Tag: Mapfre

Axiare Acquires 12,000 m2 Office Building In Barcelona For €19.5M

27 March 2017 – Observatorio Inmobiliario

Axiare Patrimonio has closed its first purchase following the capital increase announced in March. The Socimi has invested €19.5 million in the acquisition of an office building that has a GLA of 12,000 m2 and more than 400 parking spaces. The building, which was constructed recently, comprises several floors measuring 2,500 m2 each, as well as an auditorium with capacity for 200 people. According to the Socimi, the building will generate annual rental income of €1.25 million over the next two years.

The asset is located on Avenida Can Fatjó dels Aurons in Sant Cugat, Barcelona. Sant Cugat is a strategic area for offices in Barcelona, with direct connections to the C-16 and AP-7 motorways and a 5-minute walk from the Sant Joan train station. The area is home to many institutional owners including Mapfre, Axa, Catalana Occidente, Banco Sabadell and Merlin and tenants of the calibre of Hewlett-Packard, TVE, Deutsche Bank, Banco Sabadell, Mapfre, Nespresso and Gas Natural. Sant Cugat has been extremely sought after by tenants is recent times and currently has one of the highest occupancy rates in Barcelona.

The CEO of Axiare Patrimonio, Luis López de Herrera Oria states that “we have purchased a magnificent office building for a price that is 27% below its repositioning cost and with a great potential to increase in value”.

Following this operation, during the first three months of 2017, Axiare Patrimonio has invested €157.9 million on the purchase of four tertiary-use properties, with a combined surface area of 46,354 m2 and almost 1,300 parking spaces. This property formed part of the pipeline announced by the Socimi when it presented its annual results for 2016 on 27 February.

For this operation, Axiare Patrimonio has been advised by EY, BNP Paribas Real Estate and Estrada & Partners.

Original story: Observatorio Inmobiliario

Translation: Carmel Drake

 

Eurosic Teams Up With Allianz To Launch A Socimi In Spain

13 February 2017 – El Economista

The Socimi market is still going strong and for the first time since the legislation governing these listed companies was reformed, a vehicle is now being created with mostly French capital. In December 2015, the French real estate giant Eurosic created Eurosic Investment Spain Socimi, with the aim of debuting it on the stock market with a share capital of more than €100 million, according to sources in the sector.

Eurosic, which already tried less than a year and a half ago to debut on the Spanish stock market by purchasing Testa, will launch this Socimi in partnership with the Allianz group, which will use this vehicle to take a new step in its strategy to gain weight in the Spanish real estate business.

The insurance company, through two of its companies, Allianz Invest Pierre and Euler Hermes Reinsurance – world leader in credit insurance – has entered the shareholding of Eurosic Investment Spain Socimi. Both companies, which are headquartered in Switzerland and France, respectively, have taken positions in an operation worth €67 million, according to TTR.

Allianz gains in strength

With this move, Allianz increases its exposure to Spanish real estate, a market it broke into last September, through Allianz Real Estate, which opened a branch in Madrid to track operations in the Iberian Peninsula and manage the Group’s properties on the ground.

Allianz Real Estate’s portfolio contains assets under management worth €41,700 million; €29,300 million in direct and indirect investments and loans worth €12,400 million – figures as at end of 2015, when operations amounting to €7,400 million were closed. Its aim is to reach AuM of €60,000 million “within a few years”.

The strategy that Allianz is carrying out, which includes acquiring stakes in debt and listed companies, as well as direct and indirect positions in financing, places it amongst the most active insurance companies in the real estate market. (…).

Companies such as Mapfre, Mutua Madrileña, Santalucía, Reale and Línea Directa have acquired properties recently and are now looking for opportunities, although their incursion as financiers is residual or non-existent, in contrast to the role played by multinationals such as Axa and Allianz.

Eurosic’s portfolio

In Spain, Eurosic set the wheels in motion last year to feed its portfolio of assets. In this way, in October, it closed the purchase of two buildings in Madrid, at number 40 on Calle Atocha and number 27 on Calle Magdalena. In the same month, it acquired Hotel Tropicana, located on La Carihuela seafront in Torremolinos. This year, it has continued its spending spree with the purchase of Hotel Monterrey Roses (a three-star establishment in Roses, Gerona) and a portfolio of assets in Palma de Mallorca, comprising two hotels and some tourist apartments.

