Michel Wolters: "The commitment to the FREM master is the icing on the already delicious cake"

Sharing knowledge and experience

After working for 21 years in the chemical industry and almost 13 years in the social housing sector as a Real Estate Manager, I came into contact with the Facility Management academy and the academy's lectorate. The conversations with various people from the academy that followed were so inspiring that my curiosity quickly turned into the drive to start working as a teacher at the FM academy. The time had come, I thought, to share my knowledge and experience with students. The subjects at the academy on which I am engaged in are spot on. My expertise lies in operational (property management), tactical (asset management) and strategic real estate management (portfolio management), construction (project) management and construction law (real estate law), real estate financials, construction and electrical engineering, and installation technology. 

Now, a few years later, I can say: teaching is indeed inspiring, challenging and very satisfying. It is everything I expected and more. It is great to see students grow knowing that you have contributed to that growth.

The icing on the cake

The commitment to the FREM master is the icing on the already delicious cake. Showing and teaching students the field of work of the FM professional at a post-HBO level with a focus on real estate is even more challenging; what a treat! 

I (hope to) inspire students by letting them look further then the obvious and not always taking the shortcut. I encourage them to think about all the opportunities they could and should see in the field of facility management. I challenge them to be critical about solutions they come up with. I help them discover the possibilities that facility management can offer to the wellbeing of not only them but especially the (end)users.  On the field of real estate assets, I want to challenge them to also see the beauty an asset can have. Why is a building beautiful and therefore of architectural value and why not? What can make it even better for society and its users? The saying  “Fit for Use” applies here once again. Students challenge me to offer them the best. They usually do not settle for mediocrity. They are curious, eager to learn and critical. That keeps me sharp and gives me satisfaction.

Strategic Real Estate Management

The Strategic Real Estate Management module covers the highest step of the real estate pyramid: i.e. the real estate strategy.  The questions that are dealt with are:

• How and why does a company, an organization, make strategic choices with its real estate portfolio?
• How to align the real estate portfolio with the strategic direction of the company? 
• Is there a mismatch now and/or in the future?
• What is value and how does this fit into the company's strategy?
• How do you make a strategic business case?

Trends in real estate

A clear trend in real estate is that a different way of use is emerging. Technology has made a major entrance and is there to stay; there is no doubt that AI will also play a major role in real estate management. One of the most striking trends is that owners / users / investors think more and more differently about value. It is becoming clear to people and society that "shareholder value" and bare returns are not the be-all and end-all. Tenants, users, increasingly desire and demand their well-being, but also the well-being of future generations and our planet, is taken into account. This requires a major rethink in a typically traditional type of sport. Investors, owners, notice that. Real estate with certificates such as BREEAM, Well, LEED etc. are very popular. Ownership is no longer self-evident.