Florian Schaffner
I’ve always been passionate about architecture. After completing a Bachelor in Business Administration at IE University, I went on to pursue a Master in Real Estate Development. Through this, I gained key insights into finance and business while exploring architecture and design. These skills were integral to help the team at Triadic Labs create a virtual reality platform that aims to create more transparency in the pre-sale stage estate projects.
"The Master in Real Estate Development was the right program for me. It taught me the business and financial skills required for working in the industry, while exploring the foundations of architecture and importance of design."
Florian joined a team of fellow students from the UK at Triadic Labs in March 2020 to help create a Virtual Reality Sales platform for real state. James Spooner, Ashley Howells, Alex Tozzi and Florian, aimed to give consumers more clarity on how their future home would look, and digitalise developers’ sales processes. Using gaming technology to create their virtual-reality models, these can then be presented to the client on any mobile device or laptop. The platform has already had great success, and they have recorded that buyer confidence increases by 150% when using Triadic software compared to more traditional sales methods.
Within the project, Florian’s role is business-development based. His responsibilities are developing ideas to advance the company, overseeing sales processes and securing clients. This involves researching markets, new advancements and emerging players to source sales leads. With an established insight into the real estate industry, this was their initial focus, but they soon expanded into trade shows, industrial training, art and other creative areas.
Florian is most proud of the project they have been working on in Costa Rica. This entails customizing a home to the finest detail before the customers move in and coordinating with architects, designers, suppliers and manufacturers. For their long-term goal of an online real-estate sales platform where customers can buy homes purely online, these partnerships are extremely promising.
Since growing up in a Bauhaus building in eastern Germany, Florian has always appreciated architecture. Wanting to specialize in something he loved, he found the Master in Real Estate Development. This program gave Florian an insight into understanding markets and balancing aspects such as design, feasibility and sustainability. He also found that the skills offered across the degree were all useful individually and collectively.
“Rather than learning a simple skill set, the Master in Real Estate Development has given me an understanding and appreciation for processes.”
For Florian, the program has been instrumental in his life and career. He has grown and made friends all over the world, and in the business world the degree led him to PropTech.
With access to professionals from every sector of the industry, he explored visionary ideas and pushed the boundaries of real estate creativity. He also undertook practical projects such as the co-designing of a repositioning strategy for office buildings.
Florian’s advice for future students is to have fun and challenge the norms. He sees university as the time to explore ideas and push boundaries, and for this, students must have an open mind and appreciate unique perspectives.
