Service Design Day is one of the most exciting events of the year, where service design and user experience take centre stage. This year's programme brought particularly relevant questions for the real estate market as well: how can empathy become part of everyday operations, and how can an office building, shopping centre or student hotel truly become human-centred?
In the roundtable discussion moderated by PropTech Hungary, three market-leading professionals shared their experiences: Bea Déri (CPI Hungary), Patrik Pálvölgyi (Westend) and Gábor Tóbiás (Forestay). The meeting of three different property segments – office, retail and residential – created an exciting dialogue about how customer experience is being transformed in the digital era.
1. Empathy and Customer Experience – in a New Interpretation
According to Bea Déri, expert at CPI, the office market required a shift in mindset: “What worked before was no longer enough. Close partnership with tenants and supporting employee well-being are no longer extras, but basic expectations.” This is why CPI has placed tenant community-building at the forefront, connecting its office buildings and hotels with green spaces, sports programmes and digital networks.
In the retail segment, Patrik Pálvölgyi explained that the meaning of the shopping experience has completely changed. “Generation Z does not go to the mall to shop – they go for an experience. It is our job to create that experience, whether it’s wellbeing, community programmes or even a mystery box.” Westend now monitors visitor movement data and responds immediately to feedback – both online and on-site.
Representing Forestay, Gábor Tóbiás presented the challenges of the student and hotel market: how can we create community spaces where residents not only live “next to each other”, but “live together”? “We must serve social solitude too – there must be a place for shared study, but also for retreat. This is also part of empathy.”
2. Data, Apps and Human Connection
All participants agreed: customer experience is no longer just a feeling, but a data-driven decision.
CPI introduced its own community app, which continuously measures tenant engagement. Westend uses IoT devices to monitor visitor patterns and optimise the tenant mix accordingly. Forestay's self-developed PMS system manages both student and hotel guest data – all to support community life.
Bea Déri emphasised: “Our goal is not for someone to simply join the club, but to actually use our services. Human connection will always be more important than technology.” This became one of the key statements of the entire event.
3. Vision – the Human Remains at the Centre
At the end of the discussion, experts agreed that the future of property management will be hybrid: data-driven, yet human.
Bea Déri believes mobility and community experience will come to the forefront – office buildings will function as networks. According to Patrik Pálvölgyi, the future of shopping centres lies in becoming experience hubs, where shopping is just a secondary function. Gábor Tóbiás highlighted the needs of new generations: digital administration, exciting community spaces and health-conscious environments – this will become the standard.
Service Design Day once again proved that the meeting point of empathy, design and data is not only service design, but a new way of thinking about property management – where experience is no longer an extra, but a baseline expectation.
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