Tag: CEO

BNP Paribas Prepares to Enter Spain’s Property Development Sector

13 November 2018 – Eje Prime

BNP Paribas Real Estate already has the foundations in place to begin its activity in real estate development in Spain. The French group, which has extensive experience in this area, is preparing its structure in the domestic market to be able to increase a portfolio comprising more than 100,000 m2 of offices and more than 3,000 homes located all over Europe.

The first step taken by the company in this sense was carried out in July, when it simplified its corporate structure in Spain, as revealed by Eje Prime. At that time, the group dissolved its consultancy company (BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory Spain) and transferred its assets and liabilities to its sister property company (BNP Paribas Real Estate Property Management Spain).

After that modification, the real estate area of the French consultancy firm had two companies in Spain: the property company and the investment company (BNP Paribas Real Estate Investment Management Spain).

The group’s Director of Development, Thomas Charvet, said in France yesterday that the real estate company is going to “accelerate” the development of assets in Europe. And Spain, undoubtedly, is one of the most mature markets in the continent in the development of office buildings and residential properties. Nevertheless, sources at BNP Paribas Real Estate España indicate that “the company has no intention of starting that activity soon”.

With experience spanning more than 40 years in property development, BNP Paribas Real Estate has constructed everything ranging from new build projects, to residences with special services to “the development of new neighbourhoods”, according to its website in France (…).

Presence in half of Europe

Spain is one of the few leading companies in Europe where BNP Paribas Real Estate has not undertaken any real estate development, yet. As well as France, the company also has a presence in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal and Luxembourg (…).

New faces for the new roadmap in Spain

All of the internal changes that BNP Paribas Real Estate has carried out in Spain in recent months have a common denominator: the recruitment of Frédéric Mangeant as the new CEO at the beginning of the year. The real estate firm has made several new hires since then to lead its different areas. Between May and June, Mangeant recruited five experienced executives in the real estate sector to lead the various lines of business that the consultancy firm operates in the real estate sector (…).

A giant with 33,500 homes under management in Europe

Spain could become another major market for the real estate arm of BNP Paribas. Taking advantage of the boom in the economy and, therefore, in the domestic real estate market, the French bank will put its efforts into growing in the country through its different lines of business.

BNP Paribas Real Estate is a giant in the sector, with more than 33,500 homes under management in Europe and 30.6 million m2 of real estate assets under management for third-party companies in Europe.

Original story: Eje Prime (by J. Izquierdo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Óptima Retail Buys a Commercial Premise in Burgos

5 November 2018 – Eje Prime

Óptima Global Services is expanding its retail portfolio. The company has just closed the purchase of a commercial premise in Burgos, which it has carried out through its investment fund Óptima Retail, specialising in these types of assets.

The store is located at number 9-11 Calle Vitoria, one of the main commercial thoroughfares in the city. It has a surface area of 400 m2 and is currently leased by the perfume chain Douglas.

With this operation, Óptima Retail has achieved 90% of its investment objectives for 2018. Meanwhile, the parent company has whereby exceeded €600 million of assets under management. During 2019, the company plans to incorporate an additional €100 million, of which €30 million will be for Óptima Retail.

“The management of real estate assets and, therefore, asset management, has become the axis of the company’s strategy”, said Luis Vila, Partner and CEO of Óptima Global Services in a statement. “Most of our efforts in the future are going to be directed towards strengthening this service”, he adds.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Madrid, Optima Global Services is a group of companies dedicated to the real estate and energy sectors. One of the company’s areas of operation is the creation and management of real estate funds, both external and own funds. The company operates not only in retail, but also in the residential, industrial, hotel and alternative asset sectors, such as hospitals and student residences.

In addition to Optima Retail (its youngest vehicle), the company also operates with the fund Vastned, based in Amsterdam. In that case, Vastned focuses on assets located on the prime thoroughfares of European cities, with Madrid and Barcelona amongst the objectives in Spain. For example, Vastned’s assets include the properties at number 15 c/Ortega y Gasset and number 37 c/Fuencarral, in Madrid.

Optima Global Services also manages a portfolio of six shopping centres in Spain, located in Madrid (La Dehesa), Valencia (Mercado de Campanar), Zaragoza (The Street Outlet), Córdoba (Connecta), Ciudad Real (Puerta del Ave) and Vigo (Travesía de Vigo). The company manages assets worth €600 million.

Original story: Eje Prime 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Habitat Appoints José Carlos Saz as its New CEO

29 May 2018 – La Vanguardia

Habitat Inmobiliaria has appointed José Carlos Saz (pictured below) as the CEO and most senior executive of the company, with the objective of boosting growth in the Spanish real estate market through an active investment policy.

Saz has said that the target will be “high-quality urban development projects” close to large Spanish cities, according to a statement issued by Habitat today.

Habitat Inmobiliaria’s new CEO holds a degree of Industrial Engineering from the Escuela Superior de Madrid and is a graduate of the Director Development Program at IESE.

In recent years, Saz has served as the Operations Director at Neinor Homes and prior to that, he held positions of responsibility at LV Salamanca Ingenieros, Abengoa, Mutua Madrileña, Mace and the British construction firm ISG, amongst other companies.

Original story: La Vanguardia

Translation: Carmel Drake

Testa Compensates Merlin with 4.2% of its Share Capital in Exchange for Management Freedom

27 March 2018 – El Economista

Testa is starting to go it alone. The Socimi has decided to terminate the management contract that it had with Merlin Properties, which has been in force since 2016. Following the recent incorporation of the new CEO, Wolfgang Beck, the real estate firm considers that it has the structure and staff necessary to carry out the management of its portfolio itself internally. Thus, at the last extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting, a decision was taken to cancel the contract with Merlin, which will receive new shares in Testa by way of compensation.

Specifically, Testa is going to carry out a capital increase amounting to €89 million, which the Socimi led by Ismael Clemente will subscribe to in its entirety, whereby increasing Merlin’s stake in Testa from its current level of 12.7% to 16.9%.

The rental housing Socimi notified Merlin of its decision in January. Until now, it had been receiving annual remuneration of €7.7 million for advisory and management services.

Merlin, which is Testa’s fourth-largest shareholder, behind Santander (38.8%), BBVA (26.9%) and Acciona (21%), already announced, at its results presentation, its intention to divest its position in the Socimi when it makes its stock market debut, a step that it is expected to take place between May and June this year.

Within the framework of procedures to complete prior to its stock market debut, Testa also approved the execution of a counter split of one new share for every 100 existing shares. Thus, it will give its four existing shareholders one new share with a nominal value of €1 each for every 100 shares that they currently own, which have a nominal value of €0.01 each. Moreover, the new shares will be represented by book entries.

With a workforce comprising more than 80 employees, Testa has positioned itself as the largest owner of rental homes in Spain with a portfolio of 10,702 units in less than two years.

It closed its most recent purchase last week after reaching an agreement with the BuildingCenter, the real estate subsidiary of the CaixaBank group, for the acquisition of 1,458 homes for around €228 million.

Original story: El Economista (by Alba Brualla)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Témpore Properties Appoints Directors & Finalises its IPO

6 March 2018 – Expansión

Témpore Properties, the Socimi created by Sareb, has started the countdown to its debut on the stock market. It will make the leap within the next few weeks, possibly before Easter, once the bureaucratic procedures have been completed. It will list on the Alternative Investment Market (MAB), like the vast majority of the 50 Socimis whose shares already trade on the stock market.

The company has been created with a selection of 1,500 assets, of which 1,383 are urban residential properties that generate returns of 3% per annum. The remainder are storerooms and garages. The combined value of the assets amounts to €175 million. Témpore’s size places it in the low-medium bracket in the sector, excluding Socimis backed by family capital. Its perimeter may be increased depending on the needs of Sareb, which has been backing property development in recent times. “Other Socimis do not have that option”, explain sources at the bad bank.

Azora is the manager of the Socimi and Renta 4 and Clifford Chance are advising the IPO process.

Yesterday, the Board of Témpore Properties held its first meeting after approving agreements relating to the entity’s internal operation and the listing process. The Socimi is chaired by Juan Ramón Dios Rial, Director of Real Estate Development and Promotion at Sareb. During the course of his career, Mr Dios has held various positions at TSB Bank, Citigroup, General Electric Capital Bank and Barclays España.

