ArborCrowd recently co-hosted a discussion with Harvard University’s Real Estate Development Club about the future of commercial real estate investing.
The Evolution of Commercial Real Estate Investing panel on Nov. 19 featured ArborCrowd Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Adam Kaufman, imbrex Founder and Chief Executive Office Stephen King, and Harvard Associate Professor Boris Vallee.
Commercial Observer Deputy Editor Cathy Cunningham moderated the discussion, which focused on how technology, regulatory changes, and the growth of alternative investments are impacting the real estate industry. The audience consisted of graduate school students interested in pursuing careers in commercial real estate, and the event was followed by a networking session.
“Our goal with this panel was to provide Harvard graduate students with a variety of viewpoints from multiple areas of commercial real estate investment,” Kaufman said. “The sector has undergone a tremendous evolution over the past seven years. To provide attendees with a comprehensive snapshot of where the industry is today and where it’s headed in the future, we felt it would be best to present perspectives from the worlds of crowdfunding, tech, finance and academia.”
The panelists provided expert commentary on a range of topics, including:
- How regulation has facilitated greater access to a wider universe of real estate investments
- Individual investors’ increased investment options
- How technology is fueling increased access to deals and information
- The proliferation of real estate crowdfunding
- How tokenization is making real estate transactions more efficient
- Investment and capital-flow trends, including the impact institutions have on the investment habits of individuals
In addition to this event at Harvard, Kaufman has spoken on panels or was a guest lecturer at graduate school classes at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, New York University and Columbia Business School. Kaufman also gave a presentation about ArborCrowd and real estate crowdfunding as a guest speaker at Harvard last year.