One of the primary characteristics of a university campus is its location in high-amenity, well-connected suburbs, as it caters to the thousands of students who walk through its doors every day.

It’s this enviable central location that makes Hamton’s newest neighbourhood so appealing to discerning buyers. The 1.6-hectare site was formerly home to a University of Melbourne campus.

This relocation paved the way for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hamton">Hamton</a>, best known for their $3 billion joint venture development Moonee Valley Park, a vibrant new residential community emerging around the Moonee Valley Racecourse.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149097 project_image_fid=327680]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/scotch-hill-gardens-hawthorn-147-robinson-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Scotch Hill Gardens</a> benefits from excellent transport connections and local amenities, further enhanced by the revitalisation of Bills Street delivered as part of the development. Thanks to its history as a university campus, the site is within five minutes of Glenferrie and Auburn Villages and 10 minutes to Kooyong Station.

In addition, the site lies within the prestigious Scotch Hill catchment, which includes highly sought-after educational institutions such as Scotch College, Bialik, and Auburn Primary and Auburn High. This makes it an attractive location for both young families and working professionals.

Understanding that the location would appeal to owner-occupiers, particularly rightsizers and downsizers, Hamton focused on creating a collection of residences tailored to this demographic. The design prioritised community over density, with a series of low-rise buildings nestled within nature.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149097 project_image_fid=327652]

The development retains 77 established trees on the site and will add a further 151, creating a unique topography visible from the upper levels of the building. A collaboration between placemaking specialists Woods Bagot and landscape architect Tract, the design dedicates over 40 percent of the 1.6-hectare site to landscaped green open space, seamlessly woven between the low-rise buildings.

Landscaping subtly defines boundaries between public and private zones, ensuring a harmonious blend of spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149097 project_image_fid=327686]

Inspired by nature, the masterplan reflects the organic formations of lily pads on a pond, discreet yet interconnected, sitting lightly within their context. Following the principles of “nature-based cities,” the site integrates nature, amenity, wellness, and community.

This commitment to nature complements the already well-established landscape nearby. Adjacent to Gardiners Creek, the site offers both recreational and ecological benefits, while the Yarra River trails, Patterson Reserve, and Hawthorn Velodrome, further enhance the area’s outdoor amenities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149097 project_image_fid=327694]

Residents will have access to a range of facilities, including a bathhouse with wellness amenities, a gym, co-working spaces, and communal dining and lounge areas.

Hamton will announce a builder in the coming months. Demolition of the old Campus is underway with construction on the first stage, anticipated to commence early 2026.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149097]

Joel Robinson

Scotch Hill Gardens, a new life for the former University of Melbourne Hawthorn Campus

Brisbane-based developer Red &amp; Co. is venturing into the Gold Coast apartment market, spending $8 million on a vacant site in Varsity Lake.

The plan is to developer 156 apartments on the 2,857sqm, 22 Lake Street site, near Varsity Central Park.

Colliers Queensland Residential Development Sites Director Troy Linnane said Colliers had been &nbsp;working closely with Red &amp; Co. to help them secure their first Gold Coast site, with this site offering a great opportunity due to its location and existing approval.&nbsp;

“This off-market transaction highlights the value of strong market knowledge and relationships, we were able to align the right buyer with the right site given the relationships we have with many active &nbsp;developers seeking sites across the SEQ market,” Linnane said.&nbsp;

“Those groups with in-house construction capability or strong builder alliances are leading market activity as they are best positioned to deliver projects in the current market."

Linnane said with&nbsp;confidence strengthening in 2025, they are seeing increased competition for prime development sites.

“Developers are actively seeking well-located sites, to take advantage of the under supply of &nbsp;apartment stock and the significant uplift in revenues due to strong buyer demand."

<img alt="22 Lake St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fcd9176e-4e38-4519-a868-0748419c1d2b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/22_Lake_Street_001.jpg?VersionId=Z7tUSkVLqv8qf.JTyMXmzasxvudP_u2p" />

Colliers Queensland Residential Site Sales Executive Jackson Robinson said the transaction reflected confidence in the market and increasing demand for well-located, DA-approved sites to develop into &nbsp;housing.&nbsp;

“Red &amp; Co. recognised the depth of unmet demand for well-priced apartment stock on the Gold &nbsp;Coast, particularly in sought-after suburbs like Varsity Lakes, which offers excellent connectivity, expansive views and close proximity to major employment and education hubs,” Robinson said.&nbsp;

There will be a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, with views over&nbsp;Lake Orr and out to Burleigh Headland and the Hinterland, with additional outlooks north towards the Broadbeach skyline.&nbsp;

Red &amp; Co., led by co-founders Keiran Foster and David Laverty, have previously completed several developments across Brisbane.

Red & Co.’s first acquisition on the Gold Coast demonstrates increasing  confidence in the Gold Coast market

Red & Co. plots new Varsity Lake apartments

There’s no slowing down Gold Coast builder-developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/immerse-projects">Immerse Projects</a>.

Led by construction industry veteran John Kearney, the developer has made its move into the Brisbane apartment market, securing a prime site on Sylvan Road in Toowong.

It’s a location filled with nostalgia for Kearney, who studied at the nearby University of Queensland.

