Newmark Knight Frank (NKF) is pleased to announce that it has established a new Global Knowledge and Innovation (GKI) Center which will serve as a foundational platform to serve its growing corporate client base. The GKI Center will function as a strategic resource toclosely examine the rapidly growing and pioneering technologies and business imperatives affecting the commercial real estate industry, including: artificial intelligence; internet of things; cloud technology; talent access and development;foreign direct investment and other drivers of corporate real estate decision making. The exciting new initiative will be led by inaugural Director Rajeev Thakur, who will work closely with NKF Research and NKF Global Strategy to launch and operate the Center with the support of NKF’s technology group.
The establishment of the Center reflectsthe proactive approach by NKF to maintain its position as a premium provider of strategic advisory services, in light of the brokerage business’ continued evolution. As companies such as Uber, Airbnb, WeWork, Pinterest, Dropbox and others which did not exist a decade ago threaten the status quo, NKF sees their disruption as an opportunity to better serve its clients. The Center will expand upon this notion, providing resources to help understand what the law firm of 2020 will look like;how artificial intelligence may impact the operation of hospitals or universities of the future; or how modern technology may resurrect the advanced manufacturing boom of the ‘50s and ‘60s.
“Our work at the Center will not be about real estate,” said Thakur, a highly experienced management consultant who specializes in developing industry insights and sector analyses. “It is about solving problems for our clients. And we can do that only if we understand their industries and work process, in tandem with being aware of their next threats and opportunities. We needed to establish a strategic think-tank that would uncover and track trends, connect the dots between different industries and their business drivers, and provide strategic content for the delivery of advisory and brokerage services.”
The Center will aim to study the impact of changing technology and business environment on different industries and asset types, conduct labor analytics and workforce studies, and make informed predictions on how our workplace and networks may change with the way that we work in the future. It will not only provide data, but also informative studies and white papers through investigative field due diligence of key markets and industries on a global basis.
“The Global Knowledge and Innovation Center is an absolutely crucial initiative for our firm,” said Chief Executive Officer Barry Gosin. “This vast resource will ensure that we are staying ahead of relevant business trends and advances in technology in an industry that is constantly evolving.”
About Newmark Knight Frank
Newmark Knight Frank, operated by Newmark Group, Inc., is one of the world's leading commercial real estate advisory firms. Newmark has over 4,600 employees in over 120 offices. Together with London-based partner Knight Frank and independently-owned offices, NKF's 15,000 professionals operate from more than 400 offices in established and emerging property markets on six continents. With roots dating back to 1929, NKF's strong foundation makes it one of the most trusted names in commercial real estate. We offer a complete suite of services and products for both owners and occupiers across the entire commercial real estate industry.
Our investor/owner services and products include investment sales, agency leasing, property management, valuation and advisory, diligence, underwriting and, under trademarks and names like Berkeley Point and NKF Capital Markets, government sponsored enterprise lending, loan servicing, debt and structured finance and loan sales. Our occupier services and products include tenant representation, real estate management technology systems, workplace and occupancy strategy, global corporate services consulting, project management, lease administration and facilities management. We enhance these services and products through innovative real estate technology solutions and data analytics designed to enable our clients to increase their efficiency and profits by optimizing their real estate portfolio. We have relationships with many of the world’s largest commercial property owners, real estate developers and investors, as well as Fortune 500 and Forbes Global 2000 companies. For further information, visit www.ngkf.com.
