On Thursday, 11th May, SIOR Europe held a networking event at Carter Jonas’ Chapel Place office in association with St Catherine’s College, Cambridge. Speakers tackled the question ‘Is structural change more important than the economic cycle as a driver of the CRE market?’. It was attended by approximately 30 Cambridge students and 40 real estate professionals.
Daniel Francis, Head of Carter Jonas’ Research Team, gave a presentation covering issues such as the retail & office demand drivers, changes within the industrial sector, labour market constraints and the impact of AI on the industry.
Andrew Smith FRICS SIOR, President of the SIOR European Chapter and Head of Carter Jonas’ Industrial Team, followed with another presentation about ‘The Industrial/ Distribution Sector and Open Storage Market’, covering the need to embrace sustainability, exploring the concept of open storage & its benefits and the explanation of the Distribution Sector & economy.
During the networking cocktail the students had the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and clarify questions.
Andrew Smith, Partner, Commercial, Carter Jonas, commented: “It was a pleasure to welcome so many colleagues, friends and students from across our network to Carter Jonas’ head office for the opportunity to discuss the latest advancements in our sector. Understanding the drivers of demand and growth in our market, including the significant contributions from e-commerce and ‘just in case’ supply chain needs, is key to anticipating future trends. Examining these issues alongside the key challenges of rising occupancy costs, labour market constraints and ESG considerations, including net zero ambitions, made for a compelling and interesting discussion.”