The Global Henley Prop Tech Forum 2023

Where academia meets industry to explore the transformative influence of cutting-edge technologies on the real estate landscape.

On November 7th, 2023, undergraduate students delved into the future of real estate at the Global Henley Prop Tech Forum, a pivotal event under the Managing Change in the Real Estate Sector module. Led by Dr Matteo Borghi, lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Henley Business School, UK, and supported by Kee Liang Chin, Chartered Surveyor and Real Estate Lecturer from Henley Business School Malaysia, the forum seamlessly connected our Reading and Malaysia campuses in real-time.

Developed in collaboration with prestigious partners such as the UK PropTech Association, The Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship, the Malaysia PropTech Association, the Reading Real Estate Foundation, and the Silicon Valley PropTech Association, this event was tailored exclusively for our Real Estate and Planning students. Its purpose was to offer a unique opportunity to glean insights from leading technology and real estate experts hailing from the UK, Malaysia and Silicon Valley, exploring the profound impact of disruptive technologies on the real estate landscape.

Structured as a series of presentations delivered by distinguished guest speakers, the forum evolved into lively debates and collaborative sessions between students and industry experts. This engaging format ensured active student participation and provided a platform for fruitful discussions. Notably, the event transcended geographical boundaries, taking place face-to-face at our Henley Business School campuses in Reading and Malaysia while simultaneously being live-streamed online.

Speakers & Contributors
UK Guest speakers and panel members:

• Matt Webb, Technology lead with over 20 years experience at global CTO level for large digital agencies, BIMA 100 Tech trailblazer 2021, panel member: “IoT, Augmented Reality and Web3 impact on the Future of Prop Tech”
• Dr Mininder Sethi, Lecturer at the ICMA Centre, University of Reading, specializes in Machine Learning and Big Data with over 15 years of experience, panel member: “Big Data Analytics and Machine Learning impact on the Future of Prop Tech”
• Sammy Pahal, Managing Director of the UK PropTech Association, talked about “Prop Tech Future in the UK”
• Dr Chenai Gondo, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer at Hestia, talked about “Technology and Innovation in Real Estate – the journey of a real estate entrepreneur”

Malaysia Guest speakers and Panel members:

• Dr Daniele Gambero, President of the Malaysia PropTech Association, co-founder of PropTech start-up Propenomy.com, talked about “PropTech: the backbone of Malaysian Smart Cities”
• Ms Loo Hoey Theen, General Manager, Marketing and Business Innovation at Sunway Malls, talked about “Revolutionizing Retail Real Estate: Proptech Strategies from Sunway Malls”
• Prof Teck Yong Eng, Head of Henley Business School Malaysia and Director of the Centre for Global Business Enterprise & Cloud Analytics, panel member: “The role of educational institutions in the future of Prop Tech”

Silicon Valley Guest Speaker

• Dr. Alina Aeby, President and founder of the Silicon Valley PropTech Association and  Global Coordinator for Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at National Association of REALTORS®, talked about: “The Silicon Valley Mindset towards a more sustainable future in the real estate sector”

This forum, an integral component of the second-year module Managing Change in the Real Estate Sector (RE2MCRE), exemplifies our commitment to providing a comprehensive educational experience that embraces global perspectives and cutting-edge industry insights. It was a truly enriching experience, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and knowledge among our students and esteemed guest speakers.

Our speakers and organisers' comments after the event

Prof Teck Eng: “Congrats to Kee Liang and Matteo on such a great forum for experts to share with our students/future leaders! I find the talks were very insightful and refreshing as an academic and researcher. I believe our students learned a lot from the talks. The line-up of speakers is balanced with different perspectives for proptech developments. Again, congrats on a successful attempt to deliver our lectures across campuses! This is commendable, giving our students from both campuses to interact and share their learning experience. Well done!”

Sammy Pahal: “It was great to be part of the Global PropTech Forum for a second year, and inspiring to share the stage with speakers from across the globe to give the students a real view on the significant of the PropTech industry and the opportunities it may present them. The enthusiasm and proactivity of the students was particularly inspiring – with many of them using their own experiences and challenges to come up with real solutions and ideas.  Thinking like real entrepreneurs!”

Dr Chenai Gondo: “I really enjoyed talking about my entrepreneurship journey and how we are using #technology to improve #retrofit. Engaging with the students and exploring their business ideas was a highlight of the event for me. To all the students and future leaders I met: Keep innovating, keep learning, and don't hesitate to reach out.”

Dr Alina Aeby: “Congratulations Henley Business School and Matteo Borghi for your dedication and passion of teaching real estate and proptech entrepreneurship from a global perspective. I was very honored to share my experience alongside distinguished guests and fellow entrepreneurs, thank you for having me.”

Dr Daniele Gambero: “Thank you for organising such a meaningful and insightful, not only for the students, event. I look forward to bringing the cooperation between the Malaysia PropTech Association, the global proptech ecosystem, and academia closer through constructive cooperation such as this event! A big thank you to all students too for participating, I am sure they have had the chance to better understand how technology and properties can co-exist and cooperate in making the built environment a more sustainable ecosystem.”

Matt Webb: "Another great year for the Global Proptech forum, not only for the team to share thoughts, learn from one another to push the industry forward, but also for the students on both sides of the world to be inspired by the content - and then to reciprocate with brilliant questions"

Loo Hoey Theen: “It is indeed a valuable experience for the students to be exposed to different perspectives towards this topic. This is the kind of value that students will carry with them when they start their corporate journey, giving them the advantage over many others. Do continue this good effort.”

Dr Minider Sethi: “This was an excellent event. It showcased the best of The Henley Business School in terms of expertise in real estate and in entrepreneurship and innovation. It was a real pleasure to be part of the event.”

From the Malaysia Campus, Mr KL Chin commented by saying; “It is great to see the collaboration of both campuses in Whiteknights, UK and EduCity in Malaysia.  Such exchanges of ideas and learning among scholars and students across the globe has inevitably enhanced the learning experience of our students. A big thank you to all who have contributed and assisted in this. We look forward to another great event next year!” 

As a final remark after the event, Dr Matteo Borghi said: “After witnessing the insightful discussions during the Global Henley Prop Tech Forum, I am profoundly inspired by the intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm displayed by our students. The event served as a testament to the power of collaboration and the impact of bridging academic knowledge with real-world expertise. It reaffirms our commitment to fostering a transformative learning environment, where innovative ideas and industry insights converge, shaping the future leaders of the real estate sector.”