"It feels like a full circle moment," Kearney told Apartments.com.au.&nbsp;

“I spent many nights at the Regatta Hotel just down the road — as have most people in Brisbane. It’s one of the city’s most well-known hotels, and with several cafes, restaurants, and a CityCat stop nearby, it’s become an even more attractive place to live.”

Kearney describes Toowong as a suburb with real depth.

"The suburb attracts everyone, from students to retirees, and that's what makes it interesting."

He also noted the opportunity to take advantage of significant view corridors from the new development site: across Toowong Memorial Park, north to the city, and east along the Brisbane River.

CBRE’s Will Carman and John Nucifora brokered the sale of the 1,760 sqm site, citing strong demand for strategically located development opportunities in Brisbane’s inner suburbs.

"Its proximity to transport, retail, and educational facilities made it an opportunity of strong interest to the broader development community," Carman said.

<img alt="22-24 Sylvan Road" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="49eb466f-69dc-4790-8d50-5173d0cf104a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/22-24%20Sylvan%20%20Rd%20Toowong_Markups.jpg?VersionId=u4_IGzpYLPFfAZSsgCZynov3bm7umwJ." />

Nucifora said the acquisition reflects confidence in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a>, and more broadly Brisbane, as a market of strength for integrated builder developer groups.

"Those with an integrated model, or with strong existing relationships with builders have continued to be at the forefront of development acquisitions over the past two-year period."

Kearney has long operated Greyburn Constructions, and recently expanded into multi-residential development, with great success. They've delivered a new project in Kirra, and they're currently working towards completion at&nbsp;Ombre Robina. Then they have a new project in Kirra, on Haig Street.

They will submit a development application for Toowong later this year.&nbsp;

It’s a location filled with nostalgia for Kearney, who studied at the nearby University of Queensland.



First look: Immerse Projects moves into Brisbane apartment market with Toowong site acquisition

A track record of delivering new projects not just across the Sunshine Coast, but in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/bokarina-qld-4575">Bokarina</a> specifically, gave builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a> (GVG) all the IP needed to make Bask even more refined.&nbsp;

After completing Zinc Bokarina last year - positioned directly adjacent to Bask - GVG leveraged years of feedback from original purchasers and current residents, enabled by its community-focused approach and ongoing engagement.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333359]

The feedback pointed to two clear themes: larger apartments with more bedrooms, and amenity suited to the active downsizer.

GVG then designed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bask-bokarina-38-bokarina-boulevard-bokarina-qld-4575">Bask</a> - a collection of one to four-bedroom apartments - tailored to the end user: local downsizers or those seeking more spacious holiday homes than a compact getaway by the beach.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333361]

A pool was essential, but a lap pool wasn’t. Instead, GVG designed a heated plunge pool, ideal for a refreshing dip. Key to the amenity offering were shared spaces designed to foster community connection. These include shaded garden areas with barbecue facilities, a firepit zone, and a communal herb and vegetable garden.&nbsp;

There’s also a fully equipped gym, designed specifically for the lifestyle exerciser.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333365]

Another key insight was the desire not just for pet-friendly living - but for a development that embraces it. GVG listened and installed a dedicated dog wash bay, perfect for rinsing off after a trip to the dog-friendly Bokarina Beach, just 250 metres from Bask's front door.

Having already helped establish a vibrant lifestyle precinct with retail and amenity at Zinc, GVG is now expanding the offering with more street-level retail, set to complement the existing restaurants, wine bars, convenience, and specialty stores in the precinct.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333362]

Bask represents the final new residential offering in the Bokarina Beach precinct. The two buildings, Mydas and Caretta, have been cleverly designed so that every apartment captures glimpses of either the Pacific Ocean, Lake Kawana, or the Glass House Mountains.&nbsp;

Construction is already underway, with GVG expecting residents to move in by summer 2026/27.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=141609]

How GVG is designing for the active downsizer at Bask Bokarina

With completion now on the horizon, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-queensbridge-building-southbank-90-queensbridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The Queensbridge Building</a> in Southbank is beginning to reveal the depth of its amenity and residential design offering ahead of a planned move-in from late 2025.

Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/time-place">Time &amp; Place</a> in partnership with MaxCap Group and construction giant&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/hickory">Hickory</a>, the 65-level tower recently topped out at 208 metres, marking a major milestone for the precinct-shaping project.&nbsp;

Once complete, the development will deliver 350 apartments and a 188-room boutique hotel as part of the Collection by TFE Hotels.

We recently visited The Queensbridge display suite, and a recently completed display apartment within the building, and spoke to Time &amp; Place Sales Director, James Herbert, to find out more about the project.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZLV_4kRyuj0?si=ff-i-yjmcdRHQ3Hh" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Herbert says there are two key points of difference with The Queensbridge.

"The first we call 'modern nostalgia', or the feeling of home. It is one of the reasons we appointed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/flack-studio">Flack Studio</a> to handle the interiors. We studied some of Flack's most famous residential homes, and we've created a series of design moments, from the edge of the island bench to the door hardware and the materiality of the homes."

Apartments range from one to three bedrooms, with current pricing starting from $632,000. Most one-bedroom layouts include integrated study nooks, while select two and three-bedroom configurations feature dual bathrooms and generous storage solutions.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=1504 project_image_fid=272073]

Herbert says the second key point of difference is their&nbsp;commitment to community and experience.

"That's one of the reasons why we took our common amenity spaces and we've brought them together in a concept we call Queensbridge Clubhouse.

"We have all of the typical common amenity facilities you would see in any luxury hotel or building throughout the world like a swimming pool, steam room, gym, and outdoor spaces, but we've also got an amazing co-working space,&nbsp;a private izakaya, and a ground-floor dining space."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=1504 project_image_fid=272090]

Herbert says the community experience was about bringing&nbsp;people together, so Time &amp; Place has built a bespoke app, and they're appointing an experienced director, to manage the spaces.

"We believe living in the urban environment in a building like this, is about an idea of togetherness, and accessing the very best that Melbourne has to offer."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=1504 project_image_fid=272097]

Positioned at 90 Queens Bridge Street, The Queensbridge Building benefits from its location at the confluence of Melbourne CBD, South Melbourne, the Yarra River, and the city’s Arts Precinct.&nbsp;

Residents will be within a 15-minute walk of over a dozen green spaces, world-class sports and cultural venues, and South Melbourne Market

The inclusion of the Hannah St. Hotel adjacent to the residential lobby also introduces a unique layer of amenity, providing additional hospitality experiences that extend the lifestyle value of the precinct.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=1504]

Inside The Queensbridge Building: Apartments.com.au Video Spotlight

Automation

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Australian supermarket giant Woolworths has announced its single biggest investment in logistics infrastructure, spending A$780 million to replace up to 1,300 workers with robots.
It plans to build one semi-automated and one fully automated distribution centre in south-west Sydney. About 650 jobs will be created at the new centres, to open in 2024. Three existing centres (two in Sydney, one in Melbourne) will close as a result.
Woolworths’ chief supply chain officer, Paul Graham, emphasised <a href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/woolworths-to-build-automated-distribution-centres-in-nsw-549603" target="_blank">the safety benefits</a> of automation:
Cutting-edge automation will build tailored pallets for specific aisles in individual stores – helping us improve on-shelf product availability with faster restocking, reducing congestion in stores, and enabling a safer work environment for our teams with less manual handling.
In these COVID-conscious times that’s the obvious spin.
But it’s true this is a response to the changes being wrought on the retail sector by COVID-19.
The principal change is a matter of pace. COVID-19 has turbocharged the shift to online shopping. Even as social-distancing rules ease, this trend will consolidate. Many bricks-and-mortar shops are in trouble, particularly those in shopping centres.
Retail will also be shaped by how COVID-19 has changed our shopping behaviour, with thrift and value being important.
<h2>Shopping online is the new norm</h2>
In April, 5.2 million Australians shopped online, according to Australia Post’s <a href="https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/2020-ecommerce-industry-report.pdf" target="_blank">2020 eCommerce Industry Report</a>. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates those sales were worth A$2.7 billion, <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/8501.0Main%20Features3Apr%202020?opendocument&amp;tabname=Summary&amp;prodno=8501.0&amp;issue=Apr%202020&amp;num=&amp;view=" target="_blank">11.1% of all physical retail sales</a>, compared with 7.1% in March 2019.
This <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/retail/grocery-deliveries-delayed-as-online-shopping-soars-20200309-p5483v" target="_blank">sharp hike in demand</a> exposed weaknesses in retailers’ <a href="https://home.kpmg/au/en/home/insights/2020/04/coronavirus-COVID-19-retail-survival-and-revival" target="_blank">online capabilities</a>. For example, crushing online demand meant both Woolworths and major rival Coles temporarily <a href="https://insidefmcg.com.au/2020/03/17/woolies-and-coles-suspend-online-orders-as-shoppers-descend-on-sites/" target="_blank">suspended</a> their online shopping services.
More automated fulfilment centres are part of meeting these online demands. Of course, such investments were already on the radar.
In March 2019, Coles announced <a href="https://www.colesgroup.com.au/media-releases/?page=coles-enters-partnership-with-ocado" target="_blank">an exclusive deal</a> to use the “end-to-end online grocery shopping solution” developed by Ocado, a British online supermarket chain that has no stores, only warehouses. Its technology spans the online shopping experience, automated fulfilment and home delivery.
The Coles plan included two new “highly automated” customer fulfilment centres in Melbourne and Sydney, to be ready in 2023. Coles also announced plans for two new automated distribution centres in Queensland and NSW, costing A$700 million, <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/retail/redundancies-loom-as-coles-eyes-automation-spend-to-catch-woolworths-20181004-h168qt" target="_blank">in October 2018</a>.
Woolworths itself has already opened the Melbourne South Regional Distribution Centre.
So these latest moves are part of a trend, albeit one unexpectedly accelerated by COVID-19. And once consumers try new channels, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1509/jm.09.0362" target="_blank">studies</a> show, they are likely <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40547-014-0031-y" target="_blank">to stick with them</a>.
<h2>The future is dark</h2>
At the other end of the supply chain, the shift to online shopping has created demand for “<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/dark-stores-online-retail-coronavirus-2020-4" target="_blank">dark stores</a>” – essentially, stores without customers. These smaller, decentralised facilities, located in suburbs rather than industrial parks, are designed to pick and dispatch online orders quickly.
Woolworths opened its first dark store <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/woolworths-opens-first-onlineonly-dark-store-20140811-102lh0" target="_blank">in Sydney in 2014</a>. <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/dark-stores-coles-trials-shops-with-no-customers-20160622-gpowau" target="_blank">Coles</a> opened its first in Melbourne in 2016. Existing stores are also being repurposed as dark stores. In April 2020, Australia’s Kmart temporarily converted three stores to use <a href="http://mhdsupplychain.com.au/2020/04/17/kmart-closes-stores-to-convert-them-into-distribution-centres/" target="_blank">as fulfilment centres</a>.
Such moves may become permanent, as shoppers demand faster delivery times and physical store assets become less viable as “traditional” retail businesses.
Existing stores are also being adapted to respond to customer demands for faster, more efficient online shopping. In January 2020, Woolworths began building its first “<a href="https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/media/Press_Releases/carrum-downs-the-first-woolworths-in-australia-to-get-cutting-edge-online-shopping-technology/" target="_blank">eStore</a>” - an automated facility adjoining its supermarket in Carrum Downs, Melbourne.
<h2>Fewer, smaller stores</h2>
As online shopping increasingly provides greater revenue streams for retailers, more physical store closures are also on the cards.
In May, Kmart’s owner, Wesfarmers, announced it would <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-blame-covid-19-targets-decline-is-part-of-a-deeper-trend-139205" target="_blank">shut 75</a> of its Target stores (and convert the rest to Kmart stores). Also looking to downsize are Australian department store icons <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/myer-better-off-with-fewer-stores-geoff-wilson-20200330-p54f77" target="_blank">Myer</a> and David Jones, which have accelerated their plans to reduce floor space <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/david-jones-accelerates-store-closures-as-sales-slump-35-per-cent-20200527-p54wyj" target="_blank">20% by 2025</a>.
Footwear giant Accent Group – which owns more than a dozen shoe brands and has more than 500 stores in Australia and New Zealand – is planning to close <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/accent-to-close-28-in-shift-to-online-retail/3a547554-27f3-4413-9675-3510f7c74437" target="_blank">28 stores</a> and focus more on online sales.
As online revenues grow, expect more “right-sizing” and closures.
<h2>Repurposing shopping centres</h2>
All these closures will add to the woes of shopping centres.
Though crowds reportedly <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-09/shoppers-raise-alarm-over-coronavirus-social-distancing/12231780" target="_blank">surged</a> back to centres when “lockdown” restrictions were eased, growing awareness that the pandemic is not over and social distancing protocols continue to <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-has-turned-retail-therapy-into-retail-anxiety-keeping-customers-calm-will-be-key-to-carrying-on-138777" target="_blank">create consumer anxiety</a>.
Until people feel safe shopping, dining and gathering in crowded public places, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/damaged-and-scarred-psychological-effect-of-pandemic-set-to-hold-back-economic-recovery-20200506-p54q64" target="_blank">consumer aversion</a> will remain.
In response to these COVID-conscious times, shopping centres will endeavour to enhance those aspects of the shopping experience, such as sensory elements and entertainment, which the online shopping experience can’t provide.
The retail mix will change: fewer fashion and general merchandise shops, and more services such as medical centres, offices and childcare centres.
<h2>Opportunities for smaller retailers</h2>
One bright spot may be for local and independent shops.
Smaller retailers can often adapt faster than larger ones. Smaller community pharmacies, for example, implemented social distancing and hygiene measures more easily than larger retailers, due mainly to their smaller size and having less traffic.
There are opportunities to leverage shoppers’ desire to <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/consumer/2020/03/19/coronavirus-small-business-support/" target="_blank">support</a> local shopkeepers, producers and growers. Locally made goods and services are also less likely to have long supply chains that will impede overseas deliveries while COVID-19 is uncontained.
But they’ll still need to sort out their online shopping experience.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139025/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gary-mortimer-1322" target="_blank">Gary Mortimer</a>, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847" target="_blank">Queensland University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jana-bowden-380114" target="_blank">Jana Bowden</a>, Associate Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174" target="_blank">Macquarie University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-pallant-8729" target="_blank">Jason Pallant</a>, Lecturer of Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767" target="_blank">Swinburne University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/louise-grimmer-212082" target="_blank">Louise Grimmer</a>, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888" target="_blank">University of Tasmania</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/martin-grimmer-330523" target="_blank">Martin Grimmer</a>, Professor of Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888" target="_blank">University of Tasmania</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-has-changed-the-future-of-retail-theres-plenty-more-automation-in-store-139025" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

COVID-19 has changed the future of retail: there’s plenty more automation in store

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The franchise model is being disrupted by technology that’s making it easier than ever for individual agents to run their own show more flexibly and efficiently. But could bots – backed by AI, automation and big data – come to the rescue and help the big real estate brands deliver new value to agents? 
To explore this idea, let’s look at a typical day in the life of an agent in 2020 who works at a franchise (we’ll call it Robot Real Estate) that uses bots to delivers a wide range of automation. The strategy behind the AI support is for the franchise to empower their agents to deliver highly personalised service that puts human relationships at the heart of the data, which in turn creates unprecedented loyalty both from their agents, and the buyers and sellers they service.
Meet Tanya. She’s been an agent at Robot Real Estate for the past 10 years. About three years ago, she was considering leaving Robot Real Estate – she felt the fees were too high and locked her into technology that was out of date and clunky to use. It was a lot of money to pay for a desk and a lead database that was usually out of date. 
But then Robot Real Estate introduced an end to end bot-driven infrastructure for agents. And while it took a little getting used to, Tanya now loves it. Because it takes care of all the back-end tasks that used to keep her busy, and allows her to spend her day focused on what she’s passionate about – helping people on their journeys of buying and selling property.
Here's what Tanya’s day looks like:
Wakeup: When Tanya exercises each morning (she’s a 5am Club gal!) her Robot Real Estate assistant (an automated assistant that she fondly calls REVA) reads out her schedule for the day and outlines a list of tasks that she has preset for her bot team. At her request, REVA also reads out profile information of the people she’s going to meet that day so she’s fully informed and pumped for the day. Breakfast:  Tanya has her first client meeting with Jane a buyer. By the end of the breakfast, REVA has sent the buyer a list of suitable properties and inspection times based on their conversation and some background video information on the areas that Jane said she was interested in. 
The bot has tagged the client as originating from the relationship with Tanya and assigned Jane to Tanya in their database. This means that even if another agent finds Jane a home, Tanya will receive a payment to recognise the fact that she introduced her to the agency. 
The bot has also set a calendar entry for Tanya to make a follow up call a few days later. By that time, the automation at the back end will have identified if Jane has clicked on any of the properties in the information that was sent, and recognised how long she has spent on each property and if she shared any of the properties with friends or family, or returned to one or two of them. 
This information will both inform the conversation that Tanya will have with Jane when she follows up and allows the bots to refine future property selections that are sent to her. 
Tanya also encourages Jane to become “identity-authorised”. This will allow Jane to visit any property at the time of her choosing – not just wait for opens. It can also be – if Jane gives permission – linked to her credit approval rating which will give Jane the advantage of pre-approval for loans and a much quicker turn around on her finances when she decides to make an offer on a home. 
Again, regardless of who sells Jane a home, Tanya’s introduction of Jane to the identity authorisation and credit approval process means Tanya will receive a trailing commission payment when Jane transacts.
Early Mornings: In these days of automated contact, Tanya is a big proponent of the personal touch. She uses the first hour or so of every morning to make phone calls to prospects and clients and people she’s sold to recently to see how they’re settling in. She finds people are usually happy to talk first thing or on their commute. 
After each call she dictates outcomes to her REVA who annotates the client data and schedules or carries out follow up actions such as sending property reports, investment analysis, and lookbooks or contracts. She loves the Robot Real Estate Concierge Service that allows her to order thoughtful gifts for her buyers and sellers and send them to their home or office via drone in just an hour or so.
Mid Mornings: On mornings when there is no Robot Real Estate sales meeting, Tanya likes to spend her time creating videos about her local community, helpful information for buyers or sellers, or a roundup on properties that she loves.  Of course, the Robot Real Estate bots can now automatically create both report-styled or video content about her local market, but Tanya is a bit old school. She likes the personal touch, will sometimes interview people in her community and has fun being on camera. 
When the videos are shot, she alerts her REVA to the new content, and the bot automatically schedules it to social media and targets it to an appropriate audience based on the latest insights from her social media pages. REVA will also tag anyone she interviewed. 
REVA also inserts content into her email newsletters to keep her click through rates high. In addition, Tanya uses this time to direct the Virtual Reality video of properties she’s selling because she cares about the details. 
It’s also the time in her day when she reviews the sales collateral the bots have created for her sales listings – those bots are truly amazing in how they assemble the ads, online listings and reports, but Tanya has an experienced eye and she likes to think that it’s her attention to the personal details that makes the difference. It’s also a great way for her to familiarise herself with her listings and it boosts the quality of her data within the Robot Real Estate system which in turn improves her micropayment commissions.
Lunchtime: Tanya has an Open Home. Of course, they’re not as necessary now with so many people being accredited to inspect the property at a time that suits them securely, and with the availability of VR. 
But Tanya likes the ceremony of an Open being held at least a few times during the sales period – it signals to the neighbourhood that a property is on the market which can often lead to surprise offers. You never know where a passive buyer might be. And it’s a great way to meet the neighbours, who in turn can become valuable sales leads to Tanya. 
Everyone who does enter the property is automatically identified through their mobile phone and added to the Robot Real Estate database – that’s because Tanya is so good at making people feel at ease and learning about them. Even if they’re unlikely to buy or sell for many years, Tanya’s initial discovery is at the root of their relationship with Robot Real Estate and allows their experience with Robot Real Estate and Tanya to be truly personalised.
Afternoon: Tanya has a meeting with a potential vendor, Rebecca. Rebecca has a lovely home but wants to upgrade and there’s a few small repairs that if done, would help the home get a better price. 
During her visit, Tanya shoots both video and photos of each room, paying particular attention to areas that she thinks might need some work to bring up to sales presentation stage. Her REVA captures these and attaches them to the address record, and with Rebecca’s permission, sends them to Robot Real Estate’s Presentation Concierge system, which requests quotes from the appropriate trades and services. 
By the end of the visit, Tanya is able to provide Rebecca with a detailed quote on the work that would need to be done to the property, the time it would take, and a schedule for the sale, including an accurate estimate of the price Rebecca can expect with Tanya’s clever marketing approach. 
Rebecca’s other alternative is that Robot Real Estate buy the property outright and provide her with the funds in just 48 hours. Such an approach means a sale price that is below what was quoted, but some clients like the speed and certainty of the approach, especially if they have personal circumstances that mean they have to move by a deadline.
End work: Tanya ends her day with another round of phone calls to clients, finalising negotiations and giving contracts the once-over just to ensure she’s across the details. A couple of days a week, she has evening appointments scheduled with vendors. Tanya’s REVA gives her an update on all the reports and contacts that have been sent and actioned across the day and allows her to set any new tasks. 
Sometimes she does this by reading the report, sometimes if she’s busy or in the car, she’ll ask REVA to read it out and she’ll instruct the bot verbally. 
She loves the AI assisted support that she’s offered by Robot Real Estate – it’s really changed her life by removing so much of the busy, repetitive work that used to stress her out. It allows her to focus on the human connections that are the most important part of her job at a price point and uptake level that she would never have been able to afford, or get her brain around on her own. 
Robot Real Estate supports its sales teams and its AI strategy with regular training offsites and sales rallies. These provide Tanya and the Robot Real Estate team with the opportunity to learn new skills, re-energise their sales focus, and hear about new trends and the systems the franchise is trialling. 
There are also always personalised intensive training times in the schedule, when Tanya is taught to become proficient in the new skills needed. Her training is tracked and is tied to her commission levels. 
While the additional money that comes from doing the training is nice, Tanya feels that the value really comes from segmenting the time this way as it is extremely effective. It’s made her feel more secure about trying new things and gives her time to practice and become familiar with new systems. This makes her more confident about using the coaching tools in the system which step her through whenever she is out on the road and needs a quick refresher. 
Since introducing the AI, Robot Real Estate’s profits have soared, buoyed by reduced running costs, increased agent retention and significantly improved customer loyalty and brand value awareness that has really driven their sales and revenue. 
It’s also opened up new revenue streams to the franchise, which has now significantly increased its referrals revenue from mortgage brokers, financial institutions, insurance and credit score companies. 
The new approach by Robot Real Estate has removed the stressful “busy-ness” from the life of Tanya and their other agents. This lets them get more done in less time, while at the same time providing a significantly higher level of personalised service to buyers and sellers that has won awards.
Agents have reported feeling significantly less stress and love that the REVA support and back end systems allow them to genuinely switch off and focus on family time when they are home, while feeling secure that the details are being taken care of.
Could this be the future? What do you think?
Kylie Davis is the head of marketing for property services at CoreLogic.
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Could robots rescue real estate franchises? Kylie Davis

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GUEST OBSERVER
The tale of new technologies causing the death of work is the prophecy that keeps on giving. Despite evidence to the contrary, we still view technological change today as being more rapid and dramatic in its consequences than ever before.
The mistaken view that robots will take our jobs may come from a human bias to believe that “we live in special times”. An absence of knowledge of history, the greater intensity of feeling about events which we experience first-hand, and perhaps a desire to attribute significance to the times in which we live, all contribute to this bias.
History repeating
In the 1930s, John Maynard Keynes envisaged that innovations such as electricity would produce a world where people spent most of their time on leisure activities. In the United States in the 1960s, Lyndon Johnson established a Presidential Commission to investigate fears that automation was permanently reducing the amount of work available.
Australia has not escaped the prophecy, with similar concerns about the future of work expressed in the 1970s.
In their history of Monash University, Graeme Davison and Kate Murphy report that:
"In 1978, the historian Ian Turner, organised a symposium on the implications of the new technologies. The world, he predicted, was about to enter a period as significant as the Neolithic or Industrial revolutions. By 1988, at least a quarter of the Australian workforce would be made redundant by technological change…"
Some years later, Barry Jones continued the gloomy forecasts in his best-seller Sleepers Wake!:
"In the 1980s, new technologies can decimate the labour force in the goods producing sectors of the economy…"
Of course, none of this came to pass in Australia; just as work did not disappear in the 1930s in the United Kingdom, or the 1960s in the United States.
Yet today, we are seeing the resurrection of the prophecy. Commentary on the Australian labour market abounds with claims that the world of work is undergoing radical and unprecedented change.
The increased application of computer-based technologies in the workplace is suggested to be causing a reduction in the total amount of work available; or to be bringing a more rapid pace of substitution of machines for humans than has been seen previously.
No evidence for the death of work
In recent research with Michael Coelli, we argue that the prophecy is no more likely to be realised in the 2010s in Australia than in the 1970s.
Certainly, there is no evidence that the death of work is at present underway. Since the mid-1960s the aggregate hours worked by the Australian population (on a per capita basis) has remained stable.
In particular, there has been no long-run decline in the aggregate amount of work that matches the timing of the progressive introduction of computers to the workplace since the early 1980s
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/11/19/5baa26ddacfe444abff8a277ccfd75f3.jpg" alt="">
Source: Borland, J. and M. Coelli (2017), ‘Are robots taking our jobs?’, Australian Economic Review, forthcoming, Figure 3
Moreover, the pace at which workers are churning between jobs in the Australian labour market is not getting quicker. Not only is there no evidence that more workers are being forced to work in short duration jobs, but what is apparent is that the opposite has happened. The proportion of workers in very long duration jobs has increased over the past three decades.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/11/19/a283ab8936ce4f1da73e83095db48445.jpg" alt="">
Source: Borland, J. and M. Coelli (2017), ‘Are robots taking our jobs?’, Australian Economic Review, forthcoming, Figure 9
Why work is not disappearing
There are good reasons why we should not expect new technologies to cause the death of work. New technologies always cause job losses, but that is only part of the story. What also needs to be understood is how they increase the amount of work available.
One way this happens is through the increases in incomes that accompany the application of new technologies. With the introduction of these technologies, it may take less labour time to produce what used to be consumed, but higher real incomes, together with an apparently unlimited human desire to spend, bring extra demand (for existing products as well as for new types of goods and services), and hence for workers to provide those extra goods and services.
As well, new technologies are likely to substitute for some types of workers, but to be complementary to, and hence increase demand for, other types of workers. Computer-based technologies appear to be complementary to workers who perform non-routine cognitive jobs.
In a report on the digitally enabled workforce, Stefan Hajkowicz and co-authors suggest a range of examples for Australia – such as an increase in demand for photographers at the same time as demand for photographic developers and printers has decreased; an increase in demand for graphic designers versus a decrease in demand for printers and graphic press workers; and a decrease in demand for bank tellers simultaneously with an increase in demand for finance professionals.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87188/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">The end of work is no closer in Australia today than at any time in the past. So, perhaps there is a need to keep disproving the prophecy, to change our mindset.
Jeff Borland, Professor of Economics, University of Melbourne.
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-we-are-still-convinced-robots-will-take-our-jobs-despite-the-evidence-87188" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Why we are still convinced robots will take our jobs despite the evidence: Jeff Borland

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GUEST OBSERVER
Reforming pharmacy services and the role of pharmacists is one of the recommendations made in a five-year review of the nation’s productivity, released yesterday. The Productivity Commission’s report, Shifting the Dial, highlights community-based pharmacy as a “significant unnecessary cost to the nation” and asks whether automated dispensing machines could replace pharmacists.
In recent years, community pharmacy profit margins have eroded as warehouse-style pharmacies offer lower prices and supermarkets and other retailers sell more non-scheduled medicines and complementary medicines. Some smaller pharmacy operators have questioned their viability and report feeling under threat. A number of pharmacists have already left the industry in anticipation of further pressures.
The Shifting the Dial report argues pharmacists are constrained in offering quality health outcomes: "the availability of unproven and sometimes harmful medical products and confectionery at the front of the pharmacy is not reconcilable with an evidence-based clinical function at the back."
The Productivity Commission’s answer is automatic dispensing machines, supervised by a “suitably qualified person”. Along with the machines, pharmacists would play a “new remunerated collaborative role with other primary health professionals” where cost-effective.
These changes would mean there would be less need for the current 20,000 pharmacists around the country.
Automated dispensing
The idea of using robots to dispense drugs is not a new one, either in Australia or internationally. Automated dispensing devices have been used widely in hospitals around the world since the mid-1990s as a way of reducing medication errors, improving patient safety and decreasing costs. Over the last decade these devices have expanded into community pharmacy settings as financial pressures have driven the search for efficiencies.
Automated systems can reduce the error rate in dispensing medicines, but they introduce different types of errors into the system. Entering prescription details wrongly or not loading the machine correctly can have significant impacts.
Automated systems are expensive to buy so may not be cheaper over the short term, particularly when we consider the average wage for pharmacists is relatively modest. A recent government report notes: "[in] Australia, pharmacy graduates had the lowest starting salary of all industries requiring higher education training."
Given the investments required to buy automated machines it may be that not all local pharmacies have these. We may see the emergence of a hub and spoke model. This involves prescriptions coming into pharmacies, being sent electronically to a centralised dispensing hub and then returned to the pharmacy to dispense. This can be done either in person or via courier delivery.
This type of model is argued to be cheaper than the conventional system as it requires fewer pharmacists to run overall.
In the UK there’s been pressure for community pharmacies to increasingly embrace automation for some time now. It’s well known their National Health Service has significant budgetary challenges and is looking for ways to save money. Plans to cut costs in pharmacy alongside commercial pressures from large chain providers, supermarkets and online prescription providers are predicted to cause the closure of up to a quarter of pharmacies.
This has, unsurprisingly, been met by significant resistance from the pharmacy profession as it challenges the existence of some jobs and will mean a move for others. But there’s good reason for others to be worried about these changes in terms of the impact on the broader health system.
The importance of pharmacists to the health system
Community pharmacists provide a number of functions that go beyond simply dispensing medications. In recent years we’ve seen pharmacists move away from just being those who fill our prescriptions, to people with a large amount of clinical knowledge who can advise how to take medicines safely and how to manage chronic conditions.
As increasing numbers of people experience chronic illness and take multiple forms of medicines. Advice on how to do this in a safe and manageable way is crucial. Pharmacists are also probably one of the more accessible parts of the health system. Many of us will have sought advice from a pharmacist about how to manage an injury or illness, or what to do with a sick child if we can’t access a GP.
We’re seeing increasing calls to embed pharmacists in primary care teams to help better manage chronic disease. With growing numbers of individuals living with chronic disease and taking medication, pharmacists can play an important role in educating and advising on medication management.
This could improve medication use for consumers and reduce errors for those with chronic disease. Making greater use of pharmacists could reduce demand for GPs and other more expensive health professionals. For over a decade, pharmacists in the UK have been able to complete additional training that allows them to prescribe medication, helping to address shortfalls in the GP workforce.
Although the Productivity Commission report envisages a new role for a smaller pharmacy workforce, there’s little detail on what this might look like. And it underestimates the role pharmacists play in the broader health system.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86231/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">If the changes outlined in the commission’s report are realised you might have your prescriptions dispensed by a robot in the future. But, it’s unlikely this will make a huge impact on the overall efficiency of the health system, and we would lose some of our most accessible clinical professionals in the process.
Helen Dickinson, Associate Professor, Public Service Research Group, UNSW
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/replacing-pharmacists-with-robots-isnt-the-answer-to-better-productivity-86231" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Replacing pharmacists with robots isn't the answer to better productivity: Helen Dickinson

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/66828/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
When Tim Dunlop, from the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne, started to research the future of work, his economist friends pointed to all the research showing there will still be jobs.
A few years later and Dunlop isn’t so sure. His book, “Why the Future is Workless”, unpicks the research into everything from machines learning to do our jobs to the idea of governments paying us all a universal basic income.
Dunlop outlines three possible scenarios off the back of all this evidence but he is most convinced that the economy, as we know it, will change dramatically. Costs will be lower, machines that learn will be able to do the jobs we do now, and, if we get the politics right, people will be free to pursue any endeavour they want to.
Rather than fear this future, Dunlop suggests there may be value in embracing it.
To listen to the interview in full, <a href="https://theconversation.com/business-briefing-why-the-future-is-workless-66828?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20October%2012%202016%20-%205783&amp;utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20October%2012%202016%20-%205783+CID_7a3e515085065110fe029595ff9c68e4&amp;utm_source=campaign_monitor&amp;utm_term=Business%20Briefing%20why%20the%20future%20is%20workless" target="_blank">click here</a>.
Jenni Henderson is Melbourne editor, Business and Economy, The Conversation, and can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/team#jenni-henderson" target="_blank">here</a>.
Tim Dunlop is subject convenor, Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-dunlop-206944" target="_blank"> here</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Why the future is workless

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GUEST OBSERVER
With the widespread adoption of in-house apps, instant messaging and even robots, hotels are on the cusp of a chatbot revolution.
Chatbots are already working hard in the hospitality industry, from taking fast food orders to helping travellers plan their trips. While conversational AI is very much in its infancy in the hotel sector, it certainly has plenty of potential, says Nigel Symonds, hospitality consultant at Avenue9. So how could chatbots change the hotel industry?
1. A new reservation channel
Earlier in August, Icelandair launched a booking bot, leveraging Facebook’s new chatbot development toolkit. Modelled on a text conversation with a real travel agent, the bot not only offers and takes reservations for flights, it also suggests a layover in Reykjavik.
Elsewhere in the travel industry, Expedia, again taking advantage of Facebook’s technology, launched a basic bot to help travellers book hotels. According to Symonds, in order to stave off fierce competition from online travel agencies (OTAs) and encourage direct booking, hotels should be looking to follow suit. “From our perspective, hotels definitely want to start integrating this technology,” he says. Indeed, Hyatt Hotels, which began using Facebook Messenger in late 2015, told Skift that “creating and deploying a Facebook Messenger bot is something that we will explore in the future.”
2. Enriching the pre-arrival experience
“Booking additional services is where the power is,” says Symonds. At the moment, hotels usually send out an automated email several days in advance of a guest’s arrival, suggesting amenities like spa treatments, airport transfers, and dinner reservations. “It would be great to have chatbots doing this,” he adds. “The benefit of a bot is that it can interact with the guest, asking questions such as whether it’s a special occasion, for instance, and responding with relevant offerings.”
3. On-resort interaction
London’s Edwardian Hotels were among the first to launch what they call a virtual assistant. Designed for those who prefer to engage with the brand digitally, the interface allows guests to order room service or get local recommendations from Edward the bot.
“It’s all about enhancing the guest experience,” says Symonds. “When integrated into the property management system (PMS), chatbots could be used to alert guests of real-time spa and restaurant availability, and offer last-minute rates.” Challenges include ensuring the offers are relevant to the recipient— including that your guest wants to get involved with the technology in the first place. “Certain generations will feel excluded if hotels abandon the more traditional routes of engagement,” Symonds adds.
4. Supplementing and supporting staff
With conversational AI able to answer straightforward questions, front-of-house staff are freed up to provide the kind of service only humans can. At the same time, “we’re seeing a shift in the desired skill set of hotel marketing and customer service personnel towards digital specialization” says Symonds. Chatbots aid guest interaction, but when a human needs to step in, that person needs to be both tech-savvy and able to embody the voice of the brand in a spontaneous and textually interactive way.
5. Leveraging data
A PMS-integrated bot that interacts with guests at all stages of the customer journey can gather valuable data, which can then be used by algorithms and hotel staff alike to provide personalized services. Unlike localized human interactions, entire chatbot conversations and outcomes can be stored and recalled for relevant future exchanges.
However, there’s a fine line between the impressive and the downright creepy. “If suggestions are too intuitive, you can risk alienating your guest,” says Symonds. As public perceptions catch up to the capabilities of technology, the solution, concludes Symonds, is a thorough and transparent permissions process.
This article by Natalie Holmes appeared in jllrealviews.com.
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