Join us in our welcome panel where speakers will set the scene by discussing the challenges the sector has faced in the past year, what lessons they have learned, and what they are excited about in the year to come.

Moderated by: Lem Bingley, Editor, Property Week

Yolande Barnes, Chair, Bartlett Real Estate Institute, UCL

Mark Collins, Executive Director and Chairman of Residential, CBRE

Michela Hancock, Managing Director, Greystar Europe

Justin Harley, Regional Director, Yardi

What is a campfire?... It starts like any other panel or discussion, with a speaker or panel presenting a topic to the room. The focus then shifts from the presenters to the audience and the presenters’ become hosts and facilitators, inviting questions, comments, and experience sharing from the room.

The aim is to create a real dialogue around the topic, and true engagement in the process. The session will end with the compilation of some key takeaways and some goals for the next 12 months that could be revisited at the next RESi360/BTR360 edition.

This is your opportunity to contribute ideas, experience, and solutions to some of the biggest issues facing the industry currently, so prepare to share during this dynamic session.

Campfires: RESi Regionals

Driving development and investment in the regional residential property market

Designed for real estate developers, investors, local government officials, and urban planners interested in specific regional markets within the UK, each of the campfires will endeavour to deliver the following insights:

• The potential of these regions - overview of the economic and social factors that make these regions prime locations for residential property development and investment
• Strategies for successful development
• Identifying and analysing high-potential areas
• Spotlight: Successful residential property projects and their impact on the local community and economy
• Developing action plans for investment
• Summary of key takeaways

London (Room: Sky Suite)

Led by: Kate Macmillan, Director, KMDC

Jonathan Martin, Director of Inward Investment & Strategic Partnerships, London Borough of Waltham Forest

Charlotte Gilchrist, Senior Asset Manager, Related Argent

Rachel Miller, Investment Consultant and Board Member at Soho Housing

Sheffield (Room: Wokefield 1)

Led by: Nick Riley, Board Director, Whittam Cox Architects

Sean McClean, Director of Regeneration and Development, Sheffield City Council

Clare Plant, Planning and Sheffield Office Director, nineteen47

John Clephan, Senior Development Manager,  Citu

Mark Edwards, Development Director, Capital&Centric

Bristol (Room: Wokefield 2)

Led by: Karl Brown, Chairperson, Bristol Property Inclusion Commission

Gordon Isgrove,  Principal & Managing Director - Bristol, Avison Young 

Zoe Sharpe, Senior Development Manager, Dandara

Julian Harbottle Director, Head of Western Region, Development, Savills

RESi Reimagined (Room: Sky Suite)

Attracting relevant audiences to your real estate: Marketing tactics you can’t ignore.

• Discussing the power of Brand and Marketing and the danger of vanity metrics
• Identifying the opportunities for the real estate sector
• Defining B2B and B2C challenges and solutions – we’ll break into two groups to discuss
• Summary of key takeaways

Led by: Sam Raybone, Brand & Creative Lead, Harris Associates & Harris Studios

RESi360 x Real Estate Balance - Speed Mentoring (Room: Wokefield 2) (Invitation Only)

The session is designed to connect up-and-coming professionals with some of the leading names in the industry. Limited to 40 participants on an invite-only basis, the session will offer professionals at an earlier stage in their career the opportunity to meet senior industry leaders for quick fire conversations around their career aspirations and development, helping them discover new skills, knowledge and gain valuable industry insights.

There will be an equal number of C-suite / leadership level participants and younger property professionals or those within the first 10 years of their real estate career.

The session will start with a 10-minute panel discussion covering the importance of diversity, mentoring and allyship, before explaining the speed mentoring rules.

Real Estate Balance will then facilitate 3 x ten-minute sessions in a 'speed-dating' style format, where a senior leader and younger property professional share insights and ideas on diversity, before a bell rings and everyone moves on to the next person. This means each participant will get to experience three “mini-mentorings”. The event will conclude with informal networking and a quick 'popcorn' round where participants can share their key takeaway from the session.

Facilitated by:

Jo Davis, Chair, Real Estate Balance / Managing Director of Place, UK Executive Chair, Avison Young

Michela Hancock, Managing Director - Europe, Greystar

Violet Pugh, Senior Manager, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing

Vicky Gill, Head of Events, Real Estate Balance

RESi Rookies (Room: Sky Suite)

Inspiring the next generation to design and construct homes for the future

• Making the built environment visible - how do we better connect with young people?
• Understanding the interconnected crises impacting the built environment - housing, climate, biodiversity, and labour
• Changing the perception of the property industry - overcoming a lack of awareness or negative perceptions of the industry to make it more appealing to young people
• Developing a compelling narrative for the built environment - creating a modern, engaging story about the built environment that resonates with young people
• Spotlight: Successful youth engagement initiatives
• Designing youth-centric engagement strategies - we’ll break into small groups to brainstorm and develop strategies for engaging young people with the built environment
• Summary of key takeaways

Led by: Mark Southgate, CEO, Ministry of Building Innovation and Education (Mobie) 

David Hunt, Academic Delivery Manager in Real Estate; Access Programme Leader, University College of Estate Management

Ashish Sharma, Senior Investment Manager, Greater London Authority

Tex Jones, Co-Founder, The Developers Club

Choose from a networking golf afternoon on Wokefield Park's stunning golf course, archery overlooking beautiful scenery or simply enjoy some free networking time at your leisure.

