CBRE IM: Active asset management vital in the digital age

Office and retail assets are not redundant, but they do need to be actively managed if they are to remain relevant in the digital age, according to Eric Decouvelaere, head of EMEA urban destinations, CBRE IM.

Eric Decouvelaere

Speaking to CRE Media Europe at EXPO in Munich, Decouvelaere urged that this should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a chore. “Thanks to digitalisation, you can work from home, you can buy online, so you don't need those physical assets,” he said.
“This is a revolution for us because now we need to operate those assets to make them attractive. We are moving from supply-led to demand-led. I really love what I do for a living because we really need to start with our audience. We need to devise what we need to deliver to them and then execute it well.”
Decouvelaere said that a different mindset requires a change in language. “I don't have a team of asset managers,” he said. “I have a team of asset enablers. If you like to create, if you like to manage complexity, if you like to not to follow the flow… I think it's an interesting space.”
He added: “It is fascinating to see the evolution. It's not finished. What we have now in front of us is a reset. We have had a reset on valuation. We have had a reset on rents. Now, we have a reset on products, and tomorrow we'll have a reset on operating capacity.”

Adam Branson