On Wednesday, October 29, the who’s who of the branded residences industry came together for the Branded Residences Forum (BRF), a fully sold out day of dynamic discussions, networking, and partnerships, that focused on this ever growing sector of luxury real estate.
These events can sometimes become one dimensional cheerleading exercises, but not at BRF. A diverse range of speakers with varying perspectives drilled down on the sector comprehensively—celebrating the successes while addressing the challenges and shortcomings.
This expertly planned event struck the perfect balance of expert speakers, knowledge sharing, strategic planning, reflection, friendship and socialising (with just a touch of self-promotion).
Organised by The Bench, in partnership with Accor One Living as Founding Sponsor, Global Branded Residences as Strategic Partner, Marriott International Digivalet, and New Murabba as Sponsors, and BRESI as Media Partner.
Branded Residences Forum (BRF) is held alongside FHS World, this exclusive one day forum, explores the thriving sector of branded real estate.
Branded Residences Forum
The event began with organiser Jonathan Worsley, CEO of The Bench, welcoming and thanking the packed out room and promising a day of insight, high-level connections, and business opportunities.
Jonathan brings genuine warmth to these events, and it is clear that he is incredibly passionate about organising these exclusive industry gatherings. He and his team have been bringing together top professionals for the past 20 years.
Niceties and welcome’s over, Jonathan handed over the MC duties to Barry Landsburg Principal Landsberg Residential Consulting Inc, Events like this need both personality and experience, with his 20 years in the sector and a genuine passion for the industry, he was a great choice.
Branded Residences State of Play & The Numbers in Detail
First up was Jeff Tisdall Chief Business Officer, Global Head of Mixed-Use Accor One Living, this presentation would have been particularly interesting for anyone new to branded real estate, Jeff expertly and clearly detailed the state of play within the sector.
Riyan Itani Director and Founder, Global Branded Residences a regular speaker at these types of events, and a true branded residences specialist, then took to the stage to drill down on the numbers and key global trends.
Riyan highlighted that this fast moving industry now sits at 1,789 completed and pipeline projects, made up of 784 completed projects and 1,005 developments that are either under construction or have been announced, the completed developments house around 125,000 units whilst pipeline projects are expected to bring approximately 179,000 homes to the sector.
The branded residences sector is expected to grow by a further 120% in the next 5-7 years.
Interestingly for branded premiums, Urban projects sit at 24%, Urban Resort 41%, Resort 68% and Global 43%, the globally adjusted brand premium for branded residences has increased slightly to 37%.
Reviewing the industry as whole and certain trends, standalone branded residences are becoming increasingly popular and the current pipeline of projects far outweighs in favour of standalone over hotel co-located and integrated residences. They are currently on track to becoming the dominant force of the sector.
TENEX Leadership Talk: Where Lifestyle Meets Living
Next up were Gaurav Sinha, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Insignia Worldwide, and Christoph Hoffmann, Creator and CEO of the 25hours Hotel Company.
This was one of the day’s highlights, even though the discussion openly addressed several challenges facing branded residences.
What made this discussion so compelling was the honesty on display—a frank conversation between two highly respected leaders about how the industry has become overly focused on brand standards, buzzwords, legal complexities, and the bottom line, rather than on building great homes and delivering meaningful experiences.
‘What is a residence and what is a home?’ was the core theme of this discussion, which explored opportunities being missed by some developers. Gaurav emphasised that simply adding a brand name to a building without genuine focus on experiences and values, can result in developments that feel shallow, superficial, and meaningless.
Christoph joked that the conversation felt more like two friends sitting by a fire with a glass of wine, getting philosophical—and it genuinely did.
25hours Heimat Dubai
The pair discussed 25hours creating their first branded residences in Dubai, explaining how the focus during planning stages was less on the residences themselves, albeit they would be beautifully designed, appointed homes, and more on bringing people together through communal gardens, community kitchens and lifestyle experiences
A desire to bring genuine interaction between homeowners, and not just a building where residents spend most the time within their apartments and not knowing who their neighbour was.
The conversation flowed, and even questioned whether hotel brands should stay in their lane, and do what they do best and stay out of real estate, even discussing the possibility of creating new brands to take the sector to the next stage.
A refreshing, interesting and thought provoking conversation that was not negative about the sector, but more about exploring how the sector can be improved.
Kudos to the organisers for bringing these two fine gentlemen together.
Top Tier Branded Residences Insight Shared Throughout The Day
This event offered the very best insight and opinion covering topics such as, maximising returns, minimising risk, optimising value for investors, selecting the optimal brand for a project, legal structures and marketing.
BRF is an action packed forum with no stone left uncovered.
The branded residences sector is a close-knit community where relationships run deep and familiarity is the norm, yet it maintains a remarkably open community when it comes to sharing wisdom, ideas and experiences.
Events like BRF bring people together to connect and have real conversations about where the industry is heading, and how to make it better.
To watch a video play back of the event visit Branded Residences Forum LinkedIn Page
Until Next Time!!
Learn more about upcoming branded residences and hospitality conferences
Launched in May 2024 as the world’s first marketplace and news media platform dedicated exclusively to the branded residences sector.
As a leading authority in this niche, BRESI delivers unparalleled coverage of this rapidly expanding segment of luxury real estate. The platform provides daily news updates, in-depth project announcements, and analysis of industry trends.
BRESI stands as the definitive resource for branded residences, connecting developers, buyers, and thought leaders through its innovative digital marketplace and authoritative editorial content.
Whether exploring a groundbreaking new development for sale or accessing critical market performance metrics, BRESI is the premier destination for the global branded residences industry.