Property Week editor Lem Bingley and Locale CEO Guy Windsor-Lewis take a unique tour in London to better understand the value and impact of technology in residential real estate. Following the screening, there will be a short Q&A with Lem Bingley, editor of Property Week; Guy Windsor-Lewis, Chief Executive of Locale and guests. 

Engage with fellow attendees in a festive, informal setting that encourages relaxed conversation and connection.

Iain Murray, Head of Operational Living at Bidwells, will present a residential market report brought together by his research teams in residential development and sales, as well as operational living. He will cover the complete spectrum of the market, including Planning, Market Economics, Demand and Supply, and Rental Data and Finance.

Three 10-minute presentations to showcase market trends that excite or concern you.

Hear three short, fast-paced presentations on Mixed-Use Medley, Creating Great Spaces, and Making Tech a Success.

Talk 1: Lucy Tilley - Is It a Home? A Hotel? A Work Space? A Gym? – When Buildings go Non-binary

• Isn’t it about time architecture caught up with society - why are so many new developments still using an outdated idea of one building, one function?
• Covering topics from sustainability, social diversity, community cohesion, convenience, evolving working patterns and technology, Lucy will explore mixed-use developments that are designed to keep on shapeshifting to reflect our fluid social and cultural contexts.
• It’s easy to design something great when you have a big budget, but how can that be achieved at all ends of the social spectrum?

Talk 2: Guy Ackernley - Creating Great Communities: A Case Study of Park Hill in Sheffield

Join Guy Ackernley as he shares the story of Urban Splash's transformative work at the iconic, twice-RIBA Stirling Prize-nominated Park Hill in Sheffield. In his talk, Guy will highlight the power of productive partnerships and how collaboration helped turn Park Hill into a vibrant, mixed-tenure community – and even inspired an Olivier Award-winning musical. He will also explore the advantages of mixed-tenure housing in fostering diverse, thriving communities, while addressing both the challenges and opportunities that come with creating genuine social diversity.

Talk 3: Guy Windsor-Lewis - You or Me? Who’s Responsible for Making Tech a Success?

Guy Windsor-Lewis, Chief Executive of Locale, presents his case for who is ultimately responsible for championing technology and making its adoption a long-term success. Is it on the tech provider or the real estate firm?

• Evaluating the successes and failures of existing housing policies - affordable housing initiatives and their impact on the housing crisis
• Regulatory responses - changes in housing safety regulations and the roles and effectiveness of regulatory bodies
• Challenging the ongoing issues of housing shortage, exploring how policy can balance the demand for affordable, high-quality homes
• How do we get more homes built within all the current constraints? Could more devolution and empowering local Govt/areas be an answer?
• Predicting emerging trends and potential strategies for improving policy and planning to better address the needs of diverse populations across the UK

Moderated by: Andrew Teacher

Three 10-minute presentations to showcase demographic trends shaking up the BTR scene.

Hear three short, fast-paced presentations on Later Living, Single Family Homes, and Co-living and their impact on the BTR market.

Moderated by: Mark Woodrow

This session will explore the investment landscape, challenges, and opportunities in the UK’s BTR market.

• As the market continues to mature, what changes can we expect to see in investor appetite?
• Expectations vs reality- strategies for managing return on investment expectations and maintaining investor interest from pipeline through to delivery
• Comparing funding models- where do sources of capital come from and should we expect a shift from the standard model

Moderated by: Kristian Branum-Burns

During the breaks we encourage informal gatherings that bring together attendees with similar interests, roles, or challenges, to network, share ideas, and collaborate. Grab a coffee (or tea), choose a zone, and enjoy a relaxed, informal setting to connect with like-minded individuals.

Analysing how demographic changes, including population growth, aging populations, and migration patterns, are influencing housing demand and preferences.

• Exploring housing designs and community planning needed to support accessibility and well-being
• Managing urbanisation pressures - strategies for urban planning and development and focusing on sustainable growth and infrastructure enhancement
• Diving into trends in smaller household formations and their implications, including the need for more single-person and smaller multi-person dwellings
• Implications of continued shifts in work patterns - developing housing solutions in suburban and rural areas while considering connectivity and community services

Moderated by: Lem Bingley

This is your opportunity to contribute ideas, experience, and solutions to one of the biggest issues facing the industry currently, so prepare to share during this dynamic session.

Led by: Josie Parsons

An honest discussion on navigating the current political and regulatory landscape of BTR. How can we play by the rules without impeding delivery?

• Developing long-term planning processes that are fit for the future and meet the needs of the government, investors, and residents
• The case for the second staircase: unpacking the real implications on new BTR developments and on the wider market, and exploring possible solutions
• Working with councils to increase planning permission and unlock new BTR developments that meet the housing needs of local populations

Moderated by: Dan Batterton

Speakers in this session will discuss what BTR developments needs to stand the test of time. How can we build future-proof, sustainable developments that meet the needs of the population?

