Tag: barcelona meeting point

Investment Recovers to New Highs Two Years After Referendum on Catalonian Independence

21 October 2019 – The Barcelona Meeting Point (BMP), the largest real estate fair in Catalonia, opened its doors just two days after Spain’s highest court convicted many of the leaders involved in Catalonia’s referendum on independence on October 1, 2017. Even as major riots shut down the airport and filled the city with the smell of burning plastic, investors appeared unruffled. The region’s real estate market has come back strong after having taken a nosedive in the two quarters during and after the bid for independence.

The last edition of the BMP, two years ago, was held just fifteen days after the referendum, and the difference from today was stark. Attendees referred to the fair as something of a funeral rite as the referendum led to plummeting investment. Hundreds of companies at the time decided to move their headquarters away from Barcelona. That uncertainty caused two quarters of sharp reductions in real estate investment in Catalonia. The market, however, has come back roaring.

Investment in the office real estate sector fell by half in the two quarters after the referendum in 2017, shocking many investors at the time. But by the summer of 2018, Blackstone finalised one of the most important transactions in the office market. The giant US fund acquired the historic headquarters of Grupo Planeta from the Lara family for 210 million euros. During the same period, Solvia sold three hospitals in Barcelona, ​​Bilbao and San Sebastián to Carmen Godia for 200 million euros.

Total investments between January and September of this year reached €4.5 billion, near to the levels of the last two years and above the tally in 2008, which set the record high for the previous real estate cycle of €4.4 billion. It remains to be seen whether the rioting after the Supreme Court’s ruling will depress investments once again, but most investors appear to be sanguine.

Original Story: El Confidencial – Elena Sanz

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Juan Velayos: “Neinor will Not Buy Land in Municipalities that Oblige 30% of Developments to be used for Social Housing”

19 October 2018 – El País

Next week, the ‘Meeting Point’ real estate fair is going to be held in Barcelona and the atmosphere is palpable: property developers are angry about the obligation to allocate 30% of new developments to social housing, a measure approved recently by the Town Hall of Barcelona, which may be extended to other municipalities. In an informative breakfast on Friday, the CEO of Neinor Homes, Juan Velayos, added fuel to the fire. Velayos explained that this “manifestly illegal” measure, will generate legal uncertainty and hinder the purchase of land for construction. In the case of Neinor Homes, Velayos confirmed that his firm will not buy land in any municipalities that adopt the obligation to allocate 30% of developments to social housing.

The measure approved by the municipal government led by Ada Colau will oblige property developers to reserve 30% of all new and renovated residential developments spanning more than 600 m2 to social housing. “The need to create social housing is a reality in the city, but the measure is very unfortunate. It is great for winning votes, but not for resolving the problem of housing”, said the CEO of Neinor Homes. In his opinion, the obligation established by the Town Hall, which does not discriminate by area or reflect the specific needs of neighbourhoods, only serves to restrict the action of property developers. They will not have the same incentives to buy or build and, in his opinion, that will affect buyers, who will see prices continue to rise.

For the time being, the measure does not affect Neinor Homes, given that the real estate company only has 40 homes in the city of Barcelona. Its activity is focused on the municipalities of the metropolitan area. When asked about the possibility of those cities also adopting the measure, Velayos said that Neinor “would not buy land, or it would only buy it for a much lower price, because it would be land with a worse output”. “Municipalities that adopt this measure are going to deter investment”, he added. Velayos also criticised the ruling from the Supreme Court that establishes that it should be the banks, and not customers, who bear the cost of the Documentation Registration Tax (AJD) for mortgages. In the opinion of the CEO of Neinor, this is another measure that “will generate legal uncertainty” and it is the buyers who will have to take out more expensive mortgages.

Uncertainty due to the independence process

Despite this “legal uncertainty”, which has also been linked to the independence process in Cataluña, Velayos insisted that the region “is a very important location”. Neinor Homes has 34 developments in the autonomous community, comprising 2,700 homes in total. Of those, four developments, containing more than 200 homes, have already been sold.

In Spain, Neinor owns land for the development of 180 projects and 13,500 homes. Of those, 5,000 homes are under construction. The land owned by the property developer is worth €1.8 billion. The firm plans to hand over 1,000 homes in 2018 with more than 100 developments underway, followed by around 2,000 homes in 2019 with 120 developments underway, before reaching its “cruising speed” with the delivery of between 3,500 and 4,00 homes in 2020 and 120 developments underway.

Original story: El País (by Josep Catà)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Stoneweg Plans to Build New Homes in Barcelona & along the Costa Brava

10 October 2018 – Eje Prime

Stoneweg is continuing to grow its portfolio of projects in Cataluña. The Spanish-Swiss fund is strongly committed to the territory and has already announced new developments in Barcelona and the Costa Brava.

Two of the most important projects are going to be developed on two prime streets in the centre of Barcelona, namely Rambla Catalunya and Pau Claris. The company led by Joaquín Castellví and Jaume Sabater declined to share more details about these future homes, according to Expansión. The real estate company is going to unveil the two developments at the next Barcelona Meeting Point, which will be held in the Catalan capital between 25th and 28th October.

Meanwhile, in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, the fund is going to build two towers containing 276 homes on the site of the former Cosme Toda factory, a plan that was announced in March, when a €370 million investment plan was registered to build 800 new homes in Cataluña.

The sought-after 22@ district for the office market is also of interest to the company, which is planning a development on Calle Llull. In the meantime, on the Costa Brava, Stoneweg has started projects in the residential market in Palamós, Platja d’Aro, Roses and Begur.

Original story: Eje Prime 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Pontegadea Lets 3,000 m2 of Office Space in Barcelona to Lidl

2 May 2018 – Eje Prime

Pontegadea, the real estate company owned by Amancio Ortega, is continuing to make its investments in Barcelona profitable. The group has just closed the rental of some of its office space, spanning more than 3,000 m2, to the German supermarket giant Lidl, according to market sources speaking to Eje Prime. Pontegadea has rented part of a building that it owns in Plaza Catalunya, in the centre of Barcelona, which it purchased from BBVA in 2013 for more than €100 million.

Lidl is going to occupy four floors in the building, which together span a total surface area of 3,155 m2. Currently, the building, which was originally intended to house the corporate headquarters of a large group, is being marketed on a floor by floor basis. On the lower storeys, the property is home to one of the flagship stores that Zara has in the centre of the Catalan capital.

Following this rental operation, which has been brokered by the real estate consultancy firms JLL and Forcadell, Lidl is going to sublet the space from BBVA (given that, for the time being, the rental contract is in the name of the banking entity) in order to locate its offices in the centre of the city. The property is going to house the e-commerce and CRM teams, which will serve the group’s business throughout Europe. Although the most iconic part of the building is located in Plaza Catalunya, the building’s entrance is located at number 13 Calle Bergara.

In this way, Lidl is continuing to generate work for the real estate sector in Spain. As Eje Prime revealed, the German supermarket chain has recently put up for sale its portfolio of real estate assets in the country. More than 109,000 m2 of retail space, industrial assets and land, which the German giant has acquired since it first arrived in Spain in 1994 form part of the package put up for sale by the company.

To carry out this operation in Spain, where the company is also purchasing new land, Lidl attended the Barcelona Meeting Point real estate fair in October, where it had one of the largest stands in the room, which it used to explore real estate agreements, including the sale of part of its property portfolio (…).

Lidl has been operating in Spain for more than 22 years, during which time it has invested almost €2.6 billion in the purchase of land, retail premises and store openings. Now, the company has initiated a new phase of expansion and so it is looking for properties, including both industrial and commercial land (…).

The office business is growing in Barcelona 

Leasing of office space grew by 20% in Barcelona during the first quarter of 2018 with respect to the same period in 2017, and forecasts indicate that this business is going to continue to grow over the coming months. The city recorded a leasing volume that was 17% higher than the quarterly average for the last five years, whereby confirming the strong demand.

Of the 125 operations signed during the first few months of the year, 7% corresponded to contracts for spaces spanning more than 2,000 m2. Most of the space leased (47%) was signed in New Business Areas, with the leasing of new space by companies such as PepsiCo and Securitas, which moved into a stock that today has an occupancy rate of 93%, as revealed by Eje Prime.

Meanwhile, the Paseo de Gracia-Diagonal area and city centre closed the quarter with a joint market share of 37% of the total space leased. The remaining 16% opted for projects located on the outskirts of the city (…).

Original story: Eje Prime (by Custodio Pareja)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lidl Boosts its Real Estate Business with €300M Investment

27 December 2017 – El Economista

Lidl is strengthening its commitment to the real estate sector. The German supermarket chain is planning to invest around €300 million next year (2018) buying up land and stores on/in which to open new supermarkets. Contrary to what most of the distribution sector is doing (the majority of retailers are selling their properties and leasing stores instead so as to focus on their core retail businesses), the German giant is standing firm in its commitment to the real estate recovery in Spain and so will continue investing.

With a current network of 540 stores, the idea is to own the largest possible number of stores. The average sales area amounts to around 1,500 m2, and so Lidl is looking for spaces measuring between 4,000 m2 and 9,000 m2, to allow space for warehouses and parking.

“Although we haven’t set an exact figure yet, the idea is to maintain the same rate of store openings as this year (2017), which means that we would open between 30 and 40 establishments in 2018”, explain sources at the company. Lidl arrived in Spain in 1994 and closed 2016 with a turnover of more than €3.335 billion, which represented an increase of 9.5% compared to the previous year. The company has also consolidated its position as the fifth largest operator in the sector with a market share of 4.3%, behind only Mercadona, Dia, Carrefour and Eroski, according to the latest market research published by the consultancy firm Kantar Worldpanel.

Presence at real estate fairs

Loyal to its real estate strategy, Lidl has already attended the recent exhibitions of the Barcelona Meeting Point fair to search for business opportunities. Moreover, it has decided to diversify its store opening strategy and enter, for example, traditional food markets (‘mercados de abastos’) and shopping centres.

In the case of the first, the German company has committed to opening stores in Barcelona, in the Sant Antoni and Vall d’Hebrón markets, and in Madrid, in the Tetuán market, in a strategy similar to the one being carried out by Mercadona. In the case of shopping centres, it has already opened its first store in this type of space in Islazul, in Madrid. Moreover, as well as new stores, Lidl is also making very significant investments in improving and modernising its existing stores.

Original story: El Economista (by Javier Romera)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Hispania’s Manager, Azora, Prepares Hotel Vehicle For Portugal

23 October 2017 – El Confidencial

The largest hotel Socimi in Spain may soon have a replica in Portugal. Azora, the manager of Hispania, is working on the creation of a new vehicle to enter the Portuguese market, on the basis that, over the next few years, it expects to see a repeat there of the recovery that the Spanish real estate market is experiencing at the moment.

The Director-General of Hispania, Cristina García-Peri, revealed Azora’s plans at the Barcelona Meeting Point conference, which was held in the Catalan capital last week. “We are looking at the Portuguese holiday market”, said the director, who also highlighted the opportunities that the country’s two major cities, Lisbon and Porto, have to offer.

Sources consulted by El Confidencial confirm that Azora’s strategy is aimed at constituting a new vehicle, given that Hispania’s mandate focuses solely on the Spanish market. As such, the firm is currently making contact with several funds to define the terms of the project.

The example of what Azora has done with Hispania is the best endorsement that the manager can show investors to attract them towards this new proposal, given that the firm founded by Concha Osácar and Fernando Gumuzio considers that the Portuguese market is very similar to the Spanish market and therefore, they already have a wealth of knowledge in terms of both the product and the environment.

Following in Hispania’s footsteps

Created three and a half years ago, Hispania has become the largest owner of hotels in the country in that short space of time, with 36 establishments and more than 10,350 beds. Most of its properties are located in the Canary and Balearic Islands.

Moreover, in the summer, the Socimi acquired a plot of land in Teguise (Lanzarote), where it is going to build a new five-star establishment with 225 rooms, which it will integrate with the existing Occidental Playa and Barceló Lanzarote hotels, to create a mega-resort with 1,033 rooms, the largest in Hispania’s whole portfolio.

Despite the success achieved with its tourist business, in the spring, Azora made a proposal to the Socimi’s shareholders, led by George Soros, to activate the divestment period for the vehicle and whereby renounce the option of converting it into a permanent entity.

This decision has meant that the company has activated a formal process to sell its entire office portfolio. To this end, it has been holding exclusive negotiations with the insurance company Swiss Life for several months now and it has also started to divest its 754 residential properties, one by one.

In terms of Hispania’s hotels, which account for the bulk of its portfolio, it has until December 2020. Until then, the Socimi will focus on continuing to acquire assets, as well as improving and actively managing the ones it already owns to allow it to increase its rate of return on these investments from 10% to 12%.

Original story: El Confidencial (by Ruth Ugalde)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Anticipa Real Estate: House Sales Could Reach 526,000 In 2018

20 October 2017 – El País

House sales in Spain may reach 526,000 units in 2018, up by 9.3% with respect to the 481,000 operations that are expected to be closed in 2017 (which, in turn, represents 10.1% more than last year), provided financing conditions and the performance of the Spanish and Eurozone economies continue on course. Of that total, the bulk will be replacement homes (upgrades) and just 275,000 will involve the creation of new households. Moreover, the prices of new and second-hand homes will continue to rise with a growth rate of 5.8% during the fourth quarter of 2017 and of another 5% during 2018, although they will still be 23% lower than the peaks recorded in 2007.

Those are some of the findings of a report by Anticipa Real Estate, specialising in real estate management and loans, and belonging to the international fund Blackstone, about the housing market in Spain 2017-2019, which the firm’s CEO, Eduard Mendiluce, presented at the Barcelona Meeting Point conference, together with Josep Oliver, a professor from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), whose team compiled the research.

The increase that is forecast by the company with respect to the minimums recorded in 2013, when just 285,000 transactions were completed, will reach 85% by 2018. Nevertheless, according to Professor Oliver, the market volumes are still 42% below the peaks of 2006, when more than 900,000 private homes were sold.

Other figures that are below the maximums reached in the boom years are the number of finished homes (private and social housing properties) in Spain. The report sets a total of 63,400 units for 2019, compared to 62,900 units forecast for 2017. Although these figures represent a significant increase (more than 48%) with respect to the minimum recorded in 2016 (42,700 finished homes), the volume is 90% lower than the expansion peaks.

In terms of Cataluña, the research indicates that the number of private home sales should amount to around 82,000 during 2017 as a whole (up by 10.8% YoY) and 90,000 during 2018 (up by 9.8%). In terms of prices, they are forecast to increase by 6.9% in 2017 and by 6.1% in 2018. Given that the reduction in house prices was greater in Cataluña than across Spain as a whole (almost 45% compared to 37%), prices in 2018 are still expected to be 27% lower than those of 2007.

Original story: El País (by S.L.L)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Merlin Consolidates Assets Following Merger With Metrovacesa

21 October 2016 – Expansión

Merlin Properties is entering a new phase. After completing the merger with Metrovacesa, the Socimi wants to initiate a new phase of asset consolidation. “Our goal is to not grow any larger”, said Ismael Clemente (pictured above), Chairman of the firm, speaking yesterday at the Barcelona Meeting Point real estate fair, which is being held from 19-23 October in the Catalan capital.

This new phase is looking for a soft landing following the merger with Metrovacesa. The primary objective of this process is to increase the value of the assets in Merlin’s portfolio. To this end, capital investments will be made in offices and in other assets owned by the Socimi.

Clemente also confirmed that 75% of Merlin’s offices are more than 10 years old and that the consolidation will be based on improving these spaces, in accordance with the new upwards cycle in the sector, which is leading to price rises and improved facilities. The recovery in the value of offices, above all in Madrid and Barcelona, is “just in its first phase”, said Clemente.

The Director said he was confident in the opportunities being offered in this segment compared with the situation in other European markets – such as the German, French and British markets – where prices are more mature. Even so, the Chairman of Merlin thinks that Spain is still a secondary country within the European real estate sector, given the insufficient legal security here and the lower presence of overseas investment compared with other markets across the Continent.

The merger with Metrovacesa is expected to be definitively formalised this month, following the payment of a €60 million dividend on 25 October, which was approved in a Board Meeting held last Wednesday.

Clemente regards the logistics sector as one of the best positioned in terms of investment following the downturn it suffered during the economic crisis. “Historically, the logistics sector has been undeveloped in Spain”, said the Chairman of Merlin.

Nevertheless, the recovery and development of online commerce is allowing the logistics sector to return to pre-crisis levels. Merlin considers that there are few investment opportunities left in the shopping centre segment and that only shopping macro-complexes, with flexible legislation, will offer the right conditions for investment.

Meanwhile, Clemente said that the disputes over forming the new government, and the nationalist tensions “have both gone too far”.

The merger with Metrovacesa will turn Merlin into the largest real estate company in Spain, with assets worth more than €9,000 million. The Socimi generated profits of €211 million during the first half of the year, up by 77% compared with the same period in 2015.

Original story: Expansión (by Eric Galián)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Leading RE Experts Warn About The Lack Of Credit

21 October 2016 – Expansión

The difficulties involved in accessing bank financing for certain real estate projects are weighing down on the development of the sector. Experts from leading companies in the market, such as BNP Paribas and Axa, have criticised the banks’ excessive zeal when it comes to lending in a discussion about opportunities in Spain at the Barcelona Meeting Point (BMP) real estate fair.

An Economist from the Real Estate division at BNP Paribas, Ramiro J. Rodríguez, said that financial institutions are continuing with standards that they imposed during the economic crisis. “The limitations are so high that business opportunities are being missed”, said the expert.

His market diagnosis was shared by the Director of Acquisitions and Development at Axa, Esther Escapa-Castro, who said that “the banks are not prepared and for that reason they are missing out on major operations”. On the other hand, the expert warned that the economic recovery has not happened at the same speed as the upturn in the (real estate) market, and so she warned of future problems in terms of profitability.

The CEO of Neinor Homes, Juan Velayos, was more forceful in his statement. “The banks are still very exposed to the real estate sector and they remain cautious, but they must start opening up the financing tap because, at the end of the day, that is bread and butter of their business”, he said.

The discussion between the experts revealed that Spain is still an attractive market for investment for the sector, although the number of opportunities has decreased. “Over the last year, it has become more difficult to find attractive operations, whilst deals in other countries have become more interesting, such as in Italy for example”, said the Director of Benson Elliot Capital Management, Gregg Gilbert. The Director explained that, in the case of his company, it sees its future primarily in the hotel market, in key locations such as Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearic Islands.

Meanwhile, the Partner Director of Valid Real Estate Strategies, Christopher Hütwwohl, said that the Spanish market is still competitive compared with other European countries. “We are concerned about the political situation, but we trust that it will be resolved quickly”, said the executive.

Original story: Expansión (by Gabriel Trindade)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lidl Seeks RE Partners To Drive Growth

20 October 2016 – Expansión

Lidl is changing its expansion policy. Until now, the German chain has focused on opening supermarkets on the outskirts of urban centres. However, its new strategy will focus on identifying real estate partners to construct complexes that combine commercial and residential areas.

“We are looking for partners with whom, for example, we can open a shopping centre on the ground floor and construct apartments on the floors above”, explained David Carim, Director of Expansion at Lidl. The supermarket chain has a stand at the Barcelona Meeting Point real estate fair, which is being held from 19-23 October in the Catalan capital, to promote its strategy and look for new partners.

In this sense, the company is also offering itself as a partner to companies and funds that have unused plots of land, to develop projects together. It has not completed any of these initiatives in the Spanish market yet, but the strategy has already been applied in four shopping centres that the company manages in London. The formula will allow it to unify costs with the partners and access areas right in the heart of city centres.

Above all, Lidl is interested in plots of land measuring between 4,000 m2 and 9,000 m2, on which to build centres with a minimum surface area of 1,100 m2. The company is also looking for ground floor premises in towns with at least 16,000 inhabitants.

In addition, it is expected that this new expansion strategy will be applied to the construction of logistics centres, on plots of land measuring between 120,000 m2 and 140,000 m2.

Six hundred stores

Using this formula, the company plans to have 600 stores in less than five yers. The German chain already manages 535 supermarkets. In 2016 so far, Lidl has spent €350 million opening several new centres in Cornellà, Ripollet, Blanes, Sant Feliu and Roses (Cataluña), amongst others. The company plans to open another two new supermarkets in Badalona and Sant Boi, also in Cataluña, before February.

Lidl is not planning to create a real estate subsidiary even though it is looking to divest several of the premises and plots of land that it owns. Its owned assets include a plot of land measuring 65,815 m2 in Sant Fruitòs de Bages (Cataluña) and a 3,011 m2 farmhouse in the Catalan town of Arenys de Mar.

Lidl, which has invested €1,000 million in Spain over the last six years, is also focusing on redesigning its shopping centres. The paradigm of this new space is its centre in Ripollete, very close to the company’s central headquarters in Montcada i Reixach. The new supermarkets are characterised by their large windows, the installation of photovoltaic panels, which generate 30% of the stores’ energy, and the installation of bakeries in every supermarket.

Original story: Expansión (by Eric Galián)

Translation: Carmel Drake