Can Real Estate Make Money and Do Good? Natalie Voland on Rethinking Development

In this episode Axel Monsaingeon sits down with Natalie Voland to explore a different approach to real estate development, one built around community, sustainability, and long-term value. Natalie shares how her background in social work shaped her career as a developer, the lessons behind the transformation of Salon 1861, and why listening to communities can lead to better projects. She also explains how her "build backwards" philosophy challenges the traditional development model by putting people and purpose before returns.    This episode is sponsored by ClickSpace.  Click Space is redefining the future of office space in Montreal with turnkey offices, storage, 3PL, conference rooms, lounges, and niche communities for ecommerce entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and AI-focused businesses.  Spaces start at just $550/month, and paid referral partnerships are available for brokers.  Learn more: https://clickspace.ca/ Get in touch: [email protected]   Topics and timestamps 🌱 From social work to real estate (00:02:00) 🏙️ Real estate as a tool for communities (00:06:07) 💰 Making money while doing good (00:07:11) 🏘️ Gentrification, housing and community impact (00:12:00) 🤝 Giving communities a seat at the table (00:13:54) ⛪ Reinventing Salon 1861 (00:15:39) ♻️ Saving heritage buildings through adaptive reuse (00:17:13) 🗣️ What community engagement really requires (00:20:24) 🎶 Building a multi-use community space (00:21:22) 🎨 Connecting real estate, art and business (00:25:13) 🌍 Building carbon-neutral affordable housing (00:27:36) 🎓 Taking real estate thinking into a PhD (00:29:09) 🔄 The "build backwards" development model (00:30:53) 👥 Why real estate is ultimately about people (00:34:20) 🙏 The importance of early believers and mentors (00:35:36)    🔗Connect with Natalie Voland   💼 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalievoland/ 🏢 Groupe Danū: https://www.groupedanu.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com    👤Follow Axel Monsaingeon 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axel-monsaingeon-42577b28/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axelmonsaingeon   🌐 Explore more resources 📊 Market guides, data, and advertising opportunities: https://www.e5pace.com/