Are people really productive working remotely? #CRE chatter with Samantha McClary

In this first episode of Season 2, Samantha McClary, editor of real estate media company, EG, (virtually) joins Bold founder Caleb Parker to share some of the chatter she’s hearing in commercial real estate.

The two discuss whether people are really productive working remotely, what the “new normal” looks like when we come out Covid-19 lockdown, how companies are rethinking their office strategy, the role of Space-as-a-Service and of course how this affects commercial landlords.

Connect with Sam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/samanthamcclary

Connect with Caleb on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Caleb_Parker

Questions in this episode:

1. How has your productivity been affected during lockdown?
2. Does everyone in your team feel the same as you, or does it vary based on each person's work from home circumstances?
3. CBRE projects offices could be half empty for up to a year after lockdown. Do you think people will want to rush back to the office and stop working from home?
4. Referring to the recent EG podcast with Neil Usher, he talks about a reset as companies consider a strategy for a return to work. Can you elaborate on that, and what this will mean for landlords?
5. What PropTech companies / solutions can help #CRE serve their customers better / keep customers safe when we come out of lockdown?
6. Before the pandemic the movement toward Space-as-a-Service, which includes coworking, flex and serviced offices, was approaching 10% of the overall office stock.  Considering we're all undergoing this global remote work experiment, and the latest headline of Barclays CEO saying "putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thing of the past" + RXR nixing the big Airbnb deal at 75 Rockefeller in NYC - what talk are you hearing from asset owners/managers on this topic now?
7. Once we do get back to normal (or a new normal), do you expect to see the money in CRE bypassing traditional asset managers and doing deals directly with Space-as-a-Service operators? (Referencing #WorkBold podcast Season 1, Episode 10 with Dror Poleg)

Value Bombs

• There are too many PR-seeking headlines and knee jerk reactions from commercial real estate to this pandemic.
• But companies are rethinking their office strategy.
• Tech and media companies are productive working remotely.
• Remote work productivity is linked to how people are doing emotionally.
• Creative work requires coming together in a face to face environment.
• Working remotely doesn't work for everyone.
• It's not the office OR remote work. The future includes both.
• The future = smaller head offices, remote work and access to workspace close to home.
• Real estate investors will partner with the best Space-as-a-Service operators to improve the customer experience.

About Samantha McClary

Samantha McClary is EG editor, Co-founder of REWIRE and Co-host of TechTalk Radio.

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-mcclary-b4635a4a/