RE Finland: Gathering of the Tribes

RE Finland in Tampere was the place to go in mid-November Finland, if you’re a local real estate professional. The biggest event for the Finnish real estate business, the one-and-a-half-day seminar was hosted at Tampere-talo.

This year, the topics of the seminar ranged from investment and construction to the proper use of the F-word (Fear). Executives and experts of the Finnish real estate industry were treated with eyeopening presentations, showcasing multiple perspectives. As always, there was ample time for networking in a fun atmosphere.

The keynote for first day, Wednesday 14th November, was given by Oona Strathern who has worked for more than 20 years as a trend consultant, speaker and author. As well as writing about building and living in the future, she has worked on many studies and reports for the German Zukunftsinstitut. Strathern divides her time between Germany, London and the “Future Evolution House” she is building in Vienna.

There No “I” in Future
At Tampere, Strathern talked about how understanding and exploring the megatrends is the key to understanding how we will live in the future. The demands today on our homes and cities are bigger than ever before: not just in terms of technology, but also in terms of our longer lives, gender roles, work and design. How will architects, city planners and designers face the challenges of increasing technology, mobility and our multi-biographical lives?

In Strathern’s mind, the revolution will very much be a “We-volution”, as we move towards a new network culture. Furthermore, changing lifestyles mean that our homes are becoming increasingly flexible, modular and “smart”.

“Smart living will not just be about how we can integrate technology, but also about social intelligence, adaptability and flexibility,” she says, adding that the home of the future will, in a hyper-urban world, be a more “mindful” space. In addition to technology, such factors as layout, design and function come to play here.

Emotional Edge
Another thought-provoking presentation was heard later on in the day as Kevin Gaskell took to the stage. An accomplished entrepreneur, team builder and inspirer, Gaskell led iconic brands such as Porsche and BMW to unprecedented levels of success before starting to create global businesses from scratch.

In the true “superhero CEO” mode, he has conquered both North and South Pole, but not for the adrenaline fix, but to raise money for a cancer hospital. Gaskell also has more than passing familiarity with the real estate business, having started out his career as a civil engineer working on buildings.

At Tampere, Gaskell talked about the importance of capturing emotion to build better business. “If you get people to engage, you can invite them on a journey with you,” he said.

Alchemy Agenda
Gaskell gave the audience his magic formula, too: Commit + Connect + Create. He pointed out that he doesn’t run his businesses on numbers, but on “the magic of shared achievement”.

“You need a clear plan, and then you need to let the team simply go out and do it.”

At RE Finland, there was a lot of talk about digitalization, and Gaskell addressed the issue, too, saying that it is both “the biggest threat and the greatest opportunity” facing companies today.

photos: Kiinko Real Estate Education