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Tag: SIMA

SIMA, Madrid Real Estate Exhibition

  • Urbanitae at SIMA 2025: Our Participation as a Key Industry Player

    Urbanitae at SIMA 2025: Our Participation as a Key Industry Player

    Urbanitae once again took part in Spain’s leading real estate event, SIMA 2025 — and we did so in a big way. For the fourth year in a row, we participated as official partners of the fair, reinforcing our commitment to accessible, professional, and transparent real estate investment. This year, we were also partners of SIMAPRO and the Small Investor Forum, two key platforms for dialogue between professionals, developers, and individual investors.

    With more than 100 square meters, our stand was one of the largest at the event. A modern, open, and functional space designed to foster direct and close relationships with visitors. Over the course of the four-day event, hundreds of attendees came to learn first-hand how our real estate co-investment platform works and what advantages it offers compared to other investment models in the sector.

    A SIMA with the spotlight on individual investors

    SIMA 2025 confirmed an upward trend: the growing interest of individual investors in the real estate market. Today, one in four visitors to SIMA falls into this category, and the SIMA Invest area reflects this reality. More than 90 companies and institutions came together in a space specifically designed to address investors’ needs — from small savers looking to buy and rent out property to more sophisticated profiles exploring options like real estate crowdfunding.

    At Urbanitae, we hosted more than 20 public talks at our own Urbanitae Auditorium, located within the exhibition. Our CEO, Diego Bestard, led two of these sessions, explaining how our platform works, what types of projects we offer, and how we select investment opportunities.

    An event with a networking flavour

    One of the standout moments of this edition took place on Thursday 22nd, when we hosted an exclusive event for developers — a crossover with two iconic brands: New York Burger and Mahou. Pablo Colmenares, executive chef at New York Burger, joined us at our stand to prepare his acclaimed Brisket 2.0 burgers live. Our guests enjoyed them paired with Mahou Cinco Estrellas Reserva. A delicious evening — in every sense — that helped further strengthen ties with our strategic partners.

    Urbanitae’s voice in the sector’s forums

    Our CEO, Diego Bestard, had an active role in SIMA’s professional forums. In the Small Investor Forum, he gave two talks focused on how crowdfunding is democratizing access to real estate investment and allowing thousands of small and mid-sized investors to diversify with minimum tickets of just €500.

    He also took part in two roundtable discussions at SIMAPRO and the Real Estate Innovation Forum, where he shared the stage with other prominent sector figures such as Guillermo Estévez de Cominges (Gradual), Jaime Gil (Prophero), Borja Guaita (Metrovacesa), Bernat Martínez (TW Eurocredit), and Asier Uriarte (Izilend).

    In the first panel, dedicated to innovation in residential development, Diego emphasized that Urbanitae’s real innovation is not technological but structural: “The most innovative thing we’ve done is to allow many investors to access opportunities that were once reserved for large capital. This not only opens the door for smaller investors, but also enables true diversification.” As he noted, “we’re approaching €500 million invested and have financed nearly 1% of new housing in Spain.”

    On the developer side, Guillermo Estévez de Cominges (Gradual) agreed on the need for continued innovation, not only in product, but in how we attract and engage clients: “The real challenge is aligning real estate development with new user expectations and implementing technology that genuinely enhances the buyer experience and the efficiency of the process.”

    In the second panel, focused on new living models, Diego discussed the challenge of financing new residential formats such as coliving, cohousing, or senior living: “There’s clear demand from both the market and investors, but there’s still a long way to go before these projects fit into traditional financing structures. At Urbanitae, we strive to be flexible and assess each case with an open-minded approach.”

    Asier Uriarte, from Izilend, added that “senior living will become a structurally growing segment in the coming years. But to attract more capital, it’s essential to standardize the product and prove it works financially.”

