CBRE: Real Estate in Sevilla Attracts Funding from Overseas Investors

15 December 2018 – ABC

The city of Sevilla and its metropolitan area are now on the international real estate map and proof of that is that the major overseas funds are putting up a lot of the capital being absorbed by the new commercial, hotel and logistics projects in the city, “whereby taking over from the real estate firms of yesteryear”. That is one of the conclusions of a report compiled by the consultancy firm CBRE, which highlights that the return on investment has been felt most intensely in the shopping centre sector.

“With almost 300,000 m2 of future supply planned, Sevilla is the province in Spain that will grow by almost the most over the next few years in terms of gross leasable area – exceeded only by Madrid”, it said. “This will be a key sector this year and next for the Sevillan real estate market”, said Rosa Madrid, Director of CBRE in Andalucía. The first newsworthy event was the entry into operation of Torre Sevilla, “an open and mixed shopping centre, with a hotel and offices, which we have not seen here before and which is regenerating the area”, she highlighted. The office market “has absorbed without great problems” the 18,000 m2 that Torre Sevilla brought to the market “whereby disproving those who predicted a new crisis in this segment”, she said.

Offices

In the office segment, the highest rents are achieved in the most modern buildings of Nervión (a district in Sevilla), with rents of around €12-13/m2/month. In this area, some exclusive office buildings that were left vacant following the departure of the Junta de Andalucía to Santa Justa were occupied within 18 months. In La Cartuja, office rents are somewhat lower, around €9-11/m2/month, according to the report.

But, “the turning point” in the shopping centre sector is going to be seen Sevilla with Project Lagoh, promoted by the Socimi Lar España in the Palmas Altas area, to the south of the capital, and currently under construction. “Finally, the new era of shopping centres is going to arrive in Sevilla. Until now, we have only had shopping centres from the 1990s and none from the 21st century, like Xanadú in Madrid or Puerto Venecia in Zaragoza”, said Rosa Madrid.

Hotel investment

The hotel market has been also reactivated as demonstrated by the major operations closed in recent years. “In addition to the modern Eurostars Torre Sevilla, since 2015, the flow of properties acquired to transform them into accommodation has been continuous”, she highlighted. The most noteworthy operations include the purchase by the French real estate company Bouygues of the former headquarters of Abengoa, to renovate it and transform it into a 5-star hotel, the purchase of Hotel Macarena and the acquisition of the Generali building in Plaza Nueva by the British fund Shaftesbury.

Logistics market

Demand for logistics warehouses has also been increasing, at the same time as the major e-commerce operators have increased their logistics network in the south of the peninsula, such as the case of Amazon and Inditex, which have opened platforms in Sevilla. “That sector is here to stay. And operators are not only looking for large spaces far away from the cities measuring between 30,000 m2 and 100,000 m2, they are also looking for small spaces inside the SE30 to serve the last-mile market and demand for immediate distribution”, explained the regional director of CBRE.

Student halls

Investors specialising in alternative sectors, such as student halls of residence, are also placing their focus on Sevilla, a city that is home to 16% of all of Spain’s university students (…).

Original story: ABC (by E. Freire)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Zriser Made a Profit of €14M from Sale of 2 Properties in 2016

5 January 2018 – Valencia Plaza

Inversiones Grupo Zriser, the company that groups together the rental assets of Ana and Pablo Serratosa (pictured below), closed 2016 with the sale of two properties that generated a profit of €14.3 million. That is according to the Directors’ Report in the company’s consolidated accounts, which shows that 2016 was a good year for the investment vehicle owned by the Serratosa siblings.

One of Zriser’s most important sales – at the beginning of 2016 – was the Generali building, located at number 29 Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Valencia, to the businessman Juan Luis Gómez-Trenor, who was the founder of the now extinct Colebega and shareholder of Coca-Cola Iberian Partner.

Zriser purchased the building from Generali Seguros for €29 million and sold it for more than €30 million, almost 50% more. The building, next door to the Town Hall, is located in the financial and retail centre of the city and houses the regional headquarters of Generali Seguros in the Community of Valencia and a branch of the company; the main tenant of the property is the law firm Garrigues.

The other property sold by Zriser in 2016 – in the month of November – is located on Paseo de Ruzafa 18 and is known for housing one of the first Berskha (an Inditex brand) stores in the centre of Valencia. That property has a surface area of more than 2,200 m2 spread over a basement level, commercial space and commercial mezzanine, plus four additional floors, measuring 400 m2 each in a strategic location and where Décimas opened. The two operations were advised by Olivares Consultores.

Turnover rose by 48% in 2016

Inversiones Grupo Zriser, where the siblings also consolidate their other investee companies, generated a turnover of €48 million in 2016, up by 48% compared to 2015, when the figure amounted to €32.4 million. An even greater improvement was seen in terms of profits, which rose from €598,770.15 in 2015 to €7.88 million in 2016.

The accounts also reflect some losses due to impairment as a result of the results obtained by certain companies and a failure to fulfil some of the business plans initially set out. That happened in the case of the machinery company Inrema for a value of €408,957; Punt Mobles XXI, for €974,561.34; and Auditorías de Medios SL, for €1.6 million.

In subsequent events, the accounts also highlight the sale in 2017 of the company Moldcom Composites (McBath), specialising in resin bath products, to Nazca Capital. In this regard, the financial statements indicate that the transaction generated “significant” profits for Zriser.

Original story: Valencia Plaza (by Estefanía Pastor)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Zriser Sells Building On Paseo de Ruzafa In Valencia

21 November 2016 – Real Estate Press

Grupo Zriser, the investment firm owned by the siblings Ana and Pablo Serratosa, has sold a property on Paseo de Ruzafa, 18, six months after buying it.

The property has a surface area of more than 2,200 m2 spread over the basement, ground- and mezzanine-level retail premises, as well as four additional floors measuring 400 m2 each.

The retail premises used to be occupied by Bershka, until it opened its flagship store on Calle Colon 32, in January this year.

The store is located on the section of the street that connects Plaza del Ayuntamiento with Colón and its extension along Calle Ruzafa runs as far as the new retail space, measuring more than 7,000 m2, where Primark is due to open a new store after Christmas.

A few months ago, Grupo Zriser also sold the Generali building, located at number 29 on Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Valencia, to the businessman Juan Luis Gómez-Trenor, founder of the now extinct firm Colebega and shareholder of Coca Cola Iberian Partner.

Zriser acquired the building, which it has sold to a Valencian family office, in an operation advised and brokered by Olivares Consultores, who are also marketing the rental of the property, through the second fund managed by the group owned by the Serratosa siblings, with significant Valencian investors.

Original story: Real Estate Press

Translation: Carmel Drake