Urbanitae has wrapped up a new edition of SIMA, Spain’s leading real estate event, with a particularly strong presence across the professional programme, SIMA INVEST and the exhibition area. The 2026 edition, held from May 20 to 23 at IFEMA Madrid, also marked our fifth consecutive year participating as event partners.
Over four days, the Urbanitae team welcomed investors, developers and real estate professionals at stand B1-06, in an edition shaped by some of the key issues currently defining the industry: lack of residential supply, financing, new living models, artificial intelligence, direct residential investment and financial education.
Our participation in SIMA 2026 was especially broad. We were present in the SIMAPRO professional programme, the Living Investors Day, the Private Investor Forum at SIMA INVEST and the Asprima-SIMA Awards, where Urbanitae Academy received the award for best training initiative.
Urbanitae Academy wins the Asprima-SIMA Award for best training initiative
One of the major milestones of this year’s edition was the recognition received by Urbanitae Academy at the Asprima-SIMA Awards 2026, where our educational platform was awarded as the best business initiative in training.
For Urbanitae, this award reinforces an idea that has been part of our vision from the beginning: investing better starts with understanding better. Academy was created precisely to help investors understand key real estate investment concepts, analyse opportunities with stronger judgement and make better-informed decisions.
The recognition also comes just days after Actualidad Económica, the business magazine published by El Mundo, included Urbanitae Academy among the 100 Best Ideas of 2026, highlighting its contribution to real estate education.
Artificial intelligence: from conversation to implementation
Urbanitae’s first major participation in the professional programme featured Diego Bestard, CEO of Urbanitae, who took part in the roundtable discussion “AI and innovation in real estate: how are the sector’s major players applying it?”, within the Technology & Innovation track.
The debate made one thing clear: artificial intelligence has moved beyond being an abstract promise and is becoming a practical tool for operational improvement. In Urbanitae’s case, Diego Bestard explained that AI is being applied on two levels: internally, to improve efficiency in processes, document management, investor support and data analysis; and externally, to offer users a faster, more personalised and more accessible experience.
Beyond specific use cases, the discussion focused on the key challenges surrounding AI adoption: properly organising data, setting clear limits around information access, managing cultural change within organisations and adapting initiatives to an increasingly demanding regulatory framework.
The shared conclusion was that the debate is no longer about whether AI will transform real estate, but rather how it can be implemented with sound judgement. For Diego, the current moment requires moving beyond talking about transformation and focusing on applying concrete solutions that generate real value for both the business and the customer.
Alternative financing for a capital-intensive sector
Another highlight was the participation of Juan Mínguez, Head of Debt at Urbanitae, in the panel discussion “Living financing: debt and equity structures. Access to capital and financing conditions in the current cycle”, held as part of the Living Investors Day.
The debate focused on the role of financing in a particularly capital-intensive sector, where land acquisition, development, construction and sale or stabilisation timelines require each phase of a project to be carefully structured. Juan Mínguez highlighted that alternative financing does not necessarily compete with traditional banking, but instead acts as a complementary solution at specific stages of a project’s lifecycle.
In this context, Urbanitae defended the importance of designing tailor-made structures adapted to each project, each developer and each risk profile. Alternative financing can play a key role in early-stage phases, in transactions with specific capital needs or in projects that do not yet meet all the standard requirements for bank financing but nevertheless have solid real estate fundamentals and a strong business plan.
The panel also addressed issues such as ticket sizes, the role of the developer, guarantees, the real cost of financing, the importance of skin in the game and the growth of new living models. One of the most repeated ideas was that financing costs should not be analysed in isolation, but also measured against the opportunity cost of not being able to execute a viable project.
Direct Investments takes centre stage at SIMA INVEST
SIMA 2026 also served to strengthen the visibility of Urbanitae Direct Investments, our direct residential investment business line. Within the Private Investor Forum, held at the Urbanitae Auditorium, Urbanitae participated in several sessions focused on how to invest in residential property with stronger judgement.
Carlos de Garnica, Direct Investments Director at Urbanitae, took part in two sessions of the talk “Investing in residential property with sound judgement: opportunity selection and expert advice”, held on Thursday, May 21 and Friday, May 22.
Direct Investments’ presence continued on Saturday, May 23, with the participation of Luana Berrade, Direct Investments VP at Urbanitae, also within the Private Investor Forum.
These sessions provided an opportunity to explain the fundamentals of direct residential investment: asset selection, economic and financial analysis, location, expected profitability, costs, financing, rental management and exit strategy. They also helped differentiate this model from traditional real estate co-investment through debt or equity projects, since in Direct Investments the investor acquires direct ownership of the asset.
A meeting point for investors, developers and partners
Beyond the conferences, SIMA once again became a space for direct conversations with retail investors, developers and real estate professionals. From Urbanitae’s stand, we presented our different business lines: real estate co-investment projects, developer financing, Direct Investments and Urbanitae Academy.
We also repeated a special initiative together with New York Burger and Mahou, following last year’s positive reception. These types of collaborations allow us to connect with the community in a closer and more approachable way, extend the Urbanitae brand beyond the stand itself and create networking moments around the event.
In an edition with an especially intense agenda, SIMA 2026 once again confirmed the growing interest in new ways of investing in real estate, more flexible financing models and educational content that helps retail investors make decisions with better information.
Four days to take the pulse of the sector
The 2026 edition leaves several clear conclusions. Housing remains the sector’s major economic and social challenge. Lack of supply continues to shape the market. New living models continue gaining momentum. Alternative financing is consolidating its role as a complement to traditional banking. And technology — especially artificial intelligence — is entering a more practical phase focused on efficiency, data and user experience.
For Urbanitae, SIMA 2026 was an opportunity to share our vision, listen to the market and strengthen our position within some of the sector’s most relevant conversations. It was also a particularly symbolic edition thanks to the recognition received by Urbanitae Academy, which confirms the importance of education at a time when retail investors have more alternatives than ever before.
We close SIMA 2026 with greater visibility, more conversations and even more reasons to continue advancing our mission: opening real estate investment to more people through transparency, technology, rigour and knowledge.