    SIMA 2025: A Key Year for Investment

    This edition of SIMA was the most international to date, with a 10% increase in floor space and 15% more participating companies. Overall, SIMA was structured into four major complementary areas: SIMA Expo, SIMA Invest, SIMAPRO, and Proptech Expo. The event thus cements its position as the leading residential real estate showcase in Spain and one of the most important in Europe.

    In this context, Urbanitae is positioning itself as the benchmark platform for real estate co-investment in Europe. Our participation in SIMA 2025 was a further demonstration of our commitment to transparency, responsible innovation, and accessibility in real estate investment.

    See you at SIMA 2026. In the meantime, we’ll keep working — project by project — to bring you the best investment opportunities.

  • Urbanitae, a benchmark in real estate investment at SIMA 2025

    Urbanitae, a benchmark in real estate investment at SIMA 2025

    SIMA 2025 is here! From May 21 to 24, Urbanitae will once again be present at the Madrid International Real Estate Exhibition (SIMA), the leading international event for the residential real estate sector. This will be our fourth participation as event partners, and this time, we’ll be showcasing our brand with the largest stand in the entire exhibition.

    The real estate sector’s main showcase

    Held at Ifema Madrid, SIMA has established itself as the largest real estate event in Spain and one of the most important in Europe. Under the theme “The Global Hub of Living,” SIMA 2025 will offer a comprehensive experience for all industry players across four complementary spaces:

    • SIMA EXPO, where residential projects will be presented, whether for primary residence, vacation, or investment.
    • SIMA INVEST, focused on the needs of individual investors—from small savers to high-net-worth individuals.
    • SIMAPRO, the sector’s leading professional forum, featuring high-level talks and panel discussions.
    • PROPTECH EXPO, dedicated to technological innovation in the real estate industry.

    This year, the exhibition space will grow by 10%, and the number of participating companies will increase by approximately 15%. Furthermore, international participation now represents nearly 20% of the total. These figures underscore the strength of the Spanish real estate market and confirm SIMA as the key meeting point for investors, developers, homebuyers, public authorities, and the most innovative projects in the industry.

    Urbanitae, taking center stage at SIMA

    As expected, Urbanitae returns to SIMA as a prominent partner. This will be our fourth time attending the event, and this year, we’re playing an active role in SIMAPRO and the Retail Investor Forum at SIMA INVEST, two of the exhibition’s most important platforms. You’ll find us at stand B1-06, the largest in the entire venue, covering 150 m² designed to inform and connect with investors, developers, and real estate professionals.

    Throughout the event, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., our Investor Relations and Real Estate teams will be on hand to meet you, answer your questions, and listen to your ideas and suggestions. As always, we look forward to greeting you in person.

    The rise of the investor profile

    SIMA 2025 confirms the increasing importance of individual investors in the real estate landscape. This group now accounts for nearly 25% of all event visitors. This sustained trend has driven the expansion of SIMA INVEST, a space specifically designed for those seeking real estate investment opportunities.

    With more than 90 participating companies and institutions, SIMA INVEST brings together a wide variety of investors: from small savers looking to rent out a home to more sophisticated profiles managing investments over one million euros—not to mention those opting for alternative models like real estate crowdfunding. This space provides all of them with a secure, informative, and strategic environment, offering market analysis, expert advice, and a curated selection of projects.

    As Europe’s leading real estate co-investment platform, Urbanitae plays a key role in this environment. Our model enables thousands of individual investors to access opportunities that were once reserved for institutional players.

    Talks by our CEO, Diego Bestard

    Our CEO, Diego Bestard, will be actively involved in SIMA 2025’s conference program. These are his confirmed appearances:

    REAL ESTATE INNOVATION FORUM
    📅 Wednesday, May 21, 10:30–11:15 a.m.
    Innovation in residential development from the perspective of leading players
    With representatives from Gradual, PropHero, and Metrovacesa.

    SIMAPRO
    📅 Thursday, May 22, 12:15–1:05 p.m.
    Financing new living models
    With representatives from TQ Eurocredit and Izilend.

    SIMA INVEST – Retail Investor Forum (free admission)
    📅 Thursday, May 22, 4:30 p.m.
    📅 Friday, May 23, 5:15 p.m.
    Investing in real estate assets through crowdfunding

    The residential market context

    SIMA 2025 comes at a particularly important moment for the Spanish residential market. Despite macroeconomic uncertainties, housing demand remains strong, with limited supply in major cities and growing pressure on housing access. The stabilization of interest rates is helping to revive both professional and individual investment, as investors seek attractive returns and safe-haven assets like real estate.

    In this context, Urbanitae has channelled over €450 million in investment for real estate projects across Spain, positioning us as a benchmark for investors looking to diversify their portfolios with high-quality real estate assets.

    An unmissable event

    SIMA 2025 will once again be the epicenter of the real estate sector. For Urbanitae, it represents a unique opportunity to continue bringing our real estate investment model to a wider audience, connect with developers, and share with our community everything that’s on the horizon.

    We look forward to seeing you at SIMA 2025 from May 21 to 24!

  • “It’s a good time to invest in the real estate sector in Spain”

    “It’s a good time to invest in the real estate sector in Spain”

    The 25th edition of SIMA is shaping up to be the most international yet. What do you attribute this interest in the Spanish real estate sector to outside our borders?

    Madrid’s positioning as a destination for real estate investment is increasing. There is no other region in Europe with the projection and opportunities that Madrid offers in the residential sector. Additionally, its attraction as a destination for capital from Latin America has solidified in recent years. This is evidenced by the strong representation that the region has this year at SIMA, with Panama as the guest country and other Latin American countries showcasing their products.

    Do you think it is a good time to invest in the real estate sector in Spain?

    There are several indicators that show it is a good time to invest in the sector. Real estate fundamentals remain solid, and although macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty persists, the news from Europe suggests imminent interest rate cuts.

    The feedback we receive from the investor audience attending SIMA is that their main motivation for investing in the sector is security, above profitability, which allows us to clearly see that real estate continues to be viewed as a safe haven investment.

    What will be the main themes of SIMA 2024? What new features will we find?

    One of the main focuses of SIMA 2024 is housing production, specifically affordable housing. It is crucial for a benchmark event like SIMA to address how to put more housing on the market and do so at prices that are accessible to demand.

    “There is no other region in Europe with the projection and opportunities that Madrid offers in the residential sector”

    In this vein, we have developed an extensive conference program at SIMAPRO with 34 sessions and more than 130 speakers who will discuss the initiatives and changes necessary to sustainably increase the number of housing starts over the coming years to meet demand, as well as the state of different asset classes (tourist residential, flex living, senior living, student residences, and hotels), among other topics of interest.

    Year after year, the real estate sector disproves the worst forecasts and shows remarkable resilience. How do you see the housing sector?

    In the sector, we often say that the real estate market is inherently resilient.

    One thing is clear: the demand is there and continues to need access to housing, while the supply is scarce, with a deficit of almost 120,000 homes per year according to Asprima data. Therefore, the main challenge we face as a sector is to meet this deficit by bringing more housing, particularly affordable housing, to the market.

    All experts agree on one thing: there is not enough housing to meet the demand. Why is this happening? What measures could alleviate the problem?

    Various factors influence housing production, from the raw material, which is the land, and its urban management to the labor shortage in construction, which is one of the sector’s major challenges.

    Urban management poses a real obstacle course for land developers, not only because of the development times required but, above all, because of the legal uncertainty it currently entails. In this regard, there is consensus in the sector on the need for the approval of the legal certainty law.

    “The investor audience attending SIMA seeks security above profitability”

    Additionally, other factors such as financing and taxation also impact housing production and must be addressed to provide a solution to the problem.

    In the last edition, more than 15,000 homes were offered at SIMA. Will we surpass this figure in 2024?

    Based on available data, we estimate that the offer at SIMA 2024 will exceed 17,000 homes, which represents a 12% increase over the previous edition. Regarding the segmentation of this offer, based on the data provided by exhibitors and our past experience, we calculate that around 50% of the homes will be located in the Community of Madrid, 40% in other provinces (with 35% on the coast and 5% inland), and around 10% in other countries.

    In 2023, SIMA registered more than 16,000 visitors. What is the forecast for this year? What profiles will be the most prominent?

    At the moment, there is 5% more general public registered compared to the same dates last year and 9% more professionals. We will have to wait for the final figures at the close of the fair, but we are satisfied with how the campaign is progressing.

    As of today, we can say that three out of every four registrations are from buyers of primary or secondary residences (60% and 14%, respectively). The group of small investors maintains a strong presence, with 24% of the total. If these figures hold, we will see a significant increase compared to last year in buyers looking for second homes and a consolidation of the investor profile percentage after the strong increase in 2023.

    This year, Urbanitae is participating with the largest stand at SIMA. How do you assess the situation of real estate crowdfunding in Spain?

    Crowdfunding platforms offer an alternative way for investors to enter the real estate sector. An attractive form with fewer entry barriers than direct real estate investment, which has helped expand the target audience for real estate. Your participation at SIMA this year is a testament to this.

  • Urbanitae participates in SIMA 2024 as a partner

    Urbanitae participates in SIMA 2024 as a partner

    The date for the largest event in the Spanish real estate market is approaching. At Urbanitae, we are pleased to announce that we will be attending SIMA 2024 once again, with some significant new developments.

    From May 22 to 25, SIMA 2024 will be held at Ifema, marking the 25th edition of the premier real estate event in the Spanish market. As in previous years, SIMA also includes the Real Estate Investor Show – aimed at savers and small investors; SIMAPRO – focused on professionals; and the European Proptech Expo, which highlights real estate technology.

    Urbanitae will be participating in several ways. The first, which is new this year, is that we will have the largest stand at the entire fair, accompanied by the most prominent real estate developers in Spain. The idea, as always, is to bring real estate investment closer to small and medium savers. Additionally, we aim to introduce our financing proposal to developers who are not yet familiar with us, surrounded by those who have already worked with us. You can find us at stand B2-04.

    Four presentations for investors

    In this edition, we are also partners of SIMAPRO, so you will find us throughout the event. As last year, our CEO will participate in several debates and presentations:

    • On Thursday, May 23, at 11:15 am, Diego Bestard will participate in a debate about the role of technology as seen by the main players in the sector, at the European Proptech Forum.
    • On the same day, at 1:00 pm, Diego Bestard will discuss real estate investment and, specifically, the alternatives offered by crowd platforms within the Small Investor and Owner Forum. You can see him at the Urbanitae Auditorium in the Real Estate Investor Show. On Saturday, May 25, at the same time, our HNWI Director, Pepe Gómez-Acebo, will be giving this conference.
    • Lastly, our CEO will discuss the capacity of the Spanish financial system and the role of alternative financing on Thursday at 4:45 pm.

    Real estate investment in Spain

    The first quarter of 2024 closed with a decrease in real estate investment volume in Spain. The figure stands around €2.1-2.2 billion, which is between 14% and 30% below the same period last year – according to BNP Paribas Real Estate and CBRE, respectively. The high-interest rate environment continues to favor investors who do not need financing, such as family offices, which remain the most active.

    However, the trend is expected to improve in the second half of the year thanks to a moderation in interest rates starting in June. At Urbanitae, things look very different: in the first half of the year, we financed nearly €27 million in real estate projects, 12% more than in the same period in 2023. As of the end of April, we surpassed €45 million, representing an annual increase of 30%. The good return/risk combination of our projects and the low entry barrier – the minimum investment is €500 – reveal a growing investor appetite.

    If you want to learn more about our investment model or gauge the health of the real estate sector firsthand, come to SIMA 2024 and visit us at stand B2-04. We will be delighted to assist you!