Tag: Intu

Unibail Will Invest at Least €800M in Spain Over 6 Years

26 January 2018 – Expansión

Unibail-Rodamco, the largest European real estate group, has committed investments for projects in its portfolio in Spain amounting to, at least, €800 million between now and 2024; it has already disbursed €120 million of that figure.

The Director of Development and Investments at Unibail-Rodamco in España, Javier Solís (pictured above, left), explained yesterday at a meeting organised by IESE, Tinsa and Savills Aguirre Newman, that the company has projects in its portfolio spanning a new gross leasable area (including extensions) of 187,000 m2 and a total committed investment of more than €800 million, reports Efe.

Of the projects underway, the director highlighted the shopping centre in Benidorm (Alicante), whose construction has already commenced and which is expected to open in 2020. In his opinion, the increase in visitor numbers and sales at shopping centres suggests “that returns have the potential to rise”.

The director explained that some of the investment planned for the coming years will be spent on improving its assets so that “they are more than just a place to shop”. In this sense, Solía advocates transforming them into centres for meeting up, having fun and being entertained, for enjoying new gastronomic experiences and with higher standards in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability.

In terms of future possible purchases, Solís said that the company’s intention is to incorporate new assets that are already operational, although, for the time being, it does not have any operations on the table.

In Spain, Unibail-Rodamco owns a dozen shopping centres and has two more under development. Its most high profile assets include Parquesur and La Vaguada (in Madrid) and Les Glòries and La Maquinista (in Barcelona), worth around €3.7 billion.

Westfield

Unibail-Rodamco, which has a presence in 11 European countries, reached an agreement at the end of 2017 to purchase its Australian rival Westfield for $24.7 billion (€19.8 billion).

The operation will result in the creation of a colossus with a gross asset value of €61.1 billion and a presence in 13 countries. Following the integration, Unibail-Rodamco will extend its competitive distance over its main European rivals, Klépierre and Hammerson. Indeed, one month ago, the latter announced an agreement to purchase Intu and grow in the shopping centre segment.

Original story: Expansión

Translation: Carmel Drake

Hammerson Set to Buy Intu, Owner of Xanadú & Puerto Venecia

6 December 2017 – Expansión

The Boards of Directors of Hammerson and Intu Properties, two of Great Britain’s largest property developers, have reached an agreement regarding their merger, which will result in the creation of a group with assets worth GBP 21 billion (€23.7 billion, in euros), mostly comprising shopping centres in the United Kingdom, France and Spain. The operation will be instrumented through a public takeover bid (OPA) of Hammerson’s shares for Intu’s, valuing the share capital of that company at GBP 3.4 billion (€3.85 billion). Intu’s shareholders will receive 0.475 newly issued Hammerson shares for each current share they own.

If the deal goes ahead, it will have a significant effect on the Spanish market, as it would see a change in the owner of the country’s three largest shopping centres. Intu controls 50% of Xanadú (Madrid), Puerto Venecia (Zaragoza) and Parque Principado (Asturias). Funds from Canada and the USA are the company’s partners in those centres. Moreover, Intu has plans underway to develop other leisure and shopping complexes in Málaga, Valencia and Vigo, for a combined investment of more than €1 billion.

Hammerson, meanwhile, holds stakes in Value Retail and Via Outlets, which operate luxury brand outlet centres such as Las Rozas Village (Madrid), La Roca (Barcelona), Mallorca Fashion and Sevilla Fashion.

According to a statement from Hammerson issued today when it announced the purchase “the incorporation of Intu’s portfolio in Spain fits with our strategy of placing our focus on consumer growth markets as it involves adding three of the country’s largest shopping centres. It will also allow our commercial partners to have exposure to a new European market”.

This British company is committed to developing Intu’s projects in Spain. It says that the group resulting from the merger “will be in the best position” to undertake those investments. Following the integration, the group plans to sell some of its centres in the United Kingdom for around GBP 2 billion, which will give it “the financial flexibility it needs to invest in more profitable opportunities in Spain and Ireland, as well as in the outlet centre segment”. The combined debt of the new Hammerson group will amount to GBP 8.2 billion.

The property developer hopes to generate annual savings of GBP 25 million as a result of joining forces with Intu.

Intu’s share price on the London Stock Exchange rose by 20% (after the deal was announced), taking the company’s market capitalisation to GBP 3.2 billion, whilst Hammerson’s share price fell by 2%, taking its market capitalisation to GBP 4.15 billion.

Analysts are interpreting the operation as a defensive move by the two companies to protect themselves from the possible impact of Brexit, which is slowing down consumption in the United Kingdom and which may harm the value of their shopping centres. “The merger represents a coalition of two weak businesses, which will result in an amalgam of assets without any great possibilities for generating incremental profits”, argues Mike Prew, from Jefferies. “The interesting areas of growth are Intu’s Spanish business and Hammerson’s outlet centres”.

The merger still needs to be approved by the shareholders of the two companies and by the British competition authorities, which means that it could take a year to complete. Peel Holding, the investment company owned by John Whittaker, which is Intu’s largest shareholder, has already agreed to approve the takeover. Following the operation, it will hold a 15% stake in the resulting group.

The banks Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan and Lazard have advised Hammerson. Meanwhile, Intu’s managers have engaged the services of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Rothschild and UBS.

Original story: Expansión (by Roberto Casado)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Deloitte: Inv’t In Retail Sector Will Reach €3.046bn in 2017

23 November 2017 – Expansión

Shopping centres have reached their cruising speed. After breaking all records last year, with a transaction volume of €3.769 billion, investment in the sector is maintaining its strong dynamism and could reach €3.046 billion by year-end. That would represent the second highest annual figure for a decade, according to research by Deloitte for The Shopping Centre Handbook.

So far this year, investment in shopping centres has amounted to €2.296 billion, which represents 30% of the total volume invested in the non-residential real estate market in Spain. Moreover, the remaining weeks of the year are expected to be particularly busy, which should allow the figure to exceed the €3 billion threshold in 2017.

Historical operations, such as the purchase of Xanadú (Arroyomolinos, Madrid) by the British fund Intu Properties for €520 million and the subsequent sale of 50% of that asset to TH Real Estate for €264 million; and the acquisition by Klépierre of Nueva Condomina, in Murcia, for €230 million, have catapulted investment this year despite the fact that, if the outstanding operations in the pipeline materialise, the total volume will be 19% lower than in 2016.

Record operation

Compared with other countries in Europe, Spain is consolidating its position as the third largest market in terms of investment, accounting for 16% of total volume. In this sense, the purchase of Xanadú leads the ranking of the largest operations transacted in Europe this year. Nueva Condomina also features in the list of top 5 deals, together with the purchase of Rathaus Galerie Leverkusen, (Germany) and Le Befane Shopping Centre (Italy), both of which were acquired by Union Investment, for €220 million and €244 million, respectively.

“Investors in shopping centres in Spain believe that the strong macroeconomic outlook will continue to boost household consumption and with that, the valuation of retail assets”, said the Partner in Financial Advisory at Deloitte, Javier García-Mateo.

In terms of the investor profile, García-Mateo explains that this year, “the stage has been shared by Spanish Socimis, which have seen their stake of total investment fall to 16%, to the benefit of international funds, which are looking to build large multi-country platforms”.

The Director of Financial Advisory at Deloitte, Ana Granado, also points out that this year, financing for shopping centres amounting to between €1.2 billion and €1.5 billion has been closed. “The traditional banks are being joined by a select group of alternative providers of capital, which are willing to finance the development of land and projects in the transformation and renovation phase”, she said.

Regarding the supply, currently, the average commercial density of shopping centres in Spain amounts to 285 m2 for every 1,000 inhabitants. By province, Zaragoza (with 638 m2 for every 1,000 inhabitants) and Las Palmas (with 641 m2 for every 1,000 inhabitants) are the Spanish provinces with the highest commercial density. At the other end of the spectrum are Lérida, with 40 m2 for every 1,000 inhabitants and Gerona, with 65 m2 for every 1,000 inhabitants.

Renovation

In terms of the commercial park, José María Espejo, Senior Manager at Deloitte Financial Advisory, indicates that 45% of the current supply of shopping centres is showing signs of significant technical obsolescence. “Any renovation processes will have to go hand in hand with some major capex investment”, he said.

