Kamala Harris Addresses Australian Real Estate Conference: Global Leadership, AI Concerns, and Lessons for the Property Sector

In a keynote address that captivated more than 4,500 attendees on the Gold Coast, former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a powerful and wide-ranging speech at the 2025 Australian Real Estate Conference (AREC). Her message? That empathy, foresight, and respect for history must underpin leadership in an increasingly complex property and business environment.

Speaking directly to an audience of agents, developers, investors, and business leaders, Harris touched on a number of timely themes — including the dangers of forgetting the economic lessons of the 1930s, the disruptive power of artificial intelligence, and the importance of value-driven decision-making in real estate and beyond.

Her appearance — the first by a former U.S. Vice President at AREC — reflects the globalisation of Australia’s property sector and highlights the increasing crossover between political, technological, and real estate futures.

Leadership in the real estate sector: what Harris challenged the audience to consider

Throughout her speech, Harris reminded the audience that real estate — while based on assets and transactions — is fundamentally a human business. She emphasised that the most successful leaders balance ambition with emotional intelligence.

Key points from her address:

• Empathy matters: In both politics and property, decisions made without empathy often miss the human context — from tenants to team members to future generations.

• Leadership is values-based: Whether building communities or managing capital, values should shape vision. Harris encouraged industry leaders to lead with integrity, inclusion, and responsibility.

• History provides perspective: Drawing parallels with the 1930s — a time of polarisation, financial stress, and nationalism — she reminded the crowd that ignoring systemic risks can lead to crisis.

• Leadership isn’t just top-down: She spoke about grassroots influence, decentralised decision-making, and how mid-sized players often set the cultural tone in business sectors like real estate.

For the commercial property industry, her comments land squarely in the current context: post-COVID recovery, technological upheaval, global uncertainty, and social transformation.

AI and the real estate sector: real risks, real responsibilities

Harris addressed the fast-moving topic of artificial intelligence with clarity and caution. While acknowledging AI’s transformative potential, she warned of its risks — especially for industries that rely on trust, data, and direct human relationships.

Her concerns for real estate professionals:

• Job displacement: Automation in property management, marketing, and brokerage could displace skilled workers if not managed ethically.

• Misinformation: AI-generated property listings, fake renders, and deepfakes could erode trust if not verified.

• Bias in decision-making: Algorithms used in lending, valuations, or tenant screening may replicate social and economic bias without oversight.

• Lack of accountability: The rapid pace of AI integration risks outpacing governance frameworks, leaving professionals legally and morally exposed.

She urged real estate leaders to get ahead of the technology curve by being active participants in shaping ethical standards and not waiting for regulators to catch up.

Why this resonated with the audience

Attendees at AREC 2025 included everyone from top-tier commercial developers and national franchise leaders to boutique agency owners and proptech startups. Harris’s talk was widely praised for cutting through political rhetoric and directly addressing issues that agents and asset managers are confronting in real time.

Themes that struck a chord:

• AI is already here: From chatbots handling leasing enquiries to AI-driven valuation models, the room was full of people already integrating tech — or feeling left behind by it.

• Ethical leadership gap: In a competitive market, the temptation to cut corners on values is real. Her message reinforced that doing business ethically is also doing it sustainably.

• Generational change: Many in the audience were seeking frameworks to lead younger, more diverse, more digitally native teams — and Harris provided a global lens to support that.

• Resilience through history: Her historical references to the 1930s reminded attendees that markets don’t move in isolation — they reflect the health and tension of broader systems.

Her speech ended with a standing ovation and triggered immediate discussion both on the conference floor and across industry LinkedIn channels.

Implications for the Australian property sector

Harris’s address highlighted that the challenges and opportunities facing Australian real estate are increasingly global, and increasingly tied to leadership ethics, technological literacy, and social responsibility.

Key takeaways for Australian commercial property leaders:

• Prepare for AI — but don’t outsource accountability: Invest in tech, but remain the decision-maker. Ensure due diligence in all data-driven processes.

• Center human outcomes in every development: Whether building warehouses or mixed-use precincts, remember the people who work, live, or interact with those spaces.

• Invest in leadership training: As teams grow and diversify, leadership development becomes more critical than sales training alone.

• Don’t ignore the social contract: Property professionals play a civic role in shaping cities, access, equity, and affordability — and that carries long-term reputational weight.

With the next generation of investors, tenants, and staff demanding more from those in charge, Harris’s call to lead with empathy and insight could not have come at a better time.

How we help future-proof property brands and assets

At Commercial Property Marketing, we work with developers, agencies, and institutional brands to create high-trust, high-impact campaigns that communicate value and integrity.

Our services include:

• Strategic messaging and brand positioning for new precincts and projects

• 3D renders and visual storytelling that emphasise people as well as property

• Interactive investment materials that are accurate, ethical, and compliant

• Naming, narrative, and rollout campaigns for buildings, funds, and civic developments

• Future-ready marketing materials designed to support ESG, AI, and inclusion standards

We understand that property is about more than space — it’s about legacy, leadership, and trust.

Let’s talk about positioning your business for the future of real estate

If you’re rethinking how you communicate, present, and deliver property outcomes in a changing world, we can help. From ethical investment visuals to cutting-edge marketing materials, we bring clarity and impact to every message.