The Board of Directors comprises five members: three independent directors, one executive director and one proprietary director. They are Juan Ramón Dios, Nicolás Díaz Saldaña, Socorro Fernández, Rafael de Mena and Galo Juan Sastre.

Appointments

Témpore Properties is going to be led by Nicolás Díaz Saldaña, who has been the Director of Rental Mangement at Sareb until now. He will serve as the CEO and will sit on the Board as an executive director. Previously, he worked at BBVA, was Director of the International Team at Metrovacesa and CEO of the French Socimi Gecina. The company’s Finance Director is going to be Pelayo Barriga, who has been performing the same role at Sareb until now.

With Témpore Properties, the managers of Sareb are intending to open a window into the rental market, which is proving more profitable than property sales in certain segments. Moreover, through this route, the bad bank is going to be able to access new private capital and slightly reduce its high level of indebtedness.

By law, Socimis are obliged to remunerate their shareholders, and so Sareb can expect to receive dividends from Témpore.

Original story: Expansión (by R. Lander)

Translation: Carmel Drake

TPG & CaixaBank Hire Cerberus Director To Lead Servihabitat

3 November 2017 – Voz Pópuli

The times are changing at Servihabitat, the real estate arm of CaixaBank and one of the largest servicers in Spain. The platform, which is owned by the fund TPG (51%) and the Catalan bank (49%), has appointed a new board of directors after Julián Cabanillas’ decision to leave the firm; he had served as CEO until now.

The historical director of La Caixa has decided to step down after fulfilling the term that he had committed to undertake with the bank and the US fund. According to financial sources consulted by Voz Pópuli, Servihabiat has hired one of the key directors at Cerberus in Spain to replace him: Iheb Naffa, the CEO of Gescobro until now.

For more than a decade, Nafaa was one of the directors of the financial arm of General Electric (GE Capital) in Spain, serving in roles such as the Director of Risks, Director of Operations and Director General. Gescobro hired him in 2015, at the same time as that firm was acquired by Cerberus.

Nafaa will have another former director of General Electric as one of his right-hand men at Servihabitat, namely, Edelweiss Obiol, with whom he worked at the US company. Obiol replaces Feliu Formosa, another former La Caixa director who is leaving Servihabitat,  as Finance Director.

McKinsey and Oliver Wyman

The changes in Servihabitat’s leadership come at a time when the real estate company is carrying out a significant internal review. To this end, it has engaged two consultancy firms: McKinsey and Oliver Wyman. Sources consulted explain that these two firms are focusing on improving the real estate company’s internal processes, rather than on involving it in a merger or sale.

One possible corporate operation has been flying over Servihabitat for years. Conversations were even held with the private equity group Investindustrial last year. Various options have been explored, ranging from CaixaBank’s repurchase of TPG’s stake to then look for another operation, or for the fund to sell its 51% stake itself.

All indications are that changes may be afoot in 2018, in the face of the more than likely consolidation of the servicer market. Cerberus, where Nafaa is moving from, Apollo and Blackstone are all lining themselves up as possible buyers.

Servihabitat manages assets worth almost €50,000 million, according to figures as at 2016. They are mainly owned by CaixaBank and Sareb, and so they are not held on its balance sheet. The firm is mainly dedicated to administering the debt and assets and selling them. In 2016, it recorded total sales of €1,645 million. And between January and September of this year, it recorded turnover of €1,300 million, up by 17% compared to the same period last year.

Original story: Voz Pópuli (by Jorge Zuloaga)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Popular Seeks To Restore Credibility By Re-Appraising Its 40,000 RE Assets

9 May 2017 – Expansión

Before the summer, the top executives of Banco Popular will have answers to the two questions that the President of the bank, Emilio Saracho, said were essential to resolve in order to define the bank’s future, namely: What are the requirements for new provisions? and Which path should the entity follow to achieve the minimum regulatory capital requirements that the supervisory authorities are going to demand of it from 1 January 2019 onwards? According to the CEO of the bank, Ignacio Sánchez-Asián, speaking at the presentation of the Q1 results, Popular is currently a long way from achieving those requirements.

