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Proptech founders and teams from across Australia will gather in Sydney at the Proptech Forum 2023 on October 19, to collaborate on the future of the industry.

The Proptech Association Australia event is designed to support a dialogue and ideas exchange across the rapidly growing proptech industry.

This is unlike other real estate conferences - where proptechs generally spend their time on the sidelines, in the trade halls or on specialist panels talking about innovation in property as though it is something unusual.

At the Proptech Forum, we place the expertise of proptech founders and their teams at the centre of the conversation, examining what we need to do to build more effective technology and more successful businesses.

In a year that has featured a difficult property market, rising interest rates and a tight funding environment, many proptechs have found it tough going. The Proptech Forum offers everyone a chance to get together again for meaningful conversations and peer moral support!

The vision of the Proptech Association is to create a community of proptech founders who can share experiences and support each other. That's important - not just for our tech - but also for our mental health.

The Proptech Forum is proudly sponsored by Proptech Association founding partner Ashurst and gold sponsor Domain. Roundtables are hosted by Domain, CoreLogic, Dynamic Methods, Data Army and PTBlink.

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Starting from 08:00 AM

Arrival

Coffee and a light breakie snack will be available so you can get in early on some networking.

Starting from 09:00 AM

Welcome

What are the opportunities and challenges Australian proptechs face over the next 12 to 18 months? Proptech Australia President Kylie Davis sets the scene for our second Proptech Forum.

KYLIE DAVIS

President, Proptech Association

Starting from 09:15 AM

Think bigger - Lessons from the Red Shark

Naomi Simson is an award-winning entrepreneur, best selling author, was the Red Shark judge on Channel Ten's 'Shark Tank' and the most followed Australian on Linkedin. She began Red Balloon in the front room of her house with $25,000 to its current position with 3.6 million customers and has won countless awards for her entrepreneurship. Naomi's motto is "If it is meant to be, it is up to me," where she explores how to play a bigger game by focusing on the intersections of people and technology.

NAOMI SIMSON

Red Balloon

Starting from 09:15 AM

Future trends impacting proptech

How will the climate crisis, social equity and AI impact how we live, work and develop solutions? Social scientist, technologist, evangelist, researcher, and futurist, Nigel Dalton, explores Transhumanism, Extropianism, Singularitarianism, Cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism (TESCREAL) and what it means for Proptech.

NIGEL DALTON

Social Scientist, Thoughtworks

Starting from 10:15 AM

How Proptech can solve housing affordabilty

What is the role of Proptech when it comes to the bricks and mortar issues of housing supply and affordability. Dr Ben Coorey is the founder of Archistar.ai, winner of 2022 and 2023 Proptech of the Year awards and is ranked at #29 in the top 100 Australian entrepreneurs. He discusses the role of big data and AI in solving the country's most difficult property problems.

DR BEN COOREY

Archistar.ai

Starting from 10:35 AM

MORNING TEA

Starting from 11:00 AM

The challenges of big property data

Is the plethora of data available in the property sector making us complacent? Jessica Christiansen-Franks, cofounder of Commercial Proptech of the Year, Neighbourlytics, discusses the use and misuse of data in real estate, the rise of arbitrary boundaries and how we need to resolve availability bias to build better proptech.

JESSICA CHRISTIANSEN-FRANKS

Neighbourlytics

Starting from 11:25 AM

The big problems that need solving

What are the big problems emerging across both commercial and residential real estate that urgently need solving, what are their challenges and where are the opportunities? Our expert panel discusses the intersections of affordability, supply, energy efficiency and infrastructure.

ANTONIA MERCORELLA

CEO, REIQ

CAROLYN TRICKETT

JLL Spark

SUZETTE LAMONT

Build to Rent

Starting from 11:50 AM

Financial frameworks that make you fundable

Sure, you need to get your tech right, but one of the key differentiators between okay and stellar proptechs is how their founders focus on the finances. Tom Ellis shares his 14 years of investment insights into the common mistakes made by proptechs looking for funding or exits and how to avoid them to think bigger about your business.

TOM ELLIS

Reach Australia

Starting from 12:05 PM

Bigger through bootstrapping

While much of the focus in proptech has been on investor funding, what happens when you decide to go it on your own and bootstrap? Two founders discuss why they made the call to go after sales rather than investors, how they accelerated growth and how it impacted their businesses.

RAFAEL NIESTEN

Bricks + Agent

DAVID HOWELL

Dynamic Methods

Starting from 12:20 PM

The role of trust and Interpretability in AI

The real estate and property industry is embracing AI with enthusiasm, but how do we as proptechs protect the industries we serve from the well-documented risks and downsides? Proptech Leader of the Year Sarah Bell discusses the key themes in her Doctoral thesis, Uptown, and explores the responsibility we all share in both growing and scaling AI with transparency.

SARAH BELL

CoreLogic

Starting from 12:50 PM

The big impact of energy efficiency

New open-source data from CSIRO is going to create a tsunami of opportunity for proptechs in energy efficiency, renovation and valuation spaces. Cecille Weldon interviews the CSIRO’s Anthony Wright to give us the inside running.

CECILLE WELDON

WeldonCo & REEDI

ANTHONY WRIGHT

CSIRO

Starting from 1:00 PM

LUNCH

Starting from 1:30 PM

Roundtables Session 1

Share your view and have your say in our interactive roundtables. We’ll be sharing the outcomes of the conversations with members and to inform future industry strategies. Check out the Roundtable Rules of Engagement here.

The generational change in Customer Data and Privacy legislation

Data privacy and security is covered by a complicated raft of federal and state legislation and our obligations are dependent on the type of information and how it is being used. Proposed changes to Australia's Privacy Act will change how we think about managing customer data and regulatory risk, and the government is also considering new artificial intelligence and cybersecurity regulations. The next 12 months will be crucial in preparing for potential changes. This discussion will cover what needs to be done by your business today, what are our duties as proptech businesses and to our customers? What can we do to prepare for the coming reforms, and are there baseline standards that can help protect us and keep ourselves compliant?

GEOFF MCGRATH & REBECCA COPE

Ashurst

How to build the perfect API

APIs are touted as the magic boxes of proptech connecting platforms, programs and data. But not all APIs are equal. At the Data roundtable last year, the need for minimum API standards for integration were raised. This year, we’ll dive deep into what those baselines could be to create consistent, secure and quality APIs that support great technology, better client outcomes and deliver industry trust.

DAVID HOWELL & ANITA O’CONNOR

Dynamic Methods

Collaboration in proptech

How can our data, platforms and APIs support a collaborative Proptech ecosystem for the betterment of suppliers, customers and consumers?

LOGAN LINCOLN & HENNIE VAN DEN BERGH

CoreLogic

How to test the market without overinvesting

How do you set your business up for scale and create a product market fit without overinvesting on your new idea? Dani Harmer, general manager of product for Domain has spent her career working in Sydney and New York leading teams in product, sales, marketing and software development including IBM and The New York Times. She leads a discussion on what it takes to build digital audiences, consumer transactions, consumer satisfaction, and revenue.

DANI HARMER

General Manager of Product - Agent Experience, Domain

Solving the Construction Crisis

The construction industry is in crisis in 2023 with more than 1,750 builder insolvencies, chronic housing stock shortage, and high interest rates, material costs and labour shortages and productivity today is lower than it was in 1990. At a critical time, this expert roundtable discussion will dive into the problems and solutions, including: What are the fundamental problems to address in construction today? Why has digital technology not yielded productivity boosts seen in other industries? How can technology help Australia fulfill its ambitious housing targets? And what is the road forward and how fast can we get there?

Andrew Giles & Wayne Larsen

PT Blink

Starting from 2:15 PM

Roundtables Session 2

The AI Race

A discussion about the trends, constraints, and challenges. How can we create Proptech AI that is safe, ethical, explainable and adopted and walk towards a future where customers are more AI mature and more consumers are AI empowered?

JAMES VAUGHAN & SARAH BELL

CoreLogic

Modern Data Strategies for Scaling a Proptech

In the rapidly evolving landscape of property technology, the ability to harness data effectively can be a game-changer for any business seeking growth and innovation. This round table will discuss how proptech data expertise and progressive cloud technology translates into actionable insights, unveiling a host of opportunities and exciting future prospects. Join us for a dynamic discussion that demonstrates how the synergies between visionary entrepreneurship, data expertise and cutting-edge technology can pave the way for success in the proptech sector.

MICHAEL OGILVIE

Data Army

DR BEN COOREY

Archistar.ai

End to end agent solutions

With so many sales and marketing Proptech solutions now available to agents, what does an ideal tech stack mix look like that can help them deliver seamless and wonderful services to sellers from listing to key handover? How can we encourage adoption? Frank Greeff is the head of industry at Domain and Realbase co-founder, and was the CEO when it was acquired by Domain. During this session he will discuss agent pain points, what’s being solved, and what’s still needed

FRANK GREEFF

Domain

Residential energy efficiency ratings and standard

The introduction of an energy efficiency star rating system to Australia's 12 million existing homes will be a game changer that both decarbonises and improves the livability of our homes. But first, there will be an urgent need for information and a clear path for upgrading. At this roundtable we will discuss the upcoming regulation, the need for common standards and the opportunities for proptech. Hosted by Australia's leading expert on residential energy efficiency, Cecille Weldon.

CECILLE WELDON

WeldonCo

Creating better property management experiences

Property management has never been tougher with a shortage of PMs, constant onslaught of new legislation and higher rents than ever leading to investors being blamed for the rental crisis. What role can proptech play on easing the pressure? What's been done so far and where are the gaps?

MATT MCGOWN

Reapit

Starting from 2:50 PM

GRAB A QUICK COFFEE

Starting from 3:00 PM

The big issue of housing affordability

Housing and rental affordability is one of the most pressing issues of our time. What are the key issues, how are governments intending to fix it and what role can proptechs play?

JOHN MINNS

NSW Property Services Commissioner

TRINA JONES

NSW Rental Commissioner

BEN WHITE

Ailo

Starting from 3:15 PM

Lessons from Silicon Valley - Scaling for Growth

Building an effective tech stack is all important but without sales your Proptech is dead in the water. So why do so many proptechs see sales as an expense? Domain's John Foong has an extensive history running sales and growth teams for Google and Uber - as well as aid projects in Africa. He shares his winning lessons for growing a successful Proptech.

JOHN FOONG

Domain

Starting from 3:45 PM

How to sell your Proptech to big business

Big established suppliers have been snapping up proptechs over the past 18 months. What do they look for in an acquisition, how do you approach them if you want to sell out and what should you expect after the deal is done? Is it the opportunity of a lifetime or should you be careful what you wish for?

STEVE GRUBMIER

APAC Partnerships Director, MRI

FRANK GREEFF

Domain

EDDIE CETIN

Agentbox & ReapIT

STUART DULLARD

Ashurst

Starting from 4:15 PM

WRAP OF THE DAY & CLOSE

JENNIFER HARRISON

Proptech Association Vice President

Starting from 4:30 PM

Networking Drinks sponsored by Ashurst

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