According to Deloitte’s calculations, the amount of investment required to reposition the obsolete assets amounts to around €1.08 billion.

By way of example of some of the shopping centres that have been repositioned in recent years, La Moraleja Green, in Madrid stands out, with an investment of €10 million. That shopping centre, located in Alcobendas and inaugurated in 1995 is owned by Kennedy Wilson, which bought it from ING Real Estate in December 2015 for €71 million. Meanwhile, Unibail Rodamco, has invested €148 million in the repositioning of the Glòries shopping centre in Barcelona and Intu has spent €12 million on improvements at its shopping centre in Asturias.

Omni-channels

In terms of challenges for the future, commercial spaces are going to have to adapt to cater for the new habits of consumers and to make e-commerce an ally.

According to the report, shopping centres are at very preliminary levels of evolution and only the most advanced have online shopping platforms, mobile applications and loyalty programs for their clients.

Specifically, the level of omnichannel use of shopping centres in Spain amounts to 33%. By category, retail outlets achieve the highest degree of omnichannel use, whilst shopping centres bring up the rear in terms of their degree of digitalisation.

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Spain’s Shopping Centres Reinvent Themselves As Leisure Mega-Resorts

23 October 2017 – Expansión

Star asset / The boom in e-commerce and change in consumer habits are revolutionising the traditional concept of retail. Offering new experiences and turning their properties into iconic spaces are some of the maxims of the owners of shopping centres.

Much more than retail spaces. The new generation of shopping centres is evolving to incorporate a leisure concept for the whole family and to adapt to the demands of the millennials. Aquariums, artificial lakes, ski resorts, diving pools; everything fits into these new megaresorts designed for leisure, experiences and shopping.

“We have to implement new concepts, but without taking our eye off the ball in terms of the retail mix”, explain sources at Unibail-Rodamco, the largest listed commercial real estate company in Europe, which owns 13 centres in Spain, worth more than €3,500 million, and which plans to invest an additional €650 million in the country between now and 2024.

“We have introduced the DEX (Dining Experience), which aims to revolutionise restaurant spaces in shopping centres through a combination of architecture, design and leisure to offer a multi-sensorial experience”, explain the sources. They are adamant that “physical stores are not incompatible with e-commerce. In fact, we are seeing lots of the companies that originated in the digital environment now looking for physical points of sale. Amazon has opted to sell through physical stores with its acquisition of Whole Foods in the USA. We have also seen the same thing with Hawkers, the sunglasses brand, which recently opened its first physical store in Madrid”.

“Shopping centres are having to evolve to adapt themselves to the new needs and wants of customers, combining technology, multi-channels and experiences to reach more demanding end consumers”, explains Luis Lázaro, Head of the Shopping Centre division at Merlin Properties, which plans to invest €100 million over the next few years in both modernising the image of its centres as well as in updating its commercial offer.

José Manuel Llovet, Director of Retail at Lar – which owns 14 shopping centres in Spain – explains that the Socimi is working on improving the customer experience. “We are investing more than €60 million in Capex to adapt and modernise our centres, improve services and experiences, as well as implement the omnichannel strategy”.

Sources at Intu, owner of Puerto Venecia (Zaragoza), Intu Asturias (Asturias) and Xanadú (Madrid), which also has several important projects underway, say they use the shopping resort concept as the formula for attracting consumers, turning shopping centres into “tourist and leisure attractions”, and adopting a strategy of fewer operators with larger surface areas.

Meanwhile, Sociedad General Inmobiliaria de España (Lsgie) inaugurated Plaza Río 2 on Friday. One of the main features of that centre, located on the banks of the Manzanares River (Madrid) is its Mirador (lookout), which they define as “the best restaurant terrace in the capital” (…).

Carolina Ramos Alcobía, Director of the Shopping Centre Leasing department at Aguirre Newman, points out that Spain is promoting a model that moves away from the traditional shopping centre. “The trend is moving towards an aesthetics of open shopping centres, which are more like small towns or urban shopping centres; moreover, that concept is very highly favoured by the Spanish climate. The key is to get away from the stress associated with hectic, uncomfortable shopping centres” (…).