Original story: El Economista (by Alba Brualla)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Carmena Works With Property Owners To Design Madrid’s Office Supply

6 February 2017 – Cinco Días

The Town Hall of Madrid, led by Manuela Carmena, and large property owners and companies in the real estate sector, which are grouped together into the Spanish Office Association (AEO), have committed to creating a working group to define the future model for the office market in Spain’s capital.

Last week, José Manuel Calvo, Councillor for Sustainable Urban Development, held a meeting with most of the members of the AEO in which he appeared willing to create a working group to establish collaboration between the Administration and the private sector, according to a statement made on Wednesday by the Association.

The AEO includes large office owners such as BBVA, Mapfre, Mutua Madrilieña, Pontegadea (the family office owned by Amancio Ortega, the founder of Inditex), Repsol, Acciona and Telefónica, together with large real estate companies such as Merlin Properties, Colonial, GMP, La Finca, Torre Rioja and international funds such as GreenOak, Blackstone and Iba Capital Partners, amongst others.

Over the next few months, the Councillor will present a study “which will allow them to lay the foundations to create a working group between the sector and the other parties involved, with the aim of facilitating the design of a rational future model, which will strengthen and improve the supply of offices in Madrid”, said sources at the AEO in a statement.

Sources from the companies that attended the meeting highlighted the opportunity to hold conversations with the Town Hall’s Head of Town Planning. They also said that Calvo has committed to working together with the Community of Madrid and the Central Government, in a combined effort, to try to attract to Madrid some of the companies that are leaving London due to Brexit.

The politician also reminded the businessmen about the town planning matters that are still pending at the Town Hall. Amongst other items, he explained his efforts to unblock Operación Chamartín, promoted by Distrito Castellana Norte (controlled by BBVA) and his commitment to build a major office nucleus close to Chamartín station, once it has been refurbished.

Original story: Cinco Días (by Alfonso Simón Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Catalan Hotel Group Buys Eurocity Building For €8M

20 October 2016 – El Día

A Catalan hotel group has acquired the Eurocity building, located in the Olympic Village in Barcelona, to convert it into a hotel.

According to the real estate consultancy Tasinsa, which has advised both parties to the operation, the building has been acquired for €8 million.

The property, located on Avenida Icària, was constructed in 1992, has a surface are of 4,800 m2 and used to be owned by the insurance company Mapfre.

Original story: El Día

Translation: Carmel Drake

Allianz Real Estate Opens Branch In Spain

22 September 2016 – El Economista

The real estate arm of Allianz has arrived in Spain, attracted by the investment opportunities on offer here. Allianz Real Estate has just opened a branch in Madrid to track its operations in the Iberian Peninsula and take responsibility for the management of the properties owned by the group.

To lead the project, the firm has hired Miguel Torres, ex-Arthur Andersen, who has been linked with GE Capital Real Estate since 1995, according to the Commercial Registry. “After the recovery of the real estate markets, Spain and Portgual are once again in the focus of international real estate investors”, explained the CEO of Allianz Real Estate, François Traush, who highlighted that the incorporation of Torres into the team aimed “to identify attractive investment opportunities to allow us to continue constructing a diversified portfolio”, for our shareholders.

With more than 20 years of experience in the real estate and structured financing sectors, Torres joins the company from GE Capital in Mexico, where he served as Director General, leading a team of 50 specialists and an unit with almost €3,500 million in real estate financing. Prior to that, he held various management positions at GE entities in Madrid, New York and Stamford.

Allianz Real Estate’s portfolio contains €41,700 million in assets under management: €29,300 million in direct and indirect investments, plus loans amounting to €12,400 million, based on figures at 2015 year end, when it closed operations amounting to €7,400 million. Its goal is to reach the €60,000 million threshold “within the next few years”.

The company, which has subsidiaries in Germany, France, Italy – into which the operations in Spain will report -, Switzerland and the USA, includes the office in Madrid as part of its regional expansion.

Its investment aspirations cover almost the entire sector: from taking stakes in debt, to investing in listed companies, direct and indirect positions in financing and building a significant property portfolio.

It debuted as a lender in Spain a year and a half ago, with a loan for €133 million that allowed the Socimi Merlin to acquire the Marineda Shopping Centre, which, at the time, was the largest investment in this type of complex since 2008.

The strategic logic is two-fold. The low interest rate environment is causing insurance companies to dust off old commitments to property in light of the meagre returns being offered by public debt and the high capital consumption involved with other investments. Companies such as Mapfre, Mutua Madrileña, Santalucía, Reale and Línea Directa have acquired properties recently and are looking for opportunities, although their involvement as financiers is residual or non-existent, unlike the role performed by multi-national firms such as Axa and Allianz.

The sector hopes that Brussels will smooth the path, easing the burden of callable capital, given that the Juncker Plan itself wants to involve infrastructure projects that Europe needs.

In addition, the real estate sector is presenting itself as an alternative that offers higher returns, especially given the security of their operations. The high expectations of growth in terms of office rents and a notable increase in the number of small operations, is converting this segment of the market into one of the most attractive options. In the case of the most cutting-edge buildings and those located in prime areas, rents may increase by up to 22% over the next three years. For the other more modest assets, the annual yield amounts to around 7%. Similarly, yields of commercial premises amount to around 7.5%,and rents are expected to increase by an average of 2.4% p.a. in Madrid over the next two years.

Original story: El Economista (by Eva Contrerar and Alba Brualla)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Insurance Companies Have Unrealised Gains Of €2,400M From RE

26 August 2016 – Expansión

Mapfre, Mutua Madrileña and Catalana Occidente own the majority of the real estate in the insurance sector, whose total portfolio amounts to €4,475 million.

Insurance companies in Spain are accumulating a cushion of unrealised gains in their real estate investments amounting to €2,433 million, according to data from the Director General of Insurance and Pensions.

This amount is the difference between the value that the companies assigns these assets on their balance sheets and the market price of these assets, according to the mandatory appraisals that have to be performed periodically by independent appraisers.

These latest gains in the insurance sector are still well below the threshold of €4,226 million achieved in 2009, at the beginning of the burst of the real estate bubble.

Unrealised gains are recognised in the accounts of entities if the properties are sold at a profit. They are also included in the calculation to measure the solvency margin of the entities, which measures the firms’ strength to deal with unforeseen events using their uncommitted assets.

Insurance companies have traditionally invested in properties, given that they are a particularly appropriate asset for the long term over which they conduct their activity. They also generate regular income in the form of rental payments.

In addition, insurance companies have had to diversify their portfolios following the decrease in interest rates in recent months, which makes the investment strategy of these entities more complicated; they have traditionally focused on public debt, primarily in Spain.

Purchases

Insurance companies are risk averse in their investments and in the face of this new panorama, they have made several purchases that have increased their real estate portfolios, particularly important for the Spanish capital firms Mapfre, Mutua Madrileña and Catalana Occidente, which own the majority of the sector’s total portfolio of €4,475 million, according to data from the Director General of Insurance and Pensions. In recent months, these three entities have been involved in several real estate purchases amounting to more than €250 million. (…).

The Mapfre Group, which has a presence in fifty countries, reported latent gains of €975 million in its accounts for 2015 on the basis of the book value of its total real estate portfolio (€2,267 million) and the market price (€3,242 million). Most (56% or €1,835 million) correspond to real estate investments, whilst the rest (44% or €1,406 million) are properties used by Mapfre. (…).

Meanwhile, Mutua has accumulated a piggy bank of unrealised real estate gains amounting to €462 million, with total assets worth €1,443 million at market prices and €981 million on the balance sheet. Its assets are concentrated in Madrid, where historically it has owned a handful of individual buildings on Paseo de la Castellana. (…).

Grupo Catalana Occidente’s investment in real estate amounts to €1,024 million, which includes unrealised gains amounting to €465 million. The insurance company, which has a presence in more than fifty countries, acquired a building measuring almost 4,000 sqm in the 22@ district in Barcelona in July.

Original story: Expansión (by E. del Pozo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Mapfre Sold 45 Properties Worth €34.5M In 2015

23 February 2016 – Expansión

Mapfre is taking advantage of the emerging recovery of the Spanish real estate sector to accelerate the disposal of non-strategic assets from its investment portfolio. And, as a result, increase its economic return from the sale of homes, premises and offices, amongst others.

Last year, the insurance company sold 45 properties of different types for €34.5 million in total, according to its annual report submitted to the CNMV. The gross profit from these transactions amounted to €11.3 million, more than twice the amount recorded a year earlier from similar operations. In 2014, Mapfre reported profits of €4.5 million from the sale of properties.

The main asset sold in 2015 was a plot of land in Cotochico, Marbella (Málaga), which was disposed of for €12.2 million. Mapfre also sold the San Javier and San Antonio clinics in Bilbao for €4 million and €3.3 million, respectively. The other 42 properties sold by entity were “minor, non-significant assets”.

On the buy-side, the insurance group did not pass up the opportunity to acquire several iconic buildings. As such, it invested €82 million in the acquisition of a property in Madrid’s Plaza de la Independencia, 6. And, outside of Spain, it bought an office block in One Winthrop Square in Boston (USA) for €55 million. At the end of 2015, Mapfre held a property portfolio worth €2,267.7 million, which represented 4.9% of the entity’s total investment portfolio, which in turn amounted to €46,264.7 million and mainly contained sovereign debt (57.1%) and corporate fixed income (22.5%).

€943.4 million (41.6%) of the Group’s real estate portfolio related to facilities that it makes use of itself, in other words, retail outlets and offices that provide support to the insurance company’s administrative and commercial network. The remaining 58.4% (€1,324.3 million) comprises every kind of asset, available for sale and rent. The occupancy rate of its properties for rent increased slightly with respect to the previous year, to 85.9% at the end of 2015 (compared with 85.5% in 2014).

Unlike other investments in its portfolio, some of Mapfre’s properties are accounted for at book value, i.e. at acquisition cost, and not at market price. Thus, the group calculates that it has unrealised gains of €975 million. Meanwhile, the Group says in its annual report that “the unrealised gains will offset a decrease in property prices equivalent to approximately 30.06% of their own market value”.

Accounts

Mapfre clarified to the CNMV that the Brazilian CEO, María Leticia de Freitas Costas, has not signed the 2015 accounts yet “due to her inability to attend the Board meeting”, and not because of any kind of disagreement.

Original story: Expansión (by M. Ponce de León)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Office Buildings Will Have A Rating On Their Quality

2 February 2016 – Cinco Días

The real estate sector gets ready for a big novelty. Similarly to the debt rating of companies and countries, the office buildings will have a rating to ensure constructive and technical quality to potential investors.

The seal is called Office buildings technical rating. It is driven by the Spanish Association Offices (AEO, in its Spanish acronym), where large landowners, intermediaries and investors are integrated, and it will be voluntary. Although in this entity they believe it will be imposed thanks to the driving companies and because it will become the only guarantee of reference for the real estate market.

The aim of the AEO is to provide all stakeholders an objective and only measure of the quality of buildings. This optional rating system will be approved in two months, as final details are currently being closed. “We are finishing a standard for the technical rating of office buildings, which will be voluntary and will serve to increase confidence and transparency in the Spanish market from the perspective of investment, rental or portfolio analysis” José María Álvarez, AEO Chairman explains.

The first consequence will be knowing the condition of the buildings. Given it is a voluntary act, it is likely that the newest and highest quality buildings will promptly submit to be eligible for this qualification. This organization states that there are 30 million square meters of office space in Spain, with a value of EUR 65,000 million in assets, which generate about 4,300 million in income from leases.

AEO partners

The AEO is composed of more than 60 companies. Among them, large listed companies as BBVA, Iberdrola, Indra, Repsol and Telefonica, which in turn are usually owners of major buildings where their headquarters are installed. Property management companies as Torre Rioja (Angel Soria), Colonial and Pontegadea – family office of Inditex founder Amancio Ortega, also participate.

Listed real estate investment companies as Merlin Properties (of Ibex 35) and Lar España are also partners, as well as intermediaries including JLL, Knight Frank, Savills, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield or BNP Paribas Real Estate. Mutua Madrileña and Mapfre insurance companies are also members.

The objective of this real estate agents group is to give transparency to the sector. Thanks to this seal, an international fund or a company will know what they face when acquiring a property. There will even be investors that will be suspicious of the buildings which do not have the rating. “It will contribute to transparency in the decision-making process,” says Alvarez on how companies will welcome this rating system.

“It will contribute to transparency in decision making,” the AEO states.

With some final details to be confirmed, the rating will have five sections. Outstanding, for those excellent, will be A+ rating. From there, going down, ratings will be A, B+, B y C.

Appraisal criteria

This certificate will be awarded by AEO in order to have a character of neutrality, but different companies and engineering companies will be responsible for the technical work, opening a new market of professional services for rating companies. Once these consultants rate the offices, the association will review the report and confirm the rating. “The AEO will review and audit all assessments by carried out by external companies,” Alvarez confirms. In addition, the certification will be renewed after a given period to assess for deterioration. This revalidation will take place every three or four years, a term not defined yet.

The concepts considered for the report focus on the architecture and facilities of the buildings Evaluators will consider distribution plants and clearances, common areas, exterior envelope and energy facilities, climate system or control. The unique provisions, seniority and energy and sustainability certifications will also be taken into account. Neither location nor aesthetics will be considered.

This association is of the opinion that this audit will also be useful for an owner to know what works and measures they must take, in addition to how much it can cost in order to improve the rating of their property.

Original story: Cinco Días (by Alfonso Simón Ruiz)

Translation: Aura Ree

Mapfre Buys Historic Building In Puerta de Alcalá For €80M

11 June 2015 – Cinco Días

Mapfre has acquired a beautiful trophy. It has taken ownership of a historic building next to the Retiro Park, in the Puerta de Alcalá, which has one of the best views in Madrid and of the historic park.

The insurance company has acquired the building located at number 6, Plaza de la Independencia for €80 million. It was auctioned by the Mutualidad de Notarios.

The building contains approximately 12,000 m2 of office space, spread across eight floors, and also houses retail premises.

The Mutualidad Notarial acquired the building more than 20 years ago.

Original story: Cinco Días

Translation: Carmel Drake

Bankia Sells Hotel Loan Portfolio To BofA & Hedge Fund

5 June 2015 – Expansión

Project Castle / Following the sale of Realia, Bankia has now made profits of €926 million from the transfer of its investments.

Yesterday, Bankia closed the first sale of a loan portfolio since the regional and local elections, which have been threatening to destabilise the market. Far from that, the entity has managed to attract a US hedge fund (to the market), which has not closed any deals in Spain until now, namely: Davidson Kempner Capital Management (DK Capital).

This fund and Bank of America (BofA) have won the auction for Project Castle against other large international investors. This portfolio, whose sale has been advised by N+1 and the law firm Ramón y Cajal, comprises hotel loans worth €383 million. In total, the portfolio contains 91 loans linked to 45 properties of this type.

Bank of America will take ownership of the performing loans and DK Capital the doubtful loans. These types of hedge fund are renowned for carrying out aggressive restructurings of loans to take ownership of the assets and, subsequently sell them at a profit.

Optimisation

Sources at Bankia highlight that the transaction: frees up resources for the granting of new credit; increases the bank’s liquidity; and contributes to an improvement in the quality of the assets. Moreover, it will have a positive impact on capital (at the height of the Basel III implementation) amounting to €21 million.

As well as Project Castle, Bankia is also advancing with Project Big Bang, containing €4,800 million foreclosed assets for sale; and Project Wind, with €1,300 million doubtful loans, primarily mortgages to individuals.

These divestments come after Bankia sold its 24.9% stake in Realia to Carlos Slim on Wednesday. Bankia has now made profits of around €926 million on the sale of all of its investments in listed companies, such as Iberdrola, Mapfre, Deoleo and NH Hoteles.

The transactions closed since 2013 have generated revenues for the entity of €4,879 million, according to the company’s own data.

Having exited as a shareholder of Realia, Bankia now only retains minor industrial holdings, such as in the infrastructure concession group Globalvía, in which it holds a 50% stake alongside FCC, although these two shareholders are expected to close the sale of that company to the Malaysian sovereign fund during the course of this year.

Original story: Expansión (by J. Z.)

Translation: Carmel Drake