Sir Winston Churchill said “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. The situation at the end of World War II made it possible for Churchill to form the fundamentals of the United Nations. The Chinese hold the same believe, the Chinese word for “crisis” is composed of two Chinese characters signifying “danger” and “opportunity” respectively. The previous blog posts voice ways to advance during the Corona crisis. In light of this knowledge I am very pleased to notice a great opportunism in the real estate industry. It is up to us to make the Corona crisis to a blessing in disguise.

Corona has shown us the impact of our health on the economy. The strict lockdowns of countries have halted major industrial production chains. Luckily the Netherlands was spared from a complete shutdown of the economy. Especially now we have to focus on sustainable growth which needs a long term view on society, nature, and upcoming generations. Growth where current carrying issues are passed on to upcoming generations (our future customers) is wasteful growth.

At times of crisis, sustainability might be a luxurious topic and optional. However right now there is momentum to continue our efforts on our sustainable goals for 2030. Research has shown that people in the Netherlands are more aware about their surroundings, more attentive about climate change and willing to put their money where their mouth is. This grown conscious has a lot to do with the changes people face because of working from home, and being forced to minimize their habitat.

The real estate industry is one of the building blocks to facilitate changes in the environment and society. The fast application of digital platforms and working from home will spurt the demand for our products responding to these changes.

In our projects we should anticipate on products with a focus on for example: an office at home, a children’s corner, and better access to the environment. With these efforts we can help the quality of living and mental health of our communities. This is a joint effort of which I am sure we can together work towards.

The Greek philosopher Plato mentioned that necessity is the mother of invention, as such the Corona crisis can act as the forcing mechanism to compel expeditious innovation, leading to rapid advances in technology, policy, and partnership. I am confident that we can cross bridges especially now in times of crisis.

I look forward to continue our connections and build new alliances to improve our world for the better.

Marcel Schipper, CEO VolkerWessels Vastgoed