According to Ramos, “we are undoubtedly witnessing the largest transformation of shopping centres since they first opened in Spain, almost forty years ago. If they don’t spruce themselves up, they won’t survive” (…).

Investor appetite

In terms of investment (…), according to Javier García-Mateo, Real Estate Partner in Financial Advisory at Deloitte, “a voracious appetite exists for medium-sized shopping centres, which we have not seen for more than ten years”. According to data from Deloitte, so far this year, investment in shopping centres amounts to €2,300 million. In 2016, investors spent €3,769 million buying shopping centres in Spain, almost doubling the figure recorded in 2015 (…).

Original story: Expansión (by R. Arroyo and M. Anglés)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Snapshot Of The MAB’s Real Estate Companies

4 September 2017 – Expansión

An attractive tax structure and investors’ appetite for real estate assets have led to a veritable flood of Socimi debuts on the stock market in recent years. With the exception of Merlin and Colonial – which form part of the Ibex – and Axiare, Hispania and Lar España – which are listed on the main stock market – the other Socimis trade on the Alternative Investment Market (MAB). In 2013, that market opened a new segment for this type of investment vehicle, which now comprises 40 companies.

To be incorporated, Socimis must have a minimum share capital of €5 million and invest in urban properties allocated for rent. These companies, which must be listed on regulated markets, are exempt from paying Corporation Tax in exchange for fulfilling certain obligations such as the distribution of dividends in a systematic way.

The first Socimi to debut on the MAB was Entrecampos Cuatro. That company, constituted in 2004 as a merger of several companies from the Segura Rodríguez family group, was responsible for firing the Socimi-starting gun on the MAB in November 2013.

The 40 Socimis now listed on the MAB have a combined market capitalisation of more than €7,000 million and comprise a very heterogeneous group both in terms of size, as well as by specialisation and category. The companies range from family groups to institutions (with one fund or professional investor holding a stake) to publicly owned entities (with numerous shareholders).

Of the Socimis currently listed on the MAB, the largest by a long way is General de Galerías Comerciales (GGC). That Socimi, which currently has a market capitalisation of €2,547 million, debuted on the stock market in July and, despite its size, is controlled almost in its entirety by a single shareholder, the Murcian businessman Tomás Olivo. GGC is exceeded in terms of market capitalisation only by Merlin and Colonial.

GGC is followed by the Montoro family’s real estate firm GMP, in which the fund Singapore GIC owns a 30% stake. That company currently holds 27 properties in its portfolio, including several iconic buildings, such as the historical Torre BBVA (renamed Castellana 81 due to its location) and a few metres away, Castellana 77 (also known as Torre Ederra). Other large listed Socimis include Zambal, the Socimi managed by IBA Capital, with investments in offices and commercial assets; and Bay, the Socimi owned by Hispania and Barceló. The latter, which focuses on the tourist sector, held 21 assets with a gross value of €790 million at the end of last year and since then has purchased another three assets: Hotel Selomar in Benidorm for almost €16 million; Hotel Fergus Tobago in Palmanova for €20 million; and the Armadores de Puerto Rico company for €6 million.

Shopping centres are also present on the MAB. In this way, for example, Intu owns two listed shopping centres: the Socimi Asturias Retail & Leisure, owner of the Intu Asturias shopping centre (previously Parque Principado), which has a total approximate surface area of 75,000 m2; and Zaragoza Properties, owner of Puerto Venecia Shopping Resort, in Zaragoza, with a surface area of more than 200,000 m2.

Another example is the Socimi Heref Habaneras, which owns the Habaneras shopping centre in Torrevieja (Alicante).

Residential market

One of the investment segments that has gained weight amongst the specialist Socimis in recent times is the residential market. Specifically, the private equity fund Blackstone has two listed Socimis. The largest, Fidere, debuted on the stock market in June 2015 with an asset value of €304.3 million and a portfolio of 2,688 social housing properties for let purchased during the crisis.

Moreover, the fund listed another Socimi on the stock market in March, Albirana Properties, which owns more than 5,000 assets spread all over Spain, most of which are rental homes (….).