• The role of sustainability in BTR developments- examining how green initiatives can be implemented in design, development, and operations to create developments that meet net-zero and ESG goals
• Multi-generational living- exploring how BTR can appeal to different demographics of renters to create vibrant and dynamic communities within developments
• Maximising asset value and minimising risk through multi-purpose developments
• Purpose- built vs regenerated developments- can brownfield sites really be transformed to meet the needs of both BTR operators and local communities?
  

This talk focus on what sets BTR properties apart from traditional residential properties and how to we can design develops to attract both customers and investors. From aesthetics to amenities to technology, this session will delve into understanding the draw of BTR properties beyond pricing.

• Innovations in sustainable technology and building materials - exploring their benefits and challenges in reducing the carbon footprint of new and existing developments
• Energy efficiency and the impact of these standards on new and existing housing stock
• Socially impactful planning and development – promoting sustainability through green spaces, eco-friendly public transport, and infrastructure that supports lower emissions and enhanced community well-being
• Funding and incentives - assessing government and private funding initiatives that encourage developers and homeowners to invest in sustainable housing solutions

Moderated by: Vivienne King

Three 10-minute presentations covering everything from new materials to the latest tech being used.

Hear three short, fast-paced presentations on Green Goodness, Creating a Circular Economy Community, and AI in Architecture.

Talk 1: Tina Qui - Green Goodness: Creating Healthy Homes with Biophilia

Biophilia – our connection to the natural world – is not only informing the way we conceive and create our homes, but is set to transform the entire design landscape. While biophilic design usually conjures images of green spaces and verdant planting, it goes far beyond this – incorporating elements such as natural materials, natural light and landscaping – to improve health and wellbeing, comfort and sustainability. In this talk, we will explore how biophilia can not only be used to create happier, healthier places to live but also support the development of more sustainable, resilient cities. By including biophilic spaces in and on designs, we can improve biodiversity, provide biophilia for onlookers, and even reduce the urban heat island effect. As biophilic design fast becomes a vital focus in urban living, we will explore how this thinking can be applied across the residential sector.

Talk 2: Chris Levett - Creating a Circular Economy Community

Wimbledon’s new build homes finance 121 new homes for the homeless with inclusive community amenities. YMCA, Thornsett and DLA Architecture create a sustainable business model for the future of a residential circular economy.

Talk 3: Kola Ojeyomi - AI Meets Industrialised Design and Construction: A New Era in Building

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the field of architecture, enhancing both the design process and the construction methods. By leveraging AI’s capabilities in design optimisation, project management, and predictive analytics, and integrating these with the efficiency and innovation of Industrialised Design and Construction (ID&C), the construction industry can achieve greater sustainability, reduced costs, and improved project outcomes. Additionally, AI automates repetitive tasks, mitigates human errors, and streamlines processes, saving both time and money on resources. We explore how this synergy is set to transform how buildings are designed, constructed, and maintained, paving the way for smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable built environments.

This session focuses on how BTR developments can deliver social value into local communities. We then ask the audience to ask their questions and share their experiences on the matter to create real engagement and have solutions driven discussion.

Moderated by: Dan Batterton

This session will unpack the operational side of BTR properties and seeks to answer the question- what makes tenants stay?

• Strategies for genuine tenant engagement and implementing feedback in new policies and designs
• Internalised vs externalised management: weighing the pros and cons of each approach and whether they have an impact on tenant satisfaction
• Delivering effective and efficient asset management through the integration of technology
• All about the amenities? Which features do tenants actually use in their homes and which are just for show

Moderated by: Katherine Rose

During the breaks we encourage informal gatherings that bring together attendees with similar interests, roles, or challenges, to network, share ideas, and collaborate. Grab a coffee (or tea), choose a zone, and enjoy a relaxed, informal setting to connect with like-minded individuals.

• Is now the time to double down on current investments or to start exploring emerging asset classes?
• Utilising technology, such as AI and big data analytics, to identify investment opportunities, predict market trends, and enhance operational efficiencies
• The role of the investment community in promoting socially and environmentally conscious offerings

Moderated by: Andrew Teacher

Moderated by: Mel Flaherty

This session will examine the use of AI in the BTR field from all angles.

From increasing efficiency in operational management to measuring resident engagement to predicting future trends- can AI really do it all?

Moderated by: Sam Smith, Director of Operations, Dandara Living

Now that BTR is here to stay, we look to answer the next question- where is it going?

This session explores how we can build upon on current successes and enter the next stage of building to rent.

• From new challenges to new opportunities, what changes do we expect to see in the next year?
• Utilising data to better anticipate demand and identify growth opportunities
• Tackling the housing crisis- how can we continue to bridge the gap between affordable and high quality homes?
• Looking beyond- what lessons can we learn from players outside of the BTR market?

Moderated by: Lesley Roberts

• Prime resi
• Reinventing the agency sector
• Leveraging digital
• The new breed of prime customer (younger, global, etc)

Host: Andrew Teacher

Join us for short, filmed interviews with key winners to gain some insight into the individuals and the projects that came out on top in the awards.