Doing the Opposite x PropTech Connect is a mini-series celebrating Europe’s largest real estate tech event. In this episode Jeff Dewing speaks to PropTech Connect’s Founder and CEO, Matthew Maltzoff.

Matthew shares his incredible journey from running a meal delivery startup during COVID to founding Europe's largest PropTech event. Defying conventional wisdom about industry expertise, his refreshing perspective reveals how knowing nothing about real estate or events became his greatest advantage.

When getting started with the event, Matthew’s approach was to ask "How big could it be on the first go?" – setting targets that industry veterans might have dismissed as impossible. Matthew admits that what some may have seen as naivety became his greatest asset: “Because we didn't even know that this was a ridiculous thing, we just figured, well, how will we do this? Failure wasn't really an option” Matthew says.

What makes Matthew's approach particularly inspirational is his commitment to vulnerability and genuine curiosity. Rather than pretending to have all the answers, he asks fundamental questions about what really matters to the built environment: "How does this make the building more valuable? How does this improve the tenant experience?" This focus on essentials cuts through the noise of "nice-to-have" technologies that don't address core industry needs.

Matthew highlights a significant shift he’s witnessing in real estate – the move from authoritarian landlord-tenant relationships to collaborative partnerships where property owners ask, "What do you need? What can we do better?". This vulnerability-based leadership creates environments where people feel safe to admit what they don't know and work together on solutions.

A huge thank you to everyone who was part of this year’s Proptech Connect Europe

Hosted by Jeff Dewing

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Doing the Opposite x Proptech Connect is a mini-series ahead of Europe’s largest real estate tech event. In this episode Jeff Dewing speaks to JP Johnson, a Senior Energy Consultant at Symphony Energy, a company that provides innovative technology to decarbonize commercial buildings and optimize energy performance in the built environment. JP is committed to making offices, hotels, hospitals and universities into smarter, more sustainable and cost-effective spaces and driving positive change for the planet.

Jeff and JP discuss one of the industry's most uncomfortable truths: the significant gap between theoretical building performance (as measured by EPCs) and actual operational efficiency. This performance gap represents not just an environmental challenge, but a significant financial opportunity, with buildings frequently consuming up to three times more energy than their design specifications predict. Symphony Energy has been working for 20 years on closing this performance gap. Whilst new metrics for building efficiency are arguably more effectual than EPCs, the wider tenant market still recognises EPCs so they are unlikely to be abandoned anytime soon.

JP reveals how Symphony Energy's guarantee-based business model aligns perfectly with client interests - they charge based on actual savings achieved rather than promised results, typically ensuring a five-year payback period. This approach has been particularly effective with owner-occupiers seeking both sustainability credentials and reduced operational costs. JP also shares how their innovative approach has achieved astonishing results for their clients - including a 47% energy reduction in a university building that was already meeting its 2030 sustainability targets. “Reduced carbon emissions reduces costs. It's a pretty attractive UPC”, JP says.

JP and Jeff also explore practical implementation challenges, from cybersecurity concerns to the risk-averse nature of the real estate industry. JP remains optimistic about the future, highlighting both the transformative potential of AI and the influx of newly qualified sustainability professionals as key catalysts for accelerating progress toward net zero buildings.

Proptech Connect Europe begins today. We will see you there!!

InterContinental London – The O2

3rd – 4th September 2025

Hosted by Jeff Dewing

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Doing the Opposite x Proptech Connect is a mini-series ahead of Europe’s largest real estate tech event. In this episode Jeff Dewing speaks to Dr Aleksandra Przydrozna, Global Retrofit Integration Lead at MACE. Aleksandra leads multidisciplinary teams to help clients’ buildings become more sustainable in a notoriously change-resistant industry!

One of the biggest hurdles in the sustainable building conversation is often cost, but Aleksandra's pragmatic approach cuts through this barrier. Rather than overwhelming clients with ambitious targets, she begins with optimisation that can deliver 20-30% utility bill reductions with minimal investment. This creates the "light bulb moment" that opens doors to deeper conversations about building performance, climate risk, and future-readiness. Her method emphasises education, long-term thinking, and realistic ROI calculations that transform sustainability from perceived cost to strategic investment.

Aleksandra 's strategy for retrofitting extends beyond carbon reduction numbers to creating truly "future-ready" buildings that won't need revisiting before 2050. Furthermore, she's proudly nurturing the next generation of sustainable building leaders, setting up internal research projects and mentoring opportunities that develop both technical expertise and innovative thinking. “It’s a team sport. It’s not about being individual with your ideas” she says.

Aleksandra will be speaking at Proptech Connect Europe. We will see you there!!

InterContinental London – The O2

3rd – 4th September 2025

Hosted by Jeff Dewing

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Discover Cloudfm Group:

Website | LinkedIn