After the golden years, a storm is brewing over the construction and property sector. It will be violent, but (cleansing). Expo Real is a barometer of the mood.
The construction and property industry is one of the most informative seismographs. What moves society moves the industry.
Inflation, high energy prices, interest rate policy and scarcity of resources – the signs are pointing to a storm in the construction and property sector. The ‘gold-rush mood’ of the last ten to fifteen years is over. Was it enough to manage prosperity in the past? Now we are facing the challenges of a sustainable transformation, which will sometimes lead through rough seas. One doomsday scenario is mass insolvencies.
Where could the new situation be more tangible than at Expo Real, Europe’s largest trade fair for property and investment? Renowned industry players presented themselves at the leading trade fair in Munich (4-6 October 2022), which focuses on the entire life cycle of properties, from conception to financing and use. After the limited presence in 2021 under strict hygiene regulations, the trade fair is taking off again this year. It offers plenty of space for dialogue and encounters.
‘Expo Real has always been a compact barometer of the mood in the industry. It is therefore also a fixed date in the annual calendar for HAGER.’ ,Sebastian Jung, Manager Business Unit Construction & Real Estate, HAGER Executive Consulting GmbH
We need captains who can steer and think well
When the waves start to rise after a long journey, sometimes threatening the crew and the ship, captains who can steer and think well are needed for the harbour and the destination.
And more importantly: those who, in an unclear, constantly changing situation, constantly question whether a decision is still appropriate or whether it needs to be readjusted. For specialists and managers in companies in the construction and property sector, this means in plain language: what is needed are not administrators, but personalities who actively tackle the most pressing issues with a certain willingness to take risks. This is how companies will get through the next few years. The industry clearly needs to rethink this.
It is noticeable that companies have become more open to managers from outside the industry, often prominent ones. However, they bring with them precisely the personality to steer the helm innovatively and with a clear vision in turbulent times. The relevance of personality traits has generally increased anyway. New positions are being created that were previously unthinkable, which can be seen as a further opportunity in the looming crisis. In addition, the proportion of female managers in the property industry is growing continuously. Diversity is very important to HAGER and is actively pursued.
Equally relevant for HAGER are the long-standing, trusting client relationships.
The mandates to be filled are currently undergoing a blatant process of change and ‘snap decisions’ – without knowing the market, a company’s own mechanisms and objectives in detail over a longer period of time – can be fatal in monetary terms. Good relationships take time and are not formed ad hoc when ‘the child has already fallen into the well’. Now is the time to equip yourself well with HAGER for the turbulent stormy ride in the industry in order to fill vacancies ideally at a later date.
