KMC Savills' Michael McCullough shares the digitization of Real Estate

Change may be inevitable but it can always take a positive direction.

This is exactly what KMC Savills Managing Director Michael McCullough anticipated as he moves to evolve with one of the oldest industries in the book: Real Estate. In the Impact Manila Hub's entreHPreneur Lab: Disrupt & Digitize, he explained how work, space and technology can become tools of reinvention.

McCullough emphasized KMC Savills' flair for being a front liner in the face of this change. He shared how KMC was an early adopter of the Cloud. This sprung from the need to empower employees to work almost anywhere even while they are on their smartphones. The Cloud was also very helpful in addressing the high employee turnover in the company. He said that "it's the digital tools that help orient the next guy".

Michael McCullough also shared that these digital tools are very helpful in keeping track of progress especially in their line of work. The real estate industry always come up with vital research and market intelligence. Therefore, KMC Savills built the most advanced real estate database for the Philippines to store all the information. Tracking tools are also important for brokers who mostly work on deals that are one year in the making. Now more than ever, he reiterated that the need to invest in systems and technology to drive the work force is of prime importance.

However, McCullough explained that digitizing should not be drastic. The trick is in the slow implementation of small changes. One simple example he pointed out is placing the KMC Savills' headquarters in Sun Life Centre, the first ever LEED building in the Philippines. KMC Savills adapts and is now using online listing platforms like OLX and Lamudi after studies show that 44% of buyers do their initial searches online. Some brokers even use social media to interact with their clients or share market intelligence. In the words of Denis Waitley, "you must welcome change as the rule but not as your ruler".

As the real estate industry takes a slight turn on going online, he highlighted the need to disrupt ourselves sometimes. "You are either the disruptor or the person being disrupted," McCullough said. At the end, KMC Savills must keep up with the fast-paced digitization because a pretty interesting future waits for all industries.