What a great day we had at ‘The Centrick Arms’ 2026 running alongside UKREiiF. From our early morning fringe panel through to our packed fireside chats, ‘The Centrick Arms’ created space for some of the most open and honest conversations of the week.
Across all three sessions, one thing became clear: the challenges facing the property sector aren’t isolated. Viability, planning delays, skills shortages and the growing weight of compliance are all deeply connected – and solving them will take more than quick fixes.
What came through just as strongly, though, was a sense of momentum. The sector is adapting, roles are evolving, and there’s a growing appetite to work more collaboratively, share responsibility, and tackle these issues head-on.
Dive deeper into each session
We’ve pulled together full write-ups from each of our sessions below, exploring the discussions in more detail – from planning and delivery challenges, to the sector’s evolving skills landscape and the realities of building safety in practice.
Powering Property Progress: Closing the Skills Gap
Planning Under Pressure
Theme: Delivery challenges and unlocking development
Planning may still grab the headlines, but the conversation quickly moved beyond permission to the wider reality of delivery. From viability pressures and infrastructure constraints to resourcing in local authorities, this session unpacked why schemes are stalling, and what needs to change to unlock progress.
The Safety Net
Theme: Compliance, accountability and the cost of doing things properly
As regulation continues to reshape the sector, building safety is no longer a standalone issue, it’s influencing investment, operations and decision-making at every level. This discussion looked at the real-world impact of the Building Safety Act, from rising costs and delayed transactions to the challenge of accountability and resident engagement.
A wider perspective from UKREiiF
Alongside our sessions at The Centrick Arms, our team spent time across the wider UKREiiF conference programme, gaining a broader view of the conversations shaping the sector.
Reflecting on the week as a whole, Group Business Director, Jane Morcom, highlighted just how much the landscape continues to shift, and how those changes are starting to take hold in a very real way across the industry.
UKREiiF 2026 really brought home just how much is changing across UK real estate. Rental living and BTR now feel firmly part of the mainstream, while the wider housing market is under growing pressure to deliver more homes, and to do it better and more sustainably. AI was another clear theme, but this year it felt much less like a buzzword and more like something that is already starting to shape how we plan, manage and measure buildings in practice.
It was also encouraging to see local authorities playing such a visible role in the conversation, not just as part of the planning process, but as long term partners in shaping mixed tenure communities and unlocking viable sites.
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Let’s keep the conversation going
If any of these conversations resonate, or you’re thinking about how your own projects align with the themes discussed, we’d always be happy to continue the conversation. Centrick supports clients across a wide range of services – from BTR and estate management through to valuations and building safety compliance – and we’re here to help wherever we can. Simply complete the enquiry form below to get in touch, or explore our website to learn more about how we work and where we can add value.
