The Portugal Real Estate Summit 2025 is set to host an engaging session titled "Living and commercial – Where are the opportunities?", focusing on how are the fundamentals of the market. Industry leaders from Hines, Tikehau Capital, Rockfield, and Habitat Invest will discuss what are the best expected returns and what financing is available for each asset class.
Taking place on September 15th and 16th at Hotel Palácio Estoril in Lisbon, the Summit is expected to gather over 350 global leaders and investors to analyze portugal’s position as a premier investment destination. Organized by Iberian Property, the event is now celebrating its VIII edition, serving as a platform for industry professionals to examine key economic trends and local strategies shaping the real estate landscape.
Similar to other years, the panel will be introduced through a joint presentation by two consultants – C&W and JLL – who will highlight the main market figures and trends that relate to both living and commercial. The roundtable that follows will be moderated by Richard Betts, Co-founder and Head of Content at Real Asset Media, and features a distinguished panel of experts:
Vanessa Gelado, Senior Managing Director & Head of Spain & Portugal at Hines, oversees the firm’s full Iberian platform—including acquisitions, development, asset and fund management, and divestments across all real estate sectors. Since joining Hines in 2019, she has led landmark transactions in the living, retail and mixed-use sectors, including the firm’s debut in Portugal with a flagship PBSA project in Porto.
With prior leadership roles at NEINVER as Investment Director (IRUS Fund) and at Drago Capital and Tishman Speyer, Vanessa brings deep expertise in retail, logistics, and living sectors. She began her career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley in London. Vanessa holds a BBA from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE) and an MBA in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship from Columbia Business School. She also served as an adjunct professor at IE Business School until mid‑2023 and sits on the Urban Land Institute Spain Executive Committee.
Most recently, Vanessa played a pivotal role in launching Helios RE Socimi, the vehicle through which Hines and Grupo Lar acquired Lar España Real Estate SOCIMI. The transaction—valued at €695 million—consolidated nearly €1.3 billion of Iberian retail and park assets into a single platform, reinforcing Hines’ position as a leading retail investor and operator in the region.
Frédéric Jariel, Co‑Head of Real Estate at Tikehau Capital, has led the firm’s global real assets platform since 2014, overseeing strategy, capital deployment and development across Europe and beyond. Prior to joining Tikehau, he spent nearly two decades at Archon Group France (part of Goldman Sachs), where he served as COO Europe and CEO of the French entity, after beginning his career as an auditor at Coopers & Lybrand.
Under his leadership, real estate has become a core pillar for Tikehau, representing around 31% of the group’s €13.5 billion AUM, with a strong focus on sustainable, value‑add and urban regeneration strategies. In Portugal, Tikehau Capital has a couple of ongoing flagship projects such as Antas Atrium in Porto—a €180 million mixed‑use development of more than 1,000 units, blending Build‑to‑Sell and Build‑to‑Rent models—which was named Deal of the Year at the Iberian Property Investment Awards in 2025. Tikehau is also driving the redevelopment of the former LaVie shopping center in Porto, further demonstrating Tikehau’s commitment to transforming underutilised urban properties into vibrant mixed‑use destinations.
Frédéric’s vision combines disciplined asset selection, cross‑border market insight and a sustainability‑driven approach, positioning Tikehau Capital as a leading player in Iberian residential development and urban regeneration.
Juan Manuel Acosta, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Spain at Rockfield Real Estate, spearheads the firm’s European expansion in affordable and sustainable residential real estate, with a particular focus on Purpose‑Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). Taking up his role on 1 September 2023, he leads fund and portfolio management in the Netherlands while building Rockfield’s presence across Spain and Portugal through strategic acquisitions and development of student and young professional housing in key cities.
Formerly Managing Director at Greystar Southern Europe, Juan Manuel brings over 15 years of operational leadership and execution expertise across major European markets, following earlier stints at CBRE IM, ING Real Estate and PwC. Over his career he has overseen the development and management of more than 10,000 student homes and apartments for young professionals across Spain, the Netherlands and Germany.
Under his leadership, Rockfield launched its pan‑European PBSA strategy in late 2024 in collaboration with Ardian, backed by an initial €500 million commitment from CBRE Investment Management. By mid‑2025, the platform had acquired seven assets across Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany, totalling over 3,000 beds and €800 million in investor commitments. Juan Manuel Acosta describes the PBSA sector as core to urban living transformation, and emphasizes a commitment to high‑quality, affordable housing aligned with social and environmental standards.
Duarte Soares Franco, Board Member at Habitat Invest, brings seasoned insight to one of Portugal’s fastest-growing real estate firms. Habitat Invest is a Lisbon-based private developer founded in 2001, managing nearly €700 million across 15 active projects and 1,517 housing units—spanning residential, urban rehabilitation, tourism, and brokerage services under the Five Stars Apartments and Brokers brands.
As a member of the Board alongside Daniel Tareco, Duarte plays a pivotal strategic role in the firm’s transition toward larger mixed-use schemes. At a recent Iberian Property event, he emphasized this shift: developers are increasingly combining residential, student housing and retail to achieve scale, diversify risk, and unlock investor value. Habitat Invest itself is actively developing major mixed-use projects in Almada—totaling approximately 60,000 m² in residential and student accommodation, backed by an estimated €120 million investment.
Duarte has also led marketing and project development efforts for flagship initiatives such as Almar Beach in Almada—a 500-unit residential launch—and other signature developments like Aurya Vista in Loures, The Uppercase in Dafundo‑Algés, Horizon Tejo and Golf Residences in Estoril, as part of Habitat’s expansion into high‑quality urban living and regeneration across Greater Lisbon. His strategic vision blends progressive placemaking with financial discipline.
REGISTRATIONS OPEN
The Portugal Real Estate Summit continues to be the go-to forum for industry leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue, shaping the future of the real estate market in Portugal and beyond. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with key decision-makers and gain valuable perspectives on the forces driving investment strategies. Learn more about the event HERE.