Talent. Daring. Vision. The winners of the Choiseul City of Tomorrow ranking unquestionably share these three qualities, which make for charismatic and inspirational leaders in the real estate industry of today, and even more so of tomorrow. For the past six years, the month of September, which beats the call of the last holidaymakers, has been living to the rhythm of the Choiseul promotion, just as the months of July and January ring in the vintages of the Légion d'honneur. This real estate event is now a must. And it takes its rightful place among the other events in the Choiseul galaxy.
What should we remember about this 2023 vintage? First and foremost, it's a diverse group of men and women - from developers to investors, from land developers to players in the sustainable city and hospitality sectors. Secondly, it is almost equally balanced, with women even more strongly represented this year in all five compartments of the game, and even more so in the C 200 ranking, which identifies upstream the nuggets of tomorrow. Finally, it is innovative, with profiles that differ from the sacrosanct representation of a real estate industry locked into its professions like so many boxes that no one is allowed to leave.
These different, but never dissonant, profiles sound the alarm for the arrival of a new generation of leaders at the helm. This generation is already here, on the doorstep of the real estate industry, and it won't be long before it pushes, shoves or even provokes the industry. The new cycle demands it. Customers demand it. The market expects it. At a time when the weather is turning grey, it's reassuring to know that this essential sector of the economy - representing 2.3 million jobs and 11% of GDP - is ready to meet the challenges of our time.
First and foremost among these is, obviously and objectively, the creation of the low-carbon city. A city caught in the crossfire, between sometimes contradictory injunctions. A city that everyone wants to be plural and mixed on paper, but rarely in reality or in its own backyard. This is the role of tomorrow's decision-makers: to make the city more desirable, to give it back its stripes, to rehabilitate it when it is often accused of all the wrongs. It's a tall order for these leaders. But we can be sure that they will rise to the challenge with ambition and realism.