A few weeks ago, the MAB introduced a modification to its rules to tighten up the access requirements for new Socimis. This change, which came into force in August, requires Socimis to have minority shareholders in their shareholdings when they debut on the stock market. Until then, companies had a year to fulfil the requirement. This led to an intensification in terms of the number of Socimi debuts. In July alone, seven companies joined the MAB: GGC, Bay Hotels & Leisure, Grupo Ortiz, Kingbook Inversiones, AM Locales Property, Colon and Numulae (…).

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

JLL: RE Inv’t Amounts To c.€6,000M In H1 2017

27 June 2017 – Expansión

Investment in the real estate sector is registering record-breaking figures in the Spanish market once again. With three days left until the end of the first half of the year, the sale of buildings and land during the first six months of 2017 amounted to €5,991 million, according to the real estate consultancy firm JLL. “There is a lot of money ready to invest in Spain and when products come onto the market, the interest is unleashed. Investors still think that Spain has a lot of potential and that rents are going to rise, accompanied by the forecast economic growth in the country”, explained Borja Ortega, Director of Capital Markets at JLL.

The real estate investment of almost €6,000 million represents an increase of 70% compared to the figure recorded during the first six months of 2016 (€3,548 million), of which €3,000 million corresponded to non-residential asset purchases.

By type of property, offices and commercial assets account for most of the operations. “There is complete faith in Spain, with a clear commitment to both Madrid and Barcelona, and investors continue to seek out good spaces, which they will be able to lease easily”, said Ortega.

In the case of offices, the volume invested during the first six months of 2017 amounted to more than €1,200 million, up by 55% compared to the first half of last year. However, the forecast for 2017 as a whole is that office investment will reach €2,400 million, in line with 2016. During the first few months of 2017, several major operations were completed, such as the sale of Torre Agbar in Barcelona – which was acquired by the Socimi Merlin for €142 million – and the purchase of the Isla Chamartín complex in Madrid, which the fund Lone Star sold for €103 million. “In the case of Barcelona, the cumulative investment volume recorded since the start of the year amounts to €510.65 million, which means that it is almost equal to the total amount invested during the whole of 2016, when €521.50 million was spent in the city – this demonstrates the strong investor appetite that has characterised this first half of 2017”, said sources at the consultancy firm.

Towards a record year

Like in 2016, commercial assets (in particular, shopping centres) have knocked offices off of the top of the ranking as the asset that accounts for most investment. In this way, so far in 2017, investors have spent more than €2,400 million on commercial assets. Their purchases include the shopping centre that has starred in two operations in the last six months: Xanadú. This establishment, which is located in the Madrilenian town of Arroyomolinos, was acquired at the beginning of the year by the British group Intu Properties, which paid the fund Ivanhoe Cambridge €530 million. Three months later, Intu sold 50% of the centre to the manager TH Real Estate for €264 million.

The strong performance of the Spanish real estate sector during the first half of the year means that it is lining itself up for a record year. “Whilst last year, investment amounted to around €9,500 million, this year, I am sure that it will rise by 15%, to reach figures close to the records of 2007″, said Ortega.

In this sense, it is expected that several new operations will close before the end of the year, such as the sale of the Socimi Hispania’s office portfolio, worth €550 million; and of logistics land to be developed and the batch of Rea residences, by the manager Azora. “Now, the core funds are going to play a greater role, taking advantage of the exit of other more opportunistic and value-added investors, which are going to start selling off products that they purchased in recent years”, said the director at JLL.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Intu Sells 50% Of Xanadú To TH Real Estate For €264.4M

31 May 2017 – Europa Press

The British firm Intu has sold 50% of the Xanadú shopping centre, located in the Madrilenian town of Arroyomolinos, to TH Real Estate for €264.4 million. That figure represents 50% of the price that Intu paid to the Canadian group Ivanhoé Cambridge for the whole establishment back in March.

In this way, Intu and TH Real Estate are creating a joint venture to manage the ownership of the shopping centre, including the Snowzone, the only indoor ski slope in Spain, according to a statement issued by the British firm. Cushman & Wakefield introduced and advised TH Real Estate as a partner to Intu in the creation of that joint venture.

“We are delighted to announce our new partnership with TH Real Estate and we look forward to working together on a series of active management opportunities to improve and strengthen the position and offering of Madrid Xanadú”, said the CEO of Intu, David Fischel.

Xanadú, which has an occupancy rate of 97%, is currently home to more than 220 stores. Its tenants include Inditex, El Corte Inglés and Primark, and it has a gross leasable area (GLA) of 153,000 m2 plus 8,000 parking spaces.

The shopping centre, which receives 13 million visitors per year, has a clear focus on leisure, given that its facilities include the only indoor ski slope in Spain, 15 cinema screens, a bowling alley and almost 40 restaurants. It also plans to open an Aquarium and a Nickelodeon centre this year.

The aim of the British firm, which is now working hand in hand with its partner, is to transform the centre into the resort of choice in the area. It plans to renew the offering, revitalise the space, undertake a digital transformation, as well as invest in the image, all with the aim of converting the centre into an attractive tourist destination where visitors can spend their leisure and free time.

Original story: Europa Press

Translation: Carmel Drake

Schroders Buys The Metromar Shopping Centre For €52.5M

25 May 2017 – Expansión

Schroder European Real Estate Trust has announced its first investment in Spain, after signing an agreement to acquire the Metromar shopping centre in Sevilla from UBS Asset Management.

The transaction price amounted to €52.5 million, which implies a future annual return of 6.2%, according to Schroders, based on the rental income generated by the property. The shopping centre’s tenants include Mercadona, Zara, Mango, Cortefiel and H&M. In total, Metromar’s rental income amounts to €4 million per year.

In terms of the structure of the deal, Schroder’s fund has directly acquired a 50% stake and has purchased the other 50% through Inmobilien Europa Direkt, a Swiss investor who is advised by the British manager.

UBS put the Metromar centre up for sale last year after acquiring it for €100 million in 2007, just before the outbreak of the real estate crisis.

According to the new owners of the shopping centre, which has a surface area of 23,500 m2, “Sevilla is expected to exceed the national average in terms of economic and consumer growth over the next five years”.

The operation has been partially financed using a loan amounting to €23.4 million.

This is the ninth acquisition by this Schroders real estate fund. Until now, the fund has focused its operations in France and Germany. Since its launch in 2015, the fund has made investments of €212 million.

“Commerce may be a key beneficiary of the economic recovery in Spain, which means that this acquisition represents a welcome addition to the portfolio, offering significant diversification for investors, as well as increasing our dividend yield”, said Tony Smedley, manager at Schroder European Real Estate Trust.

In recent months, overseas firms have been accelerating their purchases of shopping centres in Spain. For example, the British property developer Intu acquired Xanadú in Madrid; and yesterday, the French firm Klépierre announced its purchase of the Nueva Condomina shopping centre in Murcia for €233 million.

Retail Partners, EY and Gleeds have advised the British manager in its acquisition of Metromar. UBS has been advised by Cushman & Wakefield, Novasa and Ashurst

Original story: Expansión (by Roberto Casado)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Axa & Sonae Finalise Purchase Of Área Sur

10 May 2017 – Expansión

Axa Real Estate, the real estate arm of the French insurance company, and Sonae Sierra, are emerging as the likely new owners of the Área Sur shopping centre. The companies are negotiating with Union Investment Real Estate GMBH – the current owner of the asset – to acquire this shopping centre, which is located in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz).

Market sources have indicated to Expansión that the transaction may be closed soon for a price of around €110 million.

Following the operation, Sonae Sierra – which specialises in the investment, development and management of shopping centres – will manage the shopping centre.

Área Sur was inaugurated in November 2007 and has a gross leasable area of 47,607 m2. Moreover, the shopping centre has around 2,300 parking spaces.

Investment record

The operation, which has been advised by the consultancy firm Cushman & Wakefield, is another example of the interest in the market for shopping centres. Following a record-breaking year in 2016, investments during the first quarter of this year have exceeded €1,000 million, boosted by deals such as Intu’s acquisition of Xanadú for €530 million.

The shopping centre receives 6.6 million visitors per year, which represents an average annual growth rate of 5% since it opened. The shopping centre’s gross revenues amounted to €7.8 million in 2016.

