Property Conference on trends, insights and challenges

How property-owners’ decision-making influenced the Christchurch rebuild, challenges to commercial landlords posed by the rising co-working culture, and a new approach to managing Māori land are among the topics being covered at a major property research conference in Auckland.

The University of Auckland Business School’s Department of Property will host the 24th Pacific Rim Real Estate Society (PRRES) Conference from 21-24 January 2018.

The conference brings together leading thinkers and practitioners in disciplines of property and real estate. Its 2018 theme is “Property research for our changing world”, and it covers broad ground, including housing markets, urban planning and design, sustainability, behaviour economics, property management, investment and valuation.

Industry-sponsored panels will explore millennials and real estate, the future of work and commercial property, and market dynamics in the wake of the Christchurch, Wellington and Kaikoura earthquakes. The panels are sponsored and presented by CBRE, JLL and Colliers International.

Other New Zealand-focussed sessions highlight research into regional regeneration focussing on Ashburton, Timaru and Oamaru (from the Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities National Science Challenge); Auckland’s unaffordable housing market; changing notions about Waiheke Island baches by their owners, buyers and sellers as a window into what happens when “homes” become “assets”; the “over sixties” townhouse market in Christchurch; and a new framework for better managing collectively owned Māori land.

Delegates will also get insights into trends and challenges in other markets and countries, including Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Professor Colin Lizieri (University of Cambridge) and Professor Norm Miller (University of San Diego) will deliver keynote speeches on the dynamic challenges afoot in the property profession globally and what to expect over the next decade.

“We’re excited to host such a strong line-up of researchers from around the world,” says organiser Professor Deborah Levy, head of the Department of Property at the University of Auckland Business School. “Property touches everyone and represents a major economic and social force, and rigorous, relevant research supports best practice and better policy.”

So far, over 170 delegates from 17 countries have registered for the conference. Further details and a programme are available here (click on PRRES 2018 Digital Handbook for full details).

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