLiner" project, a multifunctional residential district with a total area of 144,000 square meters and a 53-storey high-rise building on Shmitovskiy Proyezd near the Shelepikha metro station
The general contractor for the second construction phase was selected in March. The following will be remembered as absolutely outstanding about this project development: the direct and very clever pedestrian connection to the central business district, the maturity of the BIM application, which provides excellent support for marketing from plan, and the very creative and skillfully implemented branding. This made it possible to optimally market the product to the targeted customer segment, for example with an exclusive club membership or even its own clothing collection.
Election of the new FIABCI World President
On the final day of the World Congress, the General Assembly met and elected the new FIABCI World President from among its members, who serve for one year at a time. Last year, the Bulgarian Assen Makedonov held this position and distinguished himself by making digitalization one of the main topics of his presidency. Walid Moussa, born in 1979, was elected President of FIABCI International as Makedonov's successor. He is the founding president of FIABCI in the Arab countries and also president of the Real Estate Syndicate of Lebanon (REAL).
The 71st FIABCI World Congress in 2020 will take place in Manila (Philippines). The French capital, where FIABCI was founded, is expected to be the venue for the association's 70th anniversary in 2021.