Popular is conducting a complete review of the valuation of the 40,000 real estate assets that feature on its balance sheet, which have a combined gross value of just over €36,000 million. The existing provisions have to be deducted from that amount, and they represent around 45% of the book value. According to Sánchez-Asiaín, once the review, which will take several weeks, has been completed, the entity will have to publish the amount of provisions that it considers still have to be recognised on an extraordinary basis. And then, Management will be able to calculate the capital requirements needed to meet those provisions and to place the entity at the required levels in terms of own funds.

However, the situation is not easy because, according to the CEO, as a result of the new appraisals carried out by the independent experts of an unquantified number of the c. 40,000 assets, the bank has already had to recognise unforeseen provisions in the first quarter amounting to €310 million, to increase the coverage of the assets re-appraised so far.

Restoring credibility

The bank does not want to give specific figures about the scope of the new provisions, so as not to create expectations that it then is unable to fulfil because, according to its CEO, the entity’s key priority is to restore its credibility in the market (…).

Sánchez-Asiaín acknowledges that the bank “will have capital requirements in the future”, whose final quantification will depend on the performance of the traditional business, which worsened during the first quarter of this year compared to a year ago; it will also have provision requirements, which the entity’s operating profit will not cover, and it also plans to sell non-strategic assets, which it may carry out this year. “Whether or not we manage to sell the assets will depend on the prices being offered”, said Sánchez-Asiaín.

Capital increase

The fact that the bank is going to need capital is unquestionable because, at the moment, its CET1 does not amount to 8% even at full load, and that percentage will be significantly higher as of 1 January 2019. As such, even if the bank substantially improves its turnover and sells everything that it can, it will not reach that figure by itself. For this reason, at the General Shareholders’ Meeting, Saracho said that there will be a capital increase or a corporate operation or a combination of both (in the near future).

The CEO said that “investors are asking about the capital increase”, and he added that, in his personal opinion and if there is an increase in the end, then it should be aimed at institutional investors “to have credibility in the market”. Does that mean that there will not be a retail tranche? He failed to answer that question.

Original story: Expansión (by Salvador Arancibia)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Värde Will Start Building c.900 New Homes In Q1

11 January 2017 – Cinco Días

The new real estate company Dospuntos, which wants to become one of Spain’s major property developers, will start the year by marketing a significant number of new build properties in a sector that has started to wake up slowly, without any star players. “We are going to start 18 developments containing around 900 homes during the first quarter of the year”, confirmed Javier Eguidazu (pictured above), CEO at Dospuntos, a company controlled by Värde Partners.

These homes will be located in Madrid, Galicia, Andalucía, Castilla y León and Cataluña, primarily in large cities and metropolitan areas. In La Coruña, the real estate company already announced last month that it was beginning its first project there, known as Casa Vega, in the centre of the city. The company will also debut soon in Sevilla, Málaga, Valladolid, Barcelona, Leganés (Madrid) and Oleiros (La Coruña).

“The market has finally woken up. There is pent-up demand because hardly any new homes have been constructed over the last decade. Every property that comes onto the market is sold”, said Eguidazu regarding the recovery in the property development sector.

His company is looking to become one of the largest property developers in the country. After the real estate crisis, almost all of the major players disappeared – went bankrupt – or took time out whilst they waited for better times. Just a handful of companies such as Pryconsa, Vía Célere, local developers, cooperative managers such as Domo and new platforms linked to the banks (Aliseda, Altamira, Solvia…) continued to build at a slow pace. Other listed companies, such as Realia – controlled by the magnate Carlos Slim – and Quabit, are only resuming their business now. Anida, owned by BBVA, also strengthened its business at the hand of Manuel Jove, founder of the now bankrupt company Fadesa.

Dospuntos emerged in June 2016, after Värde purchased the damaged real estate business from the San José Group. It was created to construct around 7,000 homes on land coming from several sources: purchases by the US fund, inherited from San José and even some new acquisitions. “The company has financial muscle. In 2016, we spent €150 million on land”, said Eguidazu.

Along with Neinor Homes, owned by the Texan fund Lone Star, Dospuntos leads this new type of property developer, owned by overseas funds and interested in investing in the real estate recovery in Spain, now that the traditional players have disappeared (…).

The real estate company’s main shareholder is Värde, which holds more than 50% of its share capital. The fund from Minneapolis manages assets amounting to more than €10,000 million all over the world. It has been particularly active in Spain, with the acquisition of Popular’s credit card business, as well as half of that bank’s real estate arm, Aliseda, in an operation for which it teamed up with the fund Kennedy Wilson. Moreover, it has entered the office business of Procisa, the owner of the La Finca business park in Pozuelo de Alcorcón (Madrid).

As a shareholder of Dospuntos, Värde (which means “value” in Swedish) is accompanied by the funds Marathon and Attestor, as well as by banks such as Bank of America and Barclays.

From 2019, the company wants to reach a cruising speed of 2,000 new homes per year on average, according to comments made by Eguidazu at a presentation last June. By then, the company forecasts that it will be generating revenues of between €500 million and €600 million per year.

The shareholders plan to invest €2,000 million between 2016 and 2021, at an average rate of €400 million per year, of which €800 million will be allocated to buying more land on which to build homes. Over the long term, between 30% and 40% of the company’s resources will come from bank financing. (…).

Original story: Cinco Días (by Alfonso Simón Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Axiare May Veto Colonial’s Purchase Of Its Share Capital

25 October 2016 – Cinco Días

The Board of Directors of Axiare Patrimonio has submitted a relevant fact to the National Securities and Exchange Commission (CNMV) in which it states that it has delegated to its CEO “the authority to select and engage the investment banks and legal advisors deemed necessary to analyse and study the possible effects of the recent entry of Inmobiliaria Colonial into its share capital”.

Colonial announced the acquisition of a 15.09% stake in Axiare on 17 October, as part of its strategy to strengthen its position in the area of rental properties in Madrid. It paid €135 million for its stake in the Socimi, which manages assets amounting to €1,050 million and which is obliged to distribute dividends each year. Those dividends will represents a steady cash flow for the Catalan company.

Original story: Cinco Días

Translation: Carmel Drake

Alquiler Seguro Prepares Its Socimi’s Debut On The MAB

10 June 2016 – Expansión

The first Socimi specialising in the residential rental market in Spain is finalising its debut on the stock market and hopes to be ready to list on the Alternative Investment Market (MAB) before the end of the year. Quid Pro Quo – the name of Alquiler Seguro’s real estate investment company – wants to raise €50 million initially, which it will use to purchase properties for their subsequent rental.

The CEO of Alquiler Seguro, Antonio Carroza (pictured above), explained that the company wants to begin by incorporating 500 homes into its portfolio during the first phase. To that end, it has identified around 6,000 homes, from the total pool of homes that it manages, which fulfil the requirements set in terms of rotation, tenant retention and which are also likely to be acquired from their owners at market prices. The company has already signed purchase options with owners worth €12 million in total.

“Within 5 years, the aim is that the Socimi will own around 6,000 homes and achieve an investment volume of €500 million, through several capital increases”, explained the CEO.

Carroza said that, with that volume of assets, the group would then be able to consider moving onto the main stock exchange. Quid Pro Quo’s assets will be mainly located in Madrid, although it will also have a portfolio of homes in Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla and, to a lesser extent, in Alicante, Vitoria and Bilbao. “We have worked hard to make the intermediation business profitable and to encourage both supply and demand; now, we want to close the circle by professionalising the supply”, said Carroza.

For the CEO, the future of the Socimis will involve specialisation. “The few (Socimis) that have been working in the residential sector until now are getting rid of that part of their businesses”, he said.

In terms of Quid Pro Quo’s shareholders, Alquiler Seguro will acquire up to 5% of the Socimi’s share capital, whilst the remainder will be offered up to domestic and international investors.

In terms of the Board of Directors, the Socimi’s highest executive body will comprise five members: the President of Alquier Seguro, Gustavo Rossi; the CEO, Antonio Carroza; and three independent directors, one of whom will come from a multinational entity and will have a financial background, to lead the Audit and Internal Control Committee. The other two independent directors will be Salvador Garriga – who has served as an MEP for the PP for twenty years – and José Luis Bartolomé, a real estate consultant and advisor.

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake