“Institutional investors seek diversification and efficient management”
Last Updated on 11 July 2025 by Urbanitae
In this interview with Eduardo Barrantes, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how Urbanitae supports its investors. He began his career at the company by assisting users who were discovering a new way to invest in real estate through our platform. Today, he is part of the Wealth team, the department specialized in supporting high-volume investors such as family offices and high-net-worth individuals. In this conversation, he tells us what day-to-day work looks like with these profiles, what they seek in Urbanitae, and what unique value our participatory financing model offers them. A conversation that provides insight into the work of one of the company’s key teams… and reveals that, in the end, all investors share the same motivation: to make their money work in a profitable, transparent, and efficient way.
Tell us a bit about yourself: how did you end up at Urbanitae?
My professional career began in the family business, where I had the opportunity to see from the inside how family structures think and operate. That stage was key to understanding not only the importance of family protocols and consensus-based decision-making but also how investments are approached from a multigenerational perspective, with a particular focus on wealth preservation and long-term planning. From there, my career led me to Urbanitae, where I’ve been able to combine that knowledge of the investment world with an innovative and highly professional model within the real estate sector.
You started in Investor Relations, focusing on retail investors. What was that initial experience like with real estate investing?
It was very enriching. Retail investors are often discovering for the first time the possibility of investing in real estate projects with accessible amounts, which naturally generates a lot of questions and curiosity. Serving this profile helped me understand how to communicate clearly and transparently, and most importantly, taught me the importance of building trust from the very first contact. Experiencing that initial exposure to real estate confirmed to me that we were working with a model that has great potential.
Now you’re part of the Wealth department, where you work with larger-scale investors. What does your work in this area involve?
My job is to support institutional investors, family offices, and private banking profiles who are seeking indirect and delegated real estate investment opportunities through Urbanitae. We offer personalized advice, present the projects that best align with their strategy, and help them optimize their investments from both financial and tax perspectives. It’s a close, long-term relationship based on mutual understanding and trust.
“One of the main tax incentives for our higher-volume investors is the 100% exemption from the wealth tax and 95% exemption from the inheritance and gift tax.”
What types of investors make up Urbanitae’s Wealth universe? What are they looking for when they come to you?
We work with a diverse range of investors, from family business structures and family offices to institutional vehicles and private banking profiles. Each has its own investment logic, but they all share an interest in accessing solid real estate opportunities with a professional, well-structured approach. Urbanitae offers them an agile channel for diversification, providing access to deals that were historically reserved for developers or large players. They especially value the transparency, rigorous project analysis, and the possibility of maintaining a direct, personal relationship with our team.
One of the advantages these investors have is access to tax benefits due to their investment volume. Can you briefly explain how that works?
Yes, one of the main tax incentives for our higher-volume investors relates to a 100% exemption from the wealth tax and a 95% exemption from the inheritance and gift tax (ISD), provided certain conditions are met, as stated in the Wealth Tax Law (Law 19/1991, Art. 4.8) and the ISD Law (Law 29/1987, Art. 20.2.c). In short: if the investment is made in a company with real economic activity and the investor is part of its governing body, this exemption can be applied to their stake in the company.
At Urbanitae, we facilitate access to this benefit by incorporating qualified investors into the management board of the vehicle company used to channel the investment, which allows them to meet the legal requirements and enjoy the tax advantages.
“Retail investors tend to focus on the specific project. High-volume investors, on the other hand, look at the portfolio as a whole.”
In addition, it is increasingly common for these types of investors to use more sophisticated structures such as venture capital companies (SCRs) or vehicles with specific tax treatments, which offer not only wealth and inheritance tax advantages but also favorable treatment of capital gains and dividends.
Ultimately, we tailor our structures and support to help investors optimize their investments within the existing legal framework—always guided by professionalism and transparency.
From your experience, what sets large investors apart from crowd investors? Do they have different concerns or priorities?
The main difference lies in the approach. Retail investors tend to focus on the specific project: the location, the type of development, the timeline. High-volume investors, on the other hand, typically look at the portfolio as a whole, at diversification, the recurrence of opportunities, and efficiency in management. That said, there is one thing that unites all profiles: the pursuit of profitability, transparency, and security. In that, there’s no difference.
How do you see Urbanitae’s evolution since you joined?
It’s been spectacular. When I joined, the company was already a benchmark in the real estate space, but in a very short time, we’ve grown in investor numbers, funding volume, and internal professionalism. What I value most is that this growth hasn’t come at the expense of closeness and personalized service, whether for retail or institutional investors. Urbanitae has managed to scale while staying true to its core values.
And finally, what would you say to someone thinking about investing with Urbanitae for the first time—whether it’s €500 or €100,000?
I’d say: take your time to understand how the model works, ask us any questions you may have, and start with whatever amount you’re comfortable with. Urbanitae is designed to give any type of investor access to quality projects, with transparent information and a team that supports them throughout the process. It doesn’t matter if you start small or with a significant amount—the key is to start well-informed, and that’s exactly what we’re here for.
