With a deep emotion and sorrow I regret to inform you of the passing of Professor Stanley McGreal on July 18, 2024.
Professor McGreal was a distinguished member of the European Real Estate Society, the American Real Estate Society, the Pacific Rim Real Estate Society, the International Real Estate Society and other esteemed institutions. He also served as the first editor in chief of the Journal of European Real Estate Research (JERER).
He was a Professor of Property Research, as denoted in his curriculum vitae, in the Department of the Built Environment at the University of Ulster, Belfast, and also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Australia. His intense activity and high-quality research are evident in his extensive curriculum, which includes numerous publications across various areas of real estate. He authored articles in leading real estate journals, contributed book chapters and made several other research and academic contributions. Many of these works were co-authored with international collaborators and have been widely cited. His research has been highly influential in fields such as the built environment, real estate valuation, residential price comparators, building sustainability and many other areas.
As the first Editor-in-Chief of the JERER, he guided the journal with remarkable expertise, always prioritizing the highest quality of submissions and the strictest adherence to academic ethics. This commitment drove him to establish a solid, serious and ethical foundation for the journal, leaving an indelible mark that continues to shape JERER today. He led the journal from its inception in 2009 until his retirement in 2017.
His contribution to the journal was crucial. He adeptly guided the nascent publication, ensuring its development along a steady and systematic trajectory during a period of significant change in the publication system. Professor McGreal established integrity, research quality and ethical principles as foundational criteria, implementing rigorous publication standards that positioned JERER as a reputable and high-quality platform for disseminating European real estate research. These principles remain his indelible mark and have supported JERER in its consolidation as a valuable reference platform.
Stanley also introduced JERER to the global audience through his systematic presence at conferences hosted by other societies, such as ARES, PRRES and IRES. As the president of IRES from 2004 to 2005, he represented JERER and the European real estate academic community on the international stage, thereby strengthening the academic networks that facilitated the transfer of real estate knowledge worldwide and effectively communicated European insights and diversity to global audiences. Even after stepping down as editor of JERER in 2017, he continued to support the editorial team, offering his expertise in reviewing articles and providing valuable insights.
Stanley McGreal was more than just an editor. He was a quiet yet significant contributor to many papers published in JERER through his insightful comments. He also guided many new researchers acting as an anonymous reviewer, and as a competent colleague in debating new knowledge, he also was a trusted reference ready to offer support.
JERER wishes to pay tribute to Stanley as a fundamental figure in the journal's development, whom we have, unfortunately, lost. He was an exceptional academic of how to conduct our work with integrity and excellence. In these circumstances we extend our heartfelt condolences to Barbara, Bryan, grandchildren and the rest of his family during this time of sorrow.
Paloma Taltavull de La Paz The JERER Editorial Executive Board
