Curated daily by our industry experts. Stay informed on how tech is shaping the real estate industry with these important headlines.
The Real Deal
CoStar Group got federal regulators’ stamp of approval to buy residential tech provider Homesnap for $250 million, but the data giant still faces scrutiny over another acquisition that would strengthen its grip on residential listings. CoStar said the Federal Trade Commission cleared its purchase of Homesnap after the two companies submitted the proposed merger last month.
gb&dPRO
Several countries—including Germany, France, Spain, Canada, and Ireland—have introduced targets to achieve net zero energy emissions by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. The truth is there is no one way to achieve energy efficiency, and because there are so many strategies that can help you attain net zero—such as considerations related to lighting, HVAC, and windows—it can be hard to know where to start. Here are five net zero energy building examples …
CREtech
CREtech, the largest intelligence platform devoted to Reimagining Real Estate, announced today a new marketing partnership with Fifth Wall, the largest venture capital firm focused on technologies for the global real estate industry, focused exclusively on climate tech.
marianne3
Chase Garbarino is co-founder and CEO of HqO, the leading tenant experience software platform for commercial real estate. Prior to HqO, Chase was co-founder and CEO of AmericanInno (formerly Streetwise Media) where he helped build a local media network for the innovation economies in over a dozen cities in the US.
Fast Company
There’s a climate culprit hiding inside the bowels of nearly every building in the country. Almost 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions comes from the construction and operation of buildings, and those operations are surprisingly inefficient. From HVAC systems to water chillers to air compressors, the little-seen systems that control things such as lighting and temperature often use far more energy than they need….
Bloomberg
Industrious, an office space provider that counts WeWork among its rivals, named a new head of legal as it bolsters its management team ahead of a potential public listing in 2021. The New York-based company hired Clem Turner, head of the alternative capital practice at law firm Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, in a newly created role as its top lawyer.
The Real Deal
Breather, a startup that rents office space by the day, has run out of air. The Montreal-based company plans to shutter more than 400 locations in the United States, Great Britain and Canada. In some cases, it will assign outposts to third parties, who will close them to repay the company’s creditors, the Globe and Mail reported.
Axios
While offices remain closed and travel isn’t an option, some companies are turning to virtual reality to bring employees together. Let’s face it: Slack sessions and Zoom happy hours can only go so far to promote company cohesion. VR can provide another outlet, even if the technology is still in its infancy.
Microsoft
The campus infrastructure team at the National University of Singapore was getting frustrated. The team wanted to refresh the university’s aging buildings and create a smart campus with connected, automated systems and a cooler, more comfortable outdoor environment. But they couldn’t find a way to make the dozens of standalone systems in the university’s 260 buildings — from air conditioning to elevators and fire protection — communicate with each other.
PlaceTech
Eindhoven, Manchester, Tallinn and Vilnius have been named Europe’s rising stars in the global tech city big league, according to research by Savills.
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