Tag: Vivenio

Renta’s Socimi, Vivenio, Acquires 1,100 Homes for €240M

11 September 2018 – Expansión

Vivenio, the Socimi owned by the pension fund APG and Renta Corporación, specialising in rental housing, has made its debut purchase of new build homes. To date, the entity has focused on the acquisition of second-hand residential buildings already leased to tenants. In its first turnkey purchase, it has acquired a package of 1,100 homes at various stages of construction for €240 million. The batch includes both private homes and social housing units.

The developments acquired are located in Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga and used to belong to the manager Aquila Capital, headquartered in Hamburg. That firm will continue to undertake the construction work until its completion through its property developer AQ Acentor. The homes are expected to be handed over gradually between now and 2021.

The developments located in Madrid comprise 500 rental homes in total, all of which are social housing properties whose prices will be limited for fifteen years. They are located in four different residential complexes in the district of Villaverde. The agreement also includes the purchase of 400 rental homes in five residential complexes in various locations in Málaga and, finally, 100 homes in Sant Adrià del Besós (Barcelona).

According to sources at the Socimi, this operation “guarantees the vehicle a significant portfolio of products over the medium and long-term, and expands the supply of both private and social housing.

Original story: Expansión (by Marisa Anglés)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Spain’s Banks Are Queueing Up to Finance Rental Housing

4 July 2018 – El Economista

One of the major challenges facing Spain in the residential market is the organisation of the rental home segment in light of the fragmentation that exists and the boom that is currently underway. There is currently a great deal of demand, but there is also a distinct lack of supply, and the new Housing Plan approved by the Government is not proving sufficient to incentivise the supply with the granting of aid to property developers that build rental housing. In light of this situation, we ask ourselves whether the opportunity that currently exists in Spain to organise the rental market is being taken advantage of?

“I think that the professionals and investors who have launched portfolios thanks to the creation of Socimis are taking good advantage of the opportunity, but I believe that some important players are simply not supporting the sector, such as the Public Administrations. Both nationally and locally, but above all locally, they are failing miserably and this is generating price tensions due to a lack of supply”, explains José Luis Ruiz Bartolomé, Director General of the consultancy firm Chamberí Asset Management.

Along the same lines, José María Cervera, Corporate CEO of Renta Corporación agrees and states that the public sector has been left on the sidelines. “Private capital has taken the initiative in this new segment of the market because it has seen a business opportunity and is looking for returns. And the public sector is going to have to enter, but now the arbitrage and those who are institutionalising it are in the private sector, and so they are going to place more rental properties on the market”.

For all of these reasons, during 2018, we are observing the creation of a new industry. Given that in Spain there are 18.5 million households, according to the latest figure from the Active Population Survey (EPA), and of those, 22% are rental homes, there are 4.7 million rental homes in total. Of that portfolio, only 5% are owned by institutional companies; the remaining 95% are owned by individuals.

“The Public Administration has done something important, which is to reorganise the real estate sector and separate property promotion and development activities, by creating Socimis that operate under a special framework. That has brought us closer to a situation that is more similar to those seen in other European countries. Now, we will have to see how the different players that are emerging in this market position themselves, and in two or three years, we will see the consolidation of this sector, which means that the Public Administrations will have to continue refining their regulations so that the sector can develop and be brought into line with those of other European countries”, says Nicolás Díaz-Saldaña, CEO at Témpore (Socimi of Sareb).

Nevertheless, not all of the experts in the sector concur. David Botín, Director of Real Estate Development at the ACR Group, says that this opportunity is not being leveraged. “It is possible that we are seeing the beginnings of a new rental market, but to date, just 22% of our households are renting and that supply is being provided almost exclusively by individuals. As such, it is very hard to fathom how we will reach the percentages seen in other countries such as Germany, where rental properties account for 48.3% of the market or the United Kingdom (36.6%). It is really hard to increase the stock in Spain because there are 19 million homes, and so a 1% increase means placing 190,000 more homes on the rental market, and that would take between three and four years (…). At that rate, nothing is going to happen quickly. No market works if there is no equilibrium between supply and demand. We need a large and varied supply for this market to work effectively”, he adds.

It is true that, historically, Spain has been a country of property owners, but the cultural and socio-economic changes that have been happening in recent years are drawing some new business lines, where the rental market is taking centre stage and is starting to become institutionalised. The new players in this market are: on the one hand, the Socimis, which are listed companies that serve as investment vehicles with tax benefits. The largest of them is Testa, which will debut on the stock market soon and which is owned by Santander, BBVA, Acciona and Merlin Properties. There are also others such as Azora, Vivenio (Renta Corporación), Témpore (Sareb) and Fidere, amongst the largest. Within this market, we can also include the servicers, which although they do not own properties, manage them, such as Solvia (Sabadell), Anticipa (Blackstone), Haya (Cerberus), Altamira (Apollo and Santander). And then, there are companies owned by the banks, such as Building Center (Caixabank) and other types of companies such as Alquiler Seguro, family offices, etc.

Therefore, now that the new players required to institutionalise this market are starting to be created, the next step is to develop a portfolio of assets. “We are going to need to reach agreements with property developers to build homes for rental (…), and at Sareb, we are going to use some of the land that we have for the co-development of rental homes (…)”, says Nicolás Saldaña.

That is a formula that is starting to spark interest. According to the experts, property developers have always been reluctant to enter the rental market, because they didn’t see it as their business, but in the end, the market trend has changed and whilst the sale and purchase segment will continue to exist, so too will the rental sector and property developers will have to participate (…).

The rental segment is a market that has always existed in the hands of individuals, but now, it is being professionalised, thanks to the arrival of overseas capital. “Investors have contributed many things, besides capital. They have contributed methodologies, rigour, professionalism (…). The banks were not open to this business before, they only financed promotion, but that has changed. For six months now, everyone has been wanting a piece of the pie and now there is a queue of financial institutions wanting to finance this type of business (…)”. Says José María Cervera (…).

Investing in residential properties is profitable. The gross return from investing in rental homes has increased to 7.3% from 6.3% a year ago, due to the strength of demand for rental properties, according to the real estate portfolio Idealista (…).

Original story: El Economista (by Luzmelia Torres)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Socimi Vivenio Invests More than €30M in 3 New Operations

11 June 2018 – Europa Press

Vivenio, the Socimi created by Renta Corporación and the Dutch pension fund APG, has closed the purchase of three residential complexes, involving a combined investment of more than €31 million, according to the company.

The properties are located in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, thus expanding its geographic diversification, since until now the Socimi had closed operations exclusively in the Spanish capital.

The complex that Vivenio has purchased in the capital is located in Móstoles, 20km to the southeast of Madrid, in a residential and well-connected area, which also enjoys abundant industry. The building, constructed in 2011, contains 102 rental homes with parking and storage rooms, and has an occupancy rate of almost 100%.

In terms of the first operation in Barcelona, the asset comprises three residential buildings located in Teià, to the northeast of the Catalan capital. The complex has 42 homes with two parking spaces and one storeroom each, and excellent common areas with garden areas and three swimming pools.

The third purchase made by Vivenio is located in Valencia, in a building located in the Torrefiel district, to the north of the city. The property comprises 68 homes, 110 parking spaces, 25 storerooms and two commercial premises, and is located in a well-connected area with a great deal of commercial activity.

Original story: Europa Press 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Renta’s Socimi Makes its in Debut in Barcelona with a Residential Complex in Teià

9 June 2018 – Expansión

In addition to investing in El Maresme, Vivenio has also purchased buildings in Madrid and Valencia. In total, the investment vehicle has spent €31 million on the acquisition of 212 homes.

Vivenio, the Socimi owned by Renta Corporación and the Dutch pension fund APG, is making its debut in Cataluña. Since its creation, in April last year, this real estate investment vehicle has invested €180 million in the residential sector, but until now it had limited itself to Madrid and its surrounding area.

The latest development in Teià comprises 42 homes in total and common areas with three swimming pools.

Original story: Expansión (by Marisa Anglés)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Vivenio Finalises Purchase of 5 Assets in Madrid for €130M

2 March 2018 – Eje Prime

Renta is pampering the Socimi that it owns jointly with APG. The Socimi Vivenio currently has committed investments worth €130 million in five residential assets in Madrid and is expecting to increase its investments to €250 million in the short term, according to explanations provided by sources at the company. Its objective for the next five years is to reach an investment volume of €1.5 billion.

Although, for the time being, the company does not want to disclose the specific location of its latest assets, they may be located on the outskirts of the Spanish capital, which is where all of the properties that Renta’s Socimi has purchased in recent months are situated.

Last week, Vivenio announced an investment of €13.5 million to purchase more than 100 residential homes in a development by the Suquía Group. The Catalan manager reached an agreement with the Guizpuzcoan property developer, which has been immersed in bankruptcy proceedings since 2015 (…).

Those purchases are in addition to the acquisition plan that Vivenio has underway. The Socimi plans to invest in assets worth €1.5 billion in Madrid and Barcelona, primarily, with a minimum investment ticket per operation of €10 million.

Originally known as Rembrandt, Vivenio has already invested almost €100 million in the purchase of 1,152 homes, exclusively in Madrid and the surrounding area. For the time being, the company, which also plans to undertake operations in Barcelona, has not entered the Catalan capital.

Before the end of 2017, Vivenio purchased three residential buildings in the Madrilenian towns of Alcorcón and Campo Real, comprising 166 apartments in total. The assets acquired are distributed across one building in Alcorcón, comprising 139 homes, and two others in Campo Real, with 27 homes, as well as 173 parking spaces and 141 storerooms.

In addition, Renta Corporación and APG are going to debut their Socimi on the stock market in 2019. The company has already made itself known in the real estate market by hiring Borja Lamana, formerly of Santander and Azora, who it appointed as the Head of Asset Management in January.

Original story: Eje Prime (by C. Pareja)

Translation: Carmel Drake

APG to Inject €250M of Additional Funding into its Socimi with Renta

1 March 2018 – Expansión

Vivenio, the Socimi managed by Renta Corporación, is planning to carry out a second round of fundraising whereby the fund APG will inject €250 million; with leverage, that will result in an investment of €400 million in real estate assets in total. This represents the second capital injection for the Socimi that was created in April last year with a share capital of €130 million and an investment budget of €250 million.

The CEO of Renta Corporación, David Vila, said that the operation must first be approved by the General Shareholders’ Meeting and that the budget will be spent in its entirety in the residential segment. Of the budget for last year, €100 million has already been invested and around €115 million more has already been committed in operations pending completion.

Results

Last year, Renta Corporación generated a net profit of €12.5 million, up by 210% compared to the previous year. During 2017, Renta’s share price rose by 59%. Yesterday, it rose by 3%, to €3.70 per share.

Original story: Expansión (by Marisa Anglés)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Renta Corporación Fattens Up its Socimi with Flats Acquired through Suquía’s Bankruptcy

24 February 2018 – Voz Pópuli

The Socimi Vivenio, created by Renta Corporación and the Dutch pension fund APG, has reached an agreement with the Suquía group to acquire homes in Vallecas (Madrid) for a price of more than €13 million.

The real estate company Suquía, which is headquartered in San Sebastián and which was declared bankrupt two years ago, has recently reached a payment agreement with its creditors, the majority of which are financial institutions, to avoid the bankruptcy situation in which it is immersed.

During the negotiations to reach the agreement with its creditors, the company has made several deals to sell assets, including one with the Socimi Vivenio, which has agreed to purchase more than 100 homes located in a building on Calle Arte Pop, in the Vallecas neighbourhood of Madrid, for €13.54 million.

The agreement between Renta Corporación’s Socimi and Suquía values most of the homes at a price of less than €200,000, with the exception of the penthouses, which are reportedly worth more than €300,000. The sale agreement is pending authorisation by the judge of Mercantile Court number 1 in San Sebastián, which is in charge of Suquía’s bankruptcy proceedings, after having already requested it during the insolvency administration.

The creditors of the real estate company include Sareb, which has agreed that its mortgages on the homes that Vivenio is going to purchase may be cancelled simultaneously, as part of the bankruptcy process

Promociones Suquía was constituted in 1986, with a registered office for corporate and tax purposes in San Sebastián. It was declared bankrupt in December 2015. In 2016, according to the accounts filed by the company with the Mercantile Registry, to which this newspaper has had access through Insight View, it recorded losses of €1.8 million. The company ended that year with non-current bank debt amounting to €39.2 million and current bank debt of €8 million. Sources close to the real estate company indicate that following this agreement and the authorisation from the court, the company will continue with its property development activity in Bilbao, San Sebastián, and Madrid.

Renta Corporación, which has joined forces with the Dutch fund APG, plans to debut Vivenio on the stock market next year. The Socimi has set itself the objective of acquiring assets worth €1.5 billion in total, primarily properties in Madrid and Barcelona, with a minimum investment of €10 million.

Original story: Voz Pópuli (by Alberto Ortín)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Renta’s Socimi Invests €18M Buying More Homes in Madrid

4 December 2017 – Expansión

The Socimi owned by Renta Corporación and the Dutch fund APG is continuing to focus on the residential market in Madrid. The vehicle launched in April has just closed the purchase of three more residential buildings in Alcorcón and Campo Real, comprising 166 homes in total and involving the disbursement of €18 million.

As planned, Renta recently changed the name of its Socimi, which was created with the temporary name Rembrandt; it has now been changed to Vivenio.

Since its launch, eight months ago, the vehicle has invested €93 million in the purchase of 1,152 homes, all in Madrid and its surrounding municipalities. Although the objective was to buy homes in both Madrid and Barcelona, the opportunities and larger size of the Madrilenian market have meant that until now all the purchases have been performed in the Spanish capital. As such, the Socimi has not yet made its debut in Barcelona, even though Renta Corporación still has its headquarters there.

In October, a few days after the referendum, the real estate company chaired by Luis Hernández de Cabanyes announced that it was considering moving its headquarters outside of Cataluña and that it would be “preparing to take the necessary decisions in an efficient manner”.

Original story: Expansión (by Marisa Anglés)

Translation: Carmel Drake