Optimum RE Looks Set To Buy 3 Assets In Barcelona For €7M

21 June 2017 – Eje Prime

The real estate investment vehicle manager BMB Investment Management and the US fund Bluemountain are continuing their shopping spree in Spain, through their Socimi. Optimum Real Estate will spend €7 million on the acquisition of three new assets in Barcelona, according to sources at the group. Optimum’s objective is to close the year with a portfolio of properties worth more than €70 million.

To this end, the second Socimi to be promoted and managed by BMB, is currently studying the acquisition of three assets in the Catalan capital, the city where the majority of the properties controlled by the group are located. The first is located at the junction of Calle Girona and Calle Aragón and has a surface area of 825 m2. For this residential asset, Optimum is looking at spending €2 million.

The second property for which Optimum is bidding is located on Calle Cartagena, also in Barcelona. Located in the El Eixample neighbourhood, this residential property measures 837 m2 and would require an investment of €1.8 million for the Socimi.

The last asset that Optimum is interested in incorporating into its pipeline is located at the junction of Calle Nápoles and Diagonal. It would be the most expensive of the three, given that the Socimi could end up paying almost €3 million for it – it would also be the largest, with a surface area of 1,091 m2. If Optimum were to complete these three purchases, it would end the year fulfilling its objective of owning a portfolio of assets worth more than €70 million.

“Nevertheless, although the negotiations are in an advanced stage, we are not ruling out the possibility of changing our plans and acquiring other assets over the next few months instead, whereby exceeding our objective”, explain sources at Optimum.

Currently, the asset portfolio owned by the Socimi, which was created following the success of two vehicles constituted in 2007 to buy residential buildings in Berlin (Germany), comprises fifteen assets located in Barcelona, in central areas such as El Eixample, Gran Vía, El Born and Ramblas, as well as one in Madrid, located at number 8 on Calle San Bernadino.  Optimum’s portfolio is currently worth €63.7 million.

Optimum III

In order to take advantage of the falling prices in the real estate market in Barcelona, BMB launched its third fund, Euro Re Optimum III Barcelona, focusing its experience on the residential market in the Catalan capital (…). This is a tailor-made fund aimed at private investors and family offices (…).

BMB’s intention is to invest €100 million in total with the new vehicle, through acquisitions and improvements. In this way, the portfolio of Optimum III will comprise more than twenty buildings.

Original story: Eje Prime (by C. Pareja)

Translation: Carmel Drake