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2017 / iberian.propery // 15
ISSUE: TOP IBERIAN Investors //events
Buyers’ appetite marked the develop-
ment of the latest edition of the Salón
Inmobiliario Internacional de Madrid
(SIMA), which took place from 25 to 28
May and registered 9% more visitors than
last year’s edition. This important increase
in attendance is almost double the in-
crease registered in 2016, which was 5%,
and confirms that the property sector is
stable and back to normal.
Added to the growth in visitors that at-
tended SIMA is the increase in the space
allocated to the trade fair, 25%more than in
2016, reaching 13.000 m², as well as in the
number of exhibitors, 20% more, namely
275, more than 10% of which originated
from outside Spain, especially South Amer-
ica and the US.
However, behind this data lies an inter-
esting reality: the recovery of the Spanish
residential sector (although in an irregular
manner and at different momentums) and
the return of developers to the forefront
of activity were in great evidence at SIMA.
Whereby in the last three years the event
was dominated by stands of financial en-
tities selling assets with non-performing
loans, this year, real estate developers took
precedence, in many cases selling off-
plan product, which gives an idea of the
pressure on supply, especially in Madrid,
Barcelona and some areas on the coast.
It was undeniable that the atmosphere at
this year’s SIMAwas very different frompre-
vious years: there was talk of investment,
projects, demand… The stands themselves,
more elaborate, with more design and
space, expressed the change in direction
that has taken place in the sector.
This is information regarding the trade fair
itself, but we cannot forget that this part
aimed for the general public is complement-
ed by a program of analysis and debate for
professionals, in this edition joined under the
name SIMApro. This sectionwas launched
a day before the event’s official opening, on
24 May, with a Real Estate Conference that
outlined the new framework of the Spanish
residential sector and presented a series of
issues concerning the future, such as the
need to streamline the administrative pro-
cess in real estate and urban development,
the economic and employment situation of
young people and their effect on purchasing
power and, consequently on actual hous-
ing demand, the relentless progress of the
rental market, new business models, the
entry of new players in the market and the
development business…
Therewas also the Investment Forum–with
some issues concerning content and pres-
entations –which provided useful informa-
tion, as well as several brilliant and original
interventions. All of thiswas complemented
with specific spaces for analysis and debate
concerning América Vivienda, Inmonext
(technologies and the property sector) and
a Seminar on Argentine investment (the
guest country in this edition of SIMA and
which was very well represented).
Finally, a series of presentations on taxation,
risk, smart cities, virtual reality, innovative
strategies in real estate marketing, the role
of women’s associations in real estate, Chi-
nese investment and a presentation byVel-
tis Rating, the first property rating agency,
completed the busy program of SIMA 2017.
See you next year!
The recovery of the
Spanish residential
sector and the return
of developers to the
forefront of activity
were in great evidence
at SIMA 2017