Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies

Thought Leadership

Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies 

The Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies works collaboratively with industry leaders and faculty from business and beyond to advance thought leadership for the real estate industry.

The Future of Real Estate

The Future of Real Estate Series, hosted by the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies, brings together industry leaders, academics, students, and community partners to explore the forces shaping tomorrow’s real estate landscape. Each event highlights a timely topic—from emerging market trends and investment strategies to housing policy, planning innovation, and the future of our built environment. The series blends practitioner insight with academic perspectives, creating space for robust dialogue and shared learning. By convening voices from across sectors, it fosters a collaborative community committed to informed, forward-looking real estate practices. Whether academically oriented or industry-driven, each session aims to spark fresh ideas and strengthen connections across the real estate ecosystem.

The Future of Read Estate Series

Recent topics

The Future of Affordable Housing

December 2025

This completed session explored new models, policy levers, and development pathways to improve housing affordability in Alberta. The discussion brought academic research and industry perspectives together to assess practical, scalable solutions for increasing supply and reducing barriers.

Navigating a Tariff-Driven Landscape

June 2025

Led by experts from BLG, CBRE, and M3 Development Management, this session examined how tariff volatility influences construction costs, procurement strategies, and development feasibility. Industry practitioners shared practical approaches to contract design, long-lead procurement, and risk mitigation.

The Future of Real Estate

Without open, trusted and transparent collaboration between industry and academia, our economy will not be able to meet its potential. It is on us as business leaders to stay vested and committed to continuous learning.

Dr. Sandip Lalli

Former President and CEO, Calgary Chamber of Commerce

Panelists consensus

Panelists agreed that, regardless of the future of remote work, there is a strong demand for greater autonomy and flexibility in work schedules.