GKR London Property Recruitment have just returned from sunny Cannes following a very successful yet extremely tiring MIPIM, 2018. A full week was spent in the sunshine this year, catching up with contacts we met last year, meeting with new professionals in the industry and discussing some of the recent successes in the market. It was fantastic to return in larger numbers and we are thrilled with the outcomes we’ve returned home with. Plenty of new jobs, numerous new clients and passive candidates! But for those not considering new options just yet, we wanted to share our takeaways from such a renowned industry event and offer you some tips in case your considering it next year! Meet some of our team and read on to discover what they took away and what they wish they had known before going! #SeeYouThere.
Grant Kaveney, Founding Director: With 12 years’ specialised recruitment experience and a passion for property, Grant founded GKR in 2010. In 2013, Grant received investment from James Caan CBE and the support of Recruitment Entrepreneur to grow his business to the next level.
Returning to MIPIM for the second year running, it was fantastic to speak to so many positive influencers in the property market right now. One of the most popular discussion points was the flexibility and future of modular construction. Several of our clients are exploring the options of modular building due to time frames in delivery. It’s not cost effective yet, but you can reduce project times significantly compared to traditional onsite construction timescales. Student Accommodation has also been a hot topic alongside it, due to the impact modular builds could have on such an industry.
TOP TIP: Plan ahead and know what you want to achieve, don’t overload your diary and keep it flexible with maybe 3-4 meetings maximum per a day up until 19:00 then move from place to place. Try to use the opportunity to co-host lunches with clients that will benefit you and them.
Michael Woda, Residential Director: Michael joined GKR in mid-2013 following 8 years working for Knight Frank in residential agency. Michael manages a team of five and recruits respectively across Estate Agency, New Homes, Development & PropTech.
From what I could take away from this, prop tech has a very interesting place in the market and has developed globally very quickly, and agents are responding by linking up start-ups with potential investors. Clients that we have worked with over the past 12 months, such as Nested have developed a great reputation in the market for themselves, and the business model that they have implemented seems to have caught the attention of those outside of the London Residential market.
TOP TIP: I would advise anyone interested in attending MIPIM to have some form structure to their day/week. You want to meet with the right people that are relevant to you and the markets’ that you work across as it can be very easy to become distracted/disorientated with the amount of people around you at any one time. You need to remember what’s important to you, your market or your business.
Luke Joy, Senior Commercial Recruitment Consultant: Luke joined us in early 2016 with a track record already working for one of our competitors’. He has worked closely with Grant to grow the commercial desk at GKR and recruits across Project Management, Surveying, Acquisitions, PropTech & Executive Search.
This year at MIPIM, I couldn’t believe the influx of developers; the atmosphere was very different from 2017 where everyone was talking about Brexit & Trump etc.… fast forward 12 months and there seems to be far more stability in the market. Investments are taking place, not just in London but the midlands & the North of England too. The first blockchain property purchase has also just been recorded by HS Property Group, in Manchester. People want to do deals and can move forward now as opposed to waiting to see how the market settles.
TOP TIP: Don’t miss your initial flight, you may end up taking a flight to rural France and then a 9-hour coach ride…. Dedication to the cause!
If you are looking for a new role, new hire or just a new face to share market information with, get in touch with one of our teammates today! We are also currently hiring to meet the demands of the growing market we work within, if you want to work in Property Recruitment call GKR London today.