Área Sur is located near to Luz Shopping, which was inaugurated in October 2010 and which has a total surface area of 174,000 m2. That shopping area is home to stores such as Ikea, Decathlon and Worten.

The Área Sur property, which has been managed by Auxideico since 2011, has three storeys. The first floor, which has a surface area of more than 23,400 m2, is home to numerous fashion brands and its tenants include Zara, Primark, H&M, Massimo Dutti, Cortefiel, Sfera, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Springfield, Stradivarius and Okeysi.

The top floor, which spans almost 10,000 m2, houses leisure and restaurant brands, as well as an 11-screen Yelmo cinema. Meanwhile, the ground floor, measuring 14,200 m2, is leased to Mercadona, Primark and El Corte Inglés.

In its area of influence, Área Sur competes with the Las Dunas shopping centre, in Sanlucar de Barrameda, with a gross leasable area of 75,000 m2; El Paseo, located in Puerto de Santa María, with a gross leasable area of 33,000 m2; and Bahía Sur, in San Fernando, with a gross leasable area of 59,000 m2.

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

British Groups Invest Heavily In Spain’s RE Sector

9 May 2017 – Expansión

The Grosvenor group is embarking on its first residential project in Spain, developing luxury homes in Madrid. It is following in the footsteps of other compatriot companies such as Intu, Taylor Wimpey and Benson Elliot.

One of the latest real estate companies to show its commitment to Spain has a history that spans 340 years. The firm in question is Grosvenor, the centuries-old British firm, which closed its first investment in the Spanish residential sector about two months ago.

The project chosen by Grosvenor for its arrival in Spain is a luxury residential development on the Golden Mile of Madrid. To this end, Grosvenor, through its subsidiary Grosvenor Europe, completed the purchase of a plot of land measuring around 820 m2, located at number 53 on Calle Jorge Juan, for the development of six exclusive apartments and one penthouse with views over the Retiro Park. (…).

Grosvenor’s operation on Jorge Juan forms part of a joint venture signed by the Asian firm Amcorp in July 2016, whereby it undertook to invest €70 million during the first phase. “We hope to build a significant real estate portfolio in Spain during 2017”, said sources at the British group, which was founded in 1677 by Sir Thomas Grosvenor, and which is nowadays one of the largest landowners in the United Kingdom.

In light of this commitment to Spain, Grosvenor, which has four divisions through which it operates in Europe, Asia, America and the United Kingdom, has strengthened its office in Madrid, led by Fátima Sáez del Cano, by hiring Miguel Silmi, who formerly served in interim roles at firms such as Altamira, owned by Banco Santander. (…).

Investment

Grosvenor’s commitment to Spain is not a unique case amongst the large British groups. “Investors from the United Kingdom have always liked the Spanish real estate market and they have invested throughout the economic cycle. For example, Heron International, which is known today for the shopping centres that it built in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, used to hold a significant portfolio of office buildings in Madrid, in the 1990s”, said Javier García-Mateo, Partner in Financial Advisory at Deloitte. (…).

Meanwhile, Benson Elliot has been present since 2011. That fund has just closed the purchase of the Hotel Silken Diagonal, together with the joint venture between Walton Street and Highgate. Previously, BE had purchased two other assets in Barcelona, which it has now sold. “Another British firm, London Regional, has purchased hotels and offices in Spain and has also taken advantage of the cycle to sell them at a profit”, said Rafael Bou, Partner in Real Estate at PwC.

“Having invested more than €2,147 million since 2011, British funds are the second most significant international investor in the Spanish real estate market, after the United States (…)”, according to Savills. During the first quarter of 2017, British firms have already made real estate purchases amounting to €550 million, according to Deloitte.

One example of this commitment is the return of British Land to Spain, which last year purchased the Nueva Condomina shopping centre in Murcia, and the more than €120 million that has been invested by the UK & European Investment group in operations in Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella. (…).

In addition to real estate companies and investment funds, some of the large British insurance companies are also placing their focus on the Spanish real estate sector, such as the case of Prudential and Aviva, which just closed the purchase of the Tormes shopping centre in Salamanca.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake