What do people want from their next home or real estate investment? Juan Pedro Damiani of DDC Desarrollos; Francisco Jorge, CEO of Altius Group Paraguay; and Martín Gómez Platero, CEO of Gómez Platero, draw on their industry experience to explore how shifting expectations are shaping development decisions.
The conversation is part of the second season of GP Talks, the video podcast by Gómez Platero Architecture & Urbanism. Hosted by Cecilia Bonino and filmed at the Olivos de los Horneros Clubhouse in Canelones, Uruguay, the series explores the forces reshaping how we live and how our cities evolve.
This episode looks at what changing demand means for end users, investors, and developers—and how those insights can inform the design and positioning of new projects.
What Trends Are Reshaping Real Estate Development?
The conversation explores five factors influencing decisions across the sector:
- Proximity: growing demand for everyday amenities within easy reach, reducing the need to travel.
- Flexibility and shared spaces: evolving expectations for places to live, work, and connect.
- Mixed-use development: integrating complementary uses to strengthen a project’s value proposition.
- Investor demand: the role of investment buyers in driving sales and shaping expectations for new developments.
- Technology and data: new tools transforming market analysis, project design, and sales and marketing.
Mixed-Use Development: Bringing Daily Life Closer Together
The desire to spend less time commuting and traveling between daily activities is a central theme. It puts the connections between homes, workplaces, services, and social spaces at the heart of the discussion—and helps explain the appeal of mixed-use development.
A successful mix depends on how these uses work together and the experience they create. Proximity, shared amenities, and spaces that accommodate different routines all contribute to a development’s appeal.
The episode connects these design considerations with the expectations of the people who will live in and use these places, as well as those investing in them.
How Technology Is Changing Development Decisions
Artificial intelligence, data, and emerging technologies are also changing how projects are evaluated, designed, and brought to market. Their adoption raises questions about how developers read demand and which insights should guide a project’s concept and positioning.
Across these themes, the conversation returns to a central challenge: keeping pace with changing ways of living, working, and investing—and translating that understanding into relevant real estate projects.
