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The Socimis Set Their Sights On Rental Housing

30 August 2016 – Expansión

After buying up offices, shopping centres and hotels, many Socimis are now setting their sights on rental housing.

The Socimis owned by Domo, Alquiler Seguro and Inveriplus, amongst others, are preparing to start trading on the stock market. (…).

At least five new Socimis, focusing on rental housing, are expected to debut on the stock market over the next few months. Some of these Socimis have already started the process to join the MAB by preparing their Information Memorandums for Incorporation onto the Market (DIIM), which will, subsequently, be submitted for review by the MAB’s Coordination and Incorporations Committee and the Board of Directors. These bodies must analyse the document and decide whether or not to approve their debuts on the market.

The potential new joiners to the MAB include the Socimi owned by the management company Domo, which has the distinction of being able to offer its investors the possibility of participating in every project phase – from the acquisition of land, to the monitoring and control of developments, to placing homes up for rent and, subsequently, where appropriate, the sale of the assets. This Socimi is scheduled to join the MAB in September.

New joiners

Domo Activos Socimi, which was constituted on 11 June 2015, aims to raise up to €50 million in initial capital and then carry out capital increases to raise up to €250 million.

Meanwhile, the Socimi owned by Alquiler Seguro – Quid Pro Quo – is planning to debut on the stock market before the end of the year. The company initially wants to raise €50 million, which it will use to purchase properties for their subsequent rental.

The company’s plans involve incorporating 500 homes into its portfolio during the first phase, and its five year objective is to own around 6,000 homes and reach a fund volume of €500 million through subsequent capital increases.

Another Socimi that is finalising its debut on the stock market is owned by Inveriplus, a firm that specialises in the clean up of real-estate assets. This company will be created with €10 million, which will be used to purchase developments. In addition, the company plans to invest €60 million in assets before its debut on the stock market.

Armabex – which specialises in the constitution of Socimis and their subsequent incorporation onto the stock market – is working with two other companies that it expects will be ready to debut on the MAB before the end of the year. One of those Socimis is the subsidiary of a real estate company and the other is a company owned by two architects with projects in the south of Madrid. (…).

Currently, the average gross yield on rental housing amounts to 4.6%, according to the latest available data from the Bank of Spain. If we include future capital gains, from the sale of assets, those yields can soar into the double digits. (…).

For the time being, the ratio of rental properties to owned properties in Spain stands at around 20%, whilst the European average is closer to 35%, with some cities, such as Berlin, reporting percentages of almost 60%. These figures indicate that there is still a lot of potential (in Spain). (…).

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake