“The primary lesson we have learned is that the speed of change is accelerating,”
“We believe this acceleration will become faster and faster.”

John Brady, Head of Global Real Estate at Oaktree

The expert mentioned navigating a new world that is moving so quickly is difficult and it’s essential to be in tune with cycles of liquidity going to extremes. Most critical is navigating the movement of money from now on.

“As we have seen the pandemic move from Asia to Europe to the US, and then back and forth, it’s important to have a diversified portfolio.”

Christoph Donner, Chief Executive Officer, Allianze Real Estate, United States

He provided takeaways from the past year. This diversification has helped the global insurer with an AUM of roughly $90B AUM continue to invest in varied property types throughout the pandemic. Donner also explained the importance of having teams in cities across the globe, aka “boots on the ground,” which has allowed the company to take advantage of opportunities and make decisions faster, particularly if crisis management was needed. Lastly, he stressed the necessity of leaning into and relying on existing relationships.

“It’s been a good time to pause and observe how we want to move forward,”
“The pandemic has forced us to go back to the basics, look at social behavior, and understand what the client wants.”

Sylvain Fortier, Chief Investment and Innovation Officer, Ivanhoe Cambridge