Invest in Madrid, the Community of Madrid's economic promotion agency, will be a new institutional sponsor of the Spain Real Estate Summit 2025, to be held on 6 and 7 May at La Finca, Madrid. With the attendance of María José Piccio-Marchetti Prado, General Director for Housing & Rehabilitation of the Community of Madrid, Luis Socias, Managing Director of Invest in Madrid, and Arturo Malingre, Partner at Grupo Iberinmo, responsible for the Iberian Property platform organising the event, formalised this agreement which reinforces public-private collaboration to position the region as a strategic destination for global investment.
The Spain Real Estate Summit, organised by Iberian Property in collaboration with the consultancy firms JLL and CBRE, has positioned itself as one of the most relevant events in the sector, bringing together more than 350 international investors with the leaders of the Spanish real estate sector in the 2024 edition. Focusing on sectors such as living, retail, offices, hotels and logistics, over two days, the various players in the sector will have the opportunity to network, exchange knowledge and explore investment opportunities in an environment designed to foster the growth of international investment in the Spanish real estate sector.
With a high-level programme and the participation of prestigious international speakers, the event will address key topics such as emerging dynamics in the Spanish market, geopolitics, economics, financing, new investment in data centres and strategies to increase the production of affordable housing. Among the keynote speakers at this edition is James Seppala, Head of Real Estate in Europe at Blackstone, who, in a session moderated by Adolfo Ramírez Escudero, CEO of CBRE in Spain & President of CBRE LATAM, will share his perspective on the evolution of the international real estate market. His intervention will be backed by the experience of a company that manages $325 billion in invested capital and is the largest owner of real estate assets in the world.
At a time when geopolitics plays a central role, José Manuel Durão Barroso, former President of the European Commission (2004-2014), will offer an analysis of geopolitical and social challenges from an international perspective. His intervention will be moderated by Enrique Losantos, Head of Capital Markets for Southern Europe and CEO in Spain of JLL.
The General Director of Housing and Rehabilitation of the Community of Madrid, María José Piccio-Marchetti, pointed out ‘the importance of this fair for real estate investment and construction in Madrid, where we are carrying out the largest operation to increase the supply of affordable housing through public-private collaboration, the Plan Vive'. A project, she added, that has been adopted by a good number of administrations in Spain and abroad.
'So far, we have handed over a house to 2,500 families and there are another 2,000 who will have their keys in the coming months, while another 4,000 are being built. These are figures that demonstrate our interest in providing solutions so that the people of Madrid can opt for housing and in increasing the real supply on the market and containing prices’.
Arturo Malingre, Partner at Grupo Iberinmo, highlighted the importance of institutional support for this type of initiative: ‘At a time when Madrid is positioned as the second European city with the greatest potential to receive investment in the real estate sector (according to the latest study by the Urban Land Institute), the support of the Community of Madrid and Invest in Madrid for the Spain Real Estate Summit is an important boost and recognition of the work that we at Iberian Property carry out to attract international investment to the Iberian real estate sector’.
The event is part of the objectives of the Madrid Foundation for Competitiveness, to which Invest in Madrid belongs, which works to promote competitiveness and attract investment in the region. This collaboration seeks to contribute to the economic development of the Community of Madrid, promoting sustainability, progress and social welfare through the participation of the private and public sector.
Luis Socías, Managing Director of Invest in Madrid, added: ‘Madrid has become an international