Victoria’s Secret & Armani To Open Stores In Plaza Río 2 Shopping Centre

16 October 2017 – Expansión

On Thursday 20 October, the luxury Italian brand Armani is going to open a new store in Madrid. However, the new establishment is not going to be located on one of the capital’s high-end streets, such as Serrano or Ortega y Gasset, but rather in a shopping centre: the new Plaza Río 2.

Located on the banks of the River Manzanares, the Plaza Río 2 shopping centre is the latest project from the French real estate giant La Société Générale Inmobilière (LSGI). With a total investment of almost €200 million, the company has managed to secure tenants for the entire retail space, which measures 38,931m2, out of a total surface area of 127,873 m2.

The new tenants include household name brands, including several belonging to the Inditex group, such as Massimo Dutti and Zara Home, as well as new faces in the shopping centre business in Spain.

Such is the case of the aforementioned Armani group, which will open an Armani Exchange store for the first time in Spain; Armani Exchange is the Italian group’s brand that targets a younger audience.

Meanwhile, the underwear firm Victoria’s Secret, famous for its annual catwalk show with supermodels, will also make its debut in a shopping centre in Madrid with a store in Plaza Río 2.

Until now, the firm, owned by the US group L Brands, has had a presence in two shopping centres in Barcelona, as well as in the airports of Málaga, El Prat and Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, in the cosmetics and accessories format. Just a few days ago, it opened its first high-street store in the Spanish capital, in premises measuring 150m2 on Calle Fuencarral, which will be joined by its new establishment in Plaza Río 2 next week.

Another first in the new shopping centre will be the H&M Home line. The Swedish firm has reserved a surface area of 3,000 m2, spread over three floors, where it will open a store that will offer its H&M Home household collection for the first time in the centre of Madrid.

Plaza Río 2 is the eighth shopping centre that LGSI has opened in Spain. Through its subsidiary LSGIE, the company has promoted well-known establishments such as Madrid 2 La Vaguada, one of the first shopping centres that ever opened in Spain. In addition to this latest new opening, the group plans to renovate and expand its different assets in the Spanish market, according to sources at LSGIE.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

ECI Sells 40% Of Torre Serrano To Infinorsa For €50M

14 September 2017 – Expansión

El Corte Inglés has sold 40% of the company Iberiafon, owner of the Torre Serrano building in Madrid, to the real estate company Infinorsa for €50 million, according to sources at the distribution giant.

The firm that has acquired the property, which is owned by several European funds, already owned 60% of Iberiafon’s share capital and also owns other buildings in Madrid, such as Torre Europa.

This operation, which forms part of the distribution group’s divestment plan, effectively assigns a value of €125 million for 100% of the property. The building’s current tenants include the Masaveu Group and the firms GVC Gaesco and Beka Finance, amongst others.

Located at number 47 on one of the most exclusive shopping arteries in Madrid, next to the El Corte Inglés department store on Calle Serrano, the tower has 13 floors, which have a combined surface area of 20,000 m2, including a 5,700 m2 car park.

Half of the total space is used for offices, whilst the shopping area occupies 4,300 m2, which will continue to be leased to the group chaired by Dimas Gimeno, according to the press release.

El Corte Inglés closed its last tax year, from March 2016 to February 2017, with a 2.4% increase in its net profit, to €161.86 million. That saw the group record three consecutive years of growth, whilst the gross operating profit (EBITDA) soared by 7.5%, to reach €981 million, according to the distribution giant.

Specifically, the profit, the highest in the last three years, has been affected by €178 million relating to “disengagement plan”, which has affected 1,341 people.

Original story: Expansión

Translation: Carmel Drake

Large Retailers Compete For City Centre Premises

14 September 2017 – El País

Retailers that typically occupy out-of-town stores only, brands such Ikea, Decathlon, Media Markt, Leroy Merlin and Kiabi have done an about turn with their strategies. Now, they want to take their products to the heart of cities to reach clients who are not visiting them on the outskirts. They are occupying the few large retail premises that are available close to the major commercial thoroughfares of Madrid and Barcelona. They are not pushing up the rental prices of these properties yet; in fact, they are investing between €1 million and €5 million on renovation work. But they will.

The main retail areas in the centre of Madrid and Barcelona have new tenants. The so-called out-of-town retailers, which, until recently, could only be found in retail parks on the outskirts are undertaking a new urban strategy. They want to approach a new group of customers, those who want to avoid using their cars and it wants to lock them in. This week, Decathlon announced that it will open three stores in the heart of Madrid, where Leroy Merlin will also set up shop in 2018, following in the wake of Ikea (which inaugurated its store on c/Serrano in May), Kiabi (which has just done the same in Barcelona on Paseo de Gracia) and Media Markt, the first to arrive in the centre of both cities (as well as in Valencia).

The trend started two years ago in major European cities and comes in response to a move by the population towards the centre and to the fact that e-commerce is requiring companies to respond rapidly to their clients. That means being close to them, explains Robert Travers, Director at the real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield (…).

The strategy of these chains is to open stores on the main commercial thoroughfares of large cities in smaller spaces than those they occupy in the out-of-town retail parks, but of considerable dimensions given that they are in the centre. “They are not looking for prime locations, but rather premises very nearby, because they cannot afford the rents of operators such as Zara, Mango and H&M. Instead they pay around 30% less because their margins are smaller”, says Travers. They need streets with high footfall and premises measuring at least 1,000 m2 or 2,000 m2, with open-plan floors; such features are very few and far between in the best shopping areas.

For the time being, the arrival of these brands has not had any impact on rental prices, given that, according to Sergio Fernandes, the Director of Retail at the consultancy firm JLL, the availability of these kinds of properties on the main commercial thoroughfares is very limited and the operators that demand them are also very few. “Only the leaders of each sector are brave enough to make the move. For the time being, we are seeing only six or seven brands”, he says. Examples include Aki, Bricor, Verdecora, Sport Zone and Kiwoko Mundo Animal. Nevertheless, “they are managing to make use of certain properties that would otherwise go unoccupied as they are not in the right locations for the fashion brands”, says David Barragán, Director of Retail at the real estate firm Aguirre Newman (…).

The search is not easy, according to estate agents and retail chains (…). The negotiations are intense and prolonged because the premises need renovating and the brands demand grace periods whilst the construction work takes place, which tenants typically pay. Rental contracts are being signed for periods of between seven and 20 years.

But it is worth it. The pilot store that the Swedish chain Ikea has opened in Madrid is performing better than expected. In fact, some of the new formulas that it offers have already been extended to its other stores (customisation of fabrics, dressers and doors). Nevertheless, Ikea is still assessing whether or not to open more central stores with this format, which combines sales and entertainment (…).

Original story: El País (by Claudio Álvarez)

Translation: Carmel Drake

AEW Europe Buys Mercado Fuencarral For €50M

15 August 2017 – Mis Locales

The real estate asset manager, AEW, has purchased the property from the fund ASG for €50 million. It is the company’s fourth operation in Madrid after it purchased commercial premises and offices on Calle Serrano. It closed the other operation in Alcobendas, with the purchase of the Amura building.

The operation has been advised by ASG Iberia Advisors, CBRE and Uría Menéndez on the sell-side, whilst Herbert Smith Freehills has advised AEW Europe.

The company says that its strategy is focused on creating a portfolio of high-quality, profitable retail assets, which are well-located within Europe’s main urban centres.

The property in question will have a new tenant, the sports clothing and accessories firm Decathlon. As such, Decathlon will have two stores on Calle Fuencarral, given that last year, it opened a shop at number 147, near Quevedo, with a surface area of 145 m2.

Original story: Mis Locales

Translation: Carmel Drake

 

Dutch Fund Acquires ‘Mercado de San Miguel’ For Record Price

28 July 2017 – El Confidencial

The Mercado de San Miguel has a new owner. A Dutch fund specialising in the real estate sector has just taken ownership of this historical and iconic building in Madrid. And it has done so for €70 million, a figure that, in absolute terms is not by any means one of the largest in the market, but which, nevertheless, represents the most expensive transaction per square metre that has ever been closed in the Spanish real estate market.

According to sources consulted by El Confidencial, for every one of its 1,200 m2, the buyer has paid €60,000, an amount that breaks all real estate records and which represents, for the founders and promoters of the project, several times their original investment.

The person that has led this project from the beginning is Montserrat Valle Hernández, the majority shareholder of the company that used to own the market, El Gastródomo de San Miguel. She was the architect behind the renovation of this iconic building, which last year marked its first century of life.

Sources consulted explain that prominent shareholders also included bankers such as Pedro Guerrero Guerrero (President of Bankinter), Salvador García Atance Lafuente (former President of Morgan Stanley in Spain), Paul Gomero Vaquero (Private Banking Partner at A&G), as well as the well-known journalist Guillermo Fesser and the businessmen Víctor Josue Alarcón, Pedro Gómez Blazquez and Juan Ramón Ramírez Lozano.

Aguirre Newman participated in the operation, which was signed on Thursday at a notary’s office on Calle Serrano in Madrid. Aguirre Newman led the sales process and studied the various offers that were received from domestic and overseas groups, to bring this deal to a successful conclusion. Sources at the consultancy firm declined to comment on the transaction.

A centenary building

The unique Mercado de San Miguel, located in the square of the same name, next to Plaza Mayor, was acquired more than a decade ago by a group of companies led by Monserrat Valle with the aim of restoring it and turning it into a gastronomic centre.

On 13 May 2009, it reopened its doors, restoring the splendour that it enjoyed in its heydey. The building was constructed between 1913 and 1916 and was designed by the architect Alfonso Dubé y Díez. Nowadays, it still retains its original iron structure dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, which stands out as one of its greatest features (…).

Original story: El Confidencial (by E. Sanz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Large Overseas RE Funds Are Building Homes In Spain

10 April 2017 – Expansión

Large international funds such as Invesco, Harbert, Activum SG and Stoneweg are developing residential projects in Spain in search of high returns.

Following their arrival in Spain at the end of 2013, the international investment funds have become the players to watch in the Spanish real estate market. Attracted by the decrease in prices following the burst of the bubble, the funds entered the market looking for opportunities in the tertiary sector (primarily, in the office and commercial segments). Nevertheless, the price rises of these properties and the improvement in the macroeconomic situation in the country have led them to place their focus on a new type of investment: residential assets.

“The main advantage of investing in residential assets is the return. Currently, the returns on residential investments is greater – by between 13% and 20% – than those generated by other assets (be they commercial, logistics, etc.), which have been cut recently, as the upwards trends have been reduced by increasingly higher competition, due to the shortage of products in good locations and the rise in land prices”, said Gonzalo Gallego, Partner in Financial Advisory at Deloitte.

“We have seen many international funds and players investing in the residential sector: Kennedy Wilson, Lone Star, Greenoak, Grosvenor, Autonomy Capital, Invesco, as well as family offices and representatives of large equity firms such as Shaftesbury, the Capriles family, Stoneweg and Dazia, amongst others. In general, they promote to sell, but we are also awaiting the imminent arrival of international giants such as Greystar and Round Hill and Allianz, in the residential rental business, where they see an important niche for the professionalisation and institutionalisation of this sector”, explains Humphrey White, CEO at Knight Frank in Spain.

One of the most active funds is the German fund Activum SG Capital Management. Currently, that investor, through its Spanish subsidiary ASG Iberia, is working on the construction of 2,000 homes in six developments, such as in San Juan (Alicante), Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) and Málaga.

Another international fund that has decided to back the residential sector in Spain is Invesco. “We are trying to avoid or assume urban planning risk in our residential investments, with the aim of not exceeding our investment schedule. For this reason, we only invest in buildable land and in properties that do not need special urban planning procedures to change their use or buildability”, explain sources from the fund’s residential department in Spain. Its projects include the development of 30 homes on Paseo de la Habana in Madrid, another one on c/Serrano, also in the capital, and the transformation of an office building into 58 homes close to Calle Colón in Valencia.

Meanwhile, Harbert Management Corporation (HMC) has decided to invest in the Spanish residential sector through a local partner, the management company Momentum. “In 2008, partners that have experience working with funds founded Momentum. In 2012, we started to see opportunities for those investors in the residential sector and, in 2014, we purchased our first plot of land in Aravaca from La Caixa”, explained Gabriel Fernández de Gamboa, Founding Partner at Momentum. Alongside this management company, HMC has invested in six plots of land in Madrid and another one in Málaga for the development of more than 600 homes and is searching for new opportunities in the market.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Who’s Buying A Home In The Exclusive Lagasca 99 Building?

7 April 2017 – ABC

The structure has not even been erected yet (it is due to be finalised at the end of the month) and yet half of the 44 homes, distributed over eight floors plus the penthouse level, have already been sold. The smallest properties have a surface area of 330 m2 and the largest span 700 m2. They are the most expensive new build homes on the market and their asking prices range between €10 million for the smallest and more than €16 million for the largest, such as the case of one of the six duplex penthouses located on the eighth floor, which has already been sold, exceeding all expectations. That sale significantly beat the record in terms of the price per m2, paid 7 years ago for a home on Calle Serrano (€15,000/m2). Nevertheless, the average asking price for homes in this property ranges between €10,000/m2 to €14,000/m2).

The building, measuring 26,203 m2, belongs to the Lagasca 99 development and is located in the heart of the Golden Mile, on the only available plot, which makes it the most sought-after in the neighbourhood of Salamanca. It is located between Calles Juan Bravo, Maldonado, Claudio Coello and Lagasca. And 51% of the total volume has already been sold, including the two commercial premises, to domestic firms: Banca March and Actiu, a company that specialises in designer furniture.

On the one hand, the buyers are wealthy Latin American families from Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico, in line with the trend in the luxury real estate market in Spain (…). The remainder are Spaniards. The percentage varies, but on average the split is around 50-50%, said Antonio Pan de Soraluce yesterday, Director at Colliers Internacional in Spain, the entity responsible for marketing the development.

Freedom in terms of design

“Now is a great time to invest. Lagasca 99 is incredibly appealing and so the development is attracting interest from buyers at home and overseas, as well as from business people and firms interested in living in Madrid”, he added.

Word of mouth has played an important role amongst the potential buyers of these luxury homes and the hope is that when the construction work is completed and these homes are handed over, in August 2018, they will have all been sold. For the time being, the commitment is to high quality rather than to worry about the rate of sales, concluded the Director of Colliers. (…).

Original story: ABC (by M. J. Álvarez)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Knight Frank: UHNWIs Invest In Spanish RE Again

30 March 2017 – El Mundo

The large fortunes are looking towards Spain once more as a destination for their real estate investments. Political stability, rising prices and high returns mean that it is now ranked as the sixth most attractive country for ultra-rich people or UHNWIs (ultra-high-net-worth individuals), in other words, those whose wealth exceeds $30 million (around €27.7 million), excluding their habitual residence.

It is the first time that Spain has reached the ranking’s top ten. The list has been compiled for the last ten years by the real estate consultancy Knight Frank as part of its “Wealth Report 2017”. The United Kingdom, the United States and Germany lead the classification, which is prepared on the basis of a survey of the individuals themselves.

According to the data, real estate investment in Spain amounted to €8,300 million in 2016, of which more than €1,200 million – almost 15% compared to 12% the previous year – came from private investors.

Legal certainty and the stability that economic growth has shown in recent quarters have been decisive in attracting new UHNWIs, according to Carlos Zamora, Director of the company’s Business Space.

The residential sector is still the market of choice, accounting for 36% of all private investment. (…).

The PIRI index

The price of luxury homes rose by 3% in the Spanish capital last year, in other words, by half as much as in Barcelona (where prices increased by 6.6%). An increase in the supply of new luxury properties contained the price rises in Madrid and, by contrast, generated upwards pressure in the Catalan capital.

Both cities form part of the PIRI index, which is presented in the report and which monitors house prices in the 100 largest luxury home markets in the world. Other locations in Spain include Ibiza, Marbella and Mallorca; the indexis led by Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou with y.o.y growth rates of more than 26%. Monaco is still the most expensive city per square metre in the world. By way of example, the consultancy firm points out that with $1 million, an investor can buy 17 m2 in Monaco, 20 m2 in Hong Kong, 55 m2 in Paris and 134 m2 in Madrid.

Another trend that has been detected is that investors have become more demanding, which has led to the sophistication of supply: luxury is still luxury, but now that also includes characteristics and services that set them apart from their peers.

Segments

Residential is the segment that sparks the most interest amongst investors, although, in recent years, the tertiary sector has gradually been gaining prominence too, including offices, retail, logistics assets and hotels.

In this context, flagship stores are also in demand, in emerging and established shopping areas alike, with a dual purpose: to be located in areas that facilitate their operation and to reinforce their brand images. The recent opening of the Mango megastore on Calle Serrano in Madrid and the inauguration on Paseo de Gràcia in Barcelona of the largest H&M store in Spain are both examples of this. (…).

Original story: El Mundo (by María Hernánez)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Invesco Develops Luxury Homes On Madrid’s Golden Mile

29 December 2016 – Expansión

Invesco joins forces with the Barba Group / The partners are going to invest more than €26 million in 30 high-end apartments. The construction work will begin in 2017.

A plot of land measuring more than 700 m2, next to Paseo de la Habana and Calle Serrano in Madrid, is one of the latest additions to Invesco’s real estate portfolio in Spain. The German fund manager has invested more than €25 million to buy this plot of land, located in Plaza Valparaíso, where it will create 30 luxury homes. “We have been negotiating the purchase of this plot of land for a year now. It was owned by a family and a religious congregation. In the end, we have completed the acquisition and we have requested a licence to begin construction”, say sources at the fund.

The German fund has been one of the most active investors in Spain in 2016, and after acquiring several important retail assets such as Prada’s flagship store on Paseo de Gracia and a batch of eleven Eroski hypermarkets, it has placed its focus on the residencial segment. “Spain is one of the largest markets for Invesco. We have purchased profitable assets for several funds there, such as on Paseo de Gracia and the hypermarkets. But, in addition, we have entered the world of property development, like we have in other countries such as the USA and certain Asian markets, with funds that seek added value opportunities; Spain is one of the first countries where we have begun”, explained Tim Nalder, Head of Invesco Real Estate in Spain.

Added value

To this end, the German firm has teamed up with the real estate company Barba Group and, through a joint venture, has started to develop high-end homes in the most exclusive areas of Madrid. “Last year, Invesco told us about its plans to invest across Europe with an added value fund that offers high returns and we have already invested more than €100 million through the joint venture”, said César Barba, CEO of the Barba Group.

The latest major project is this plot of land on Paseo de la Habana, where 30 homes will be constructed and then sold for around €6,500/m2. There will be several ground floor and penthouse duplexes, with swimming pools and terraces. The most expensive home will be sold for €1.5 million. But the jewel in Invesco and Barba’s project will be a sky terrace, located on the top floor of the block, which will have a gym and swimming pool, amongst other services. The construction work at this exclusive development, which has already started to be marketed, will begin between April and May next year.

Currently, Invesco’s most advanced project in the capital is a development containing nine 3- and 4-bedroom homes, with terraces and solariums, located in the Arturo Soria neighbourhood, which will be ready for its first residents in the spring. Moreover, this joint venture recently bought the building at number 53 on Calle Serrano in Madrid, where it will create high-end homes on the upper floors and a retail store for a luxury brand on the ground floor.

In total, Invesco is working on four developments in the capital and another housing complex in Valencia. Invesco has invested more than €500 million in the Spanish market during 2016 between its residential and retail asset purchases. “Currently, Invesco has €200 million to invest across Europe and Spain is going to be one of our primary markets”, said Nalder.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Invesco Buys Property On c/Serrano 53 For €52M

14 December 2016 – Expansión

The German fun Invesco Real Estate is heading into the final stretch of the year as one of the most active funds in the Spanish real estate market, having invested more than €500 million in 2016. Its latest acquisition is Serrano 53. The building on the famous Madrilenian street was constructed in 1905. It is primarily a residential property, but it also houses a retail space, which has been vacant for some time. Its previous owners, a Spanish family office, searched for a tenant for several months following the departure of the accessories company Jota Ele. In the end, it sold the property to Invesco for €52 million.

The German fund will now be responsible for leasing the premises, along with the new homes. The latter represents a change in strategy for the fund. To this end, Invesco has engaged the firms Catella and Knight Frank, which will be responsible for searching for new tenants for the retail and residential premises, respectively, whilst Barba Grupo Inmobiliaria will lead the design of the new homes.

The German fund’s plans, which involve an investment of more than €3 million, will retain the nineteenth century character of the building, with a renovation that will allow the wrought-iron balconies to be conserved, along with the original entrance doorway and interior staircase. In total, Serrano 53 will contain nine homes measuring more than 200 m2. Invesco has already applied for the construction permit, with the aim of handing over the homes to their new owners in June 2018. Although the asking price for these properties has not been set yet, they are expected to fetch between €9,000/m2 and €10,000/m2.

Retail premises

The retail premises on Serrano 53 will be ready sooner. Just a few metres away from Chopard, Cartier and Gucci, this space is one of the largest premises available on the exclusive Madrilenian street. In total, it has a surface area of 1,800 m2 spread over three floors, which is unusual in an area characterised by much smaller stores. “This is a unique property due to its size, and because it shares its location with prestigious brands”, said Íñigo Gutiérrez, Senior Advisor at Catella. “The objective is to lease this store to a luxury brand”, he added.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake