Real estate expert: changes in the labor market will also affect the construction sector; some specialists will become superfluous

In a press release, the expert talks about the real estate market in the near future: the challenges faced by professionals working in the construction sector.

– He has completed Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Management and Administration at Vilnius Tech University (Gediminas Technical). How do you apply the knowledge and practical experience gained at the university to work?

– While studying a master’s degree, you had chosen the field of financial forecasting and management. In the summer I did an internship at a bank, an insurance company. This helped to consolidate the knowledge acquired in the university. Now I am interested in real estate (NT). My first jobs were in the public sector, more precisely, in the municipality of Vilnius. Before graduating, Lithuania’s accession process to the European Union (EU) and NATO began. At that time, Vilnius was an exemplary city not only in Lithuania, but also in the entire region. This has helped the business grow faster, which has made the city attractive for new investment. I got a job in the Investment and Economic Development Division, Investment Division. There I worked with new projects in Vilnius. It was interesting to apply the management knowledge acquired at the university to work. I currently work for LNTPA. We represent a large sector that generates several percent of Lithuania’s gross domestic product (GDP). In this job, I am helped by the management skills I acquired in college, for example, how to manage an organization whose members compete with each other. I try to bring them together to achieve a common goal, I constantly encourage the exchange of information. My main task is to find everyone’s good qualities and strengths.

– Tell us what activities the Lithuanian Association for Real Estate Development participates in and what challenges you face at work.

– We are a small organization with only four employees. Challenges: every day. It is often necessary to explain the need for this organization: one that unites the competitors, but at the same time represents the entire real estate sector. It is important to maintain close relationships with the members of the association, to be able to persuade with arguments. Together, we are working to improve certain laws and regulations. I constantly face challenges: I look for arguments, I am delving into various specific topics related to construction, taxes, law. We often hold consultation meetings.

One of the challenges that I could highlight is the implementation of notable changes in other sectors. Currently, the fourth industrial revolution is rapidly gaining ground in the construction field, where it will inevitably be implemented. In fact, the challenge is to knock out, accelerate the real estate sector. But I am glad that this is being done gradually and that we are seeing changes in the companies we work with.

– How is your working day?

– My working hours are very different. Meetings or meetings are held regularly. In the first half of the day I am interested in foreign news and practices, preparing various proposals. In the afternoons I usually exchange information with my colleagues. I interact a lot with associations that carry out similar activities. Also with architects, designers, builders, companies interested in construction and the real estate sector. Of course, I also communicate a lot with the members of the association. During the quarantine, my schedule also radically changed: I spent a lot of time at the computer, communicating with partners by phone, using remote means of communication. This saved a lot of time. I also contribute to the biannual event “Feria de la Vivienda”. During it, we try to bring together large communities of people planning to buy a home. We tell participants about city planning, housing market trends, financing and investment opportunities.

– This year he was elected president of the LNTPA. What has changed since you took on more responsibilities?

– I think my tasks will remain the same. In my opinion, the president of LNTPA is a representative position, so you will have to speak more often in the public sphere and speak about the most relevant issues for the association. There will be more meetings, meetings with politicians. The most interesting thing for me is bringing together a community, real estate companies that have expressed their trust and voted for me. I also want to strengthen the international representation of the association and join two international organizations with which we have collaborated indirectly for some time: BuildEurope and Urban Land Institute. I also want to pay close attention to the education of real estate developers, to create a training program for continuous improvement.

– What skills and qualities do you think future employees will need?

– Future employees should know where to find the information they need. In the past, we sought information in libraries after meeting live with professionals in their field. Now everything is “here and now”. Cooperation is also very important. If you close and a course, you may be successful, but it will take a long time. The quarantine has shown that people flock to communities: someone volunteers, helps doctors, develops common innovative products. We will have more than one challenge in life. It simply proves that the force is in unity. My job is to discover the strengths of such communities.

– Do you notice changes in the real estate market?

– We do not avoid innovations, robotization processes. We see that houses can now be built by robots. The house can also be printed. The time will come when the drawing will be taken into your hands, what and how it should look will be decided, and then it will be enough with the press of a button and the house will appear. Spoken for ten years, the Chinese have built the first examples. The challenges will be considerable. As the construction industry changes, so will the job market. Discovering new skills will be very important. Some people in the construction industry will become superfluous and will have to retrain.

– What advice would you give to people who want to undertake new activities but do not dare to try their luck in new areas?

– It is not easy to breathe courage. I would always advise thinking about the results. Imagine wanting to become a creator of innovation, discovering a new field or niche that is not occupied. Or vice versa: it is busy, but you can recover part of the society. It takes perseverance and hunger. If you have these qualities, move with determination towards the goal. I can’t say it’s necessary in all areas, but it really takes courage, the right equipment and the skills. The most important thing is to have a goal. Now we have a lot of information, we can find it anywhere and at any time. I want to search and network in as many different areas as possible, seek help, use modern communication channels. I also want a lot of courage, because brave people achieve everything faster. At the moment, we have to think globally, create business not for Lithuania, but for the whole world.