Real estate and proptech experts discuss post-pandemic market conditions in reopened China

Top-level decision-makers and business leaders spoke at length on the aftermath and legacy of the health crisis to the Chinese property market

The latest edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit live webinar series assembled experts in real estate analysis and consultancy, investment and proptech on Thursday, 11 June to discuss and reflect on the changes to the Chinese property markets in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The live videoconference, dubbed “China Reopens”, hosted Dr. Gang Lu, the founder of TechNode Global, the exclusive partner of TechCrunch in China. Dr. Lu, who last appeared at the 2019 PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit event, was joined by Ivan Lam, Head of International Business, Charter Keck Cramer; James Macdonald, Head of Research, China, Savills; and Vincent Cheung, Founder and Managing Director, Vincorn Consulting and Appraisal Limited.

Nearly 250 registrants from about 18 countries logged on to the Zoom videoconference to hear Dr. Lu and other speakers talk at length about the rising adoption of e-commerce, livestreaming and other digital trends among Chinese entrepreneurs and consumers after the country became the first to reopen following its race to contain the pandemic.

Dr. Lu said: “From a tech point of view, all of these examples that we see were not suddenly invented during the pandemic. All the technology, all the services have been used in China for over two years. The pandemic did not create something new in the tech space but basically just pushed everything to move much, much faster than before.”

Winston Lee, Director of New Projects, PropertyGuru, who moderated the webinar, concurs: “Live streaming has become almost the de facto channel for marketers to reach out to buyers.”

He added: “COVID-19 has actually spurred the Chinese to be more interested in overseas investment. One of the key drivers for that is the cost of buying a home for their own stay. They also want to buy a home where they can find a place with medical infrastructure to support them. During the outbreak in China, it has dawned upon many that the current healthcare infrastructure is probably not enough to cope with 1.4 billion people.”

“China Reopens” is one of PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit’s “Asia Reboot” live webinar series, part of its ongoing efforts to provide post-pandemic insights and solutions for large-scale property investors, property developers, architects and designers.

Jules Kay, managing director, PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, earlier said: “As the trusted platform for millions of property seekers across Asia, PropertyGuru is proud to offer expert guidance to property developers as they navigate the post-pandemic era in real estate. We want to help developers approach this new normal from a well-informed perspective, supported by advice from knowledgeable thought leaders in investment, finance, design and development. This webinar series will go a long way towards helping companies remain resilient after disruption.”

PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit introduced its “Asia Reboot” webinar series in April 2020, hosting its first live session in partnership with global design firm YOO Worldwide. It was joined by nearly 700 participants from 37 countries around the globe who listened in to a panel of industry experts based in Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore and London.

The annual PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit 2020, with a theme of “Spirit of Innovation” focused on green technology and sustainability, will take place at the Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok in Thailand on Thursday, 3 December 2020. Speaking, sponsorship and partnership opportunities are available for the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit series.

For further enquiries, email [email protected]. Visit the official website AsiaRealEstateSummit.com and follow our social media for upcoming live webinar announcements.

A replay of the webinar for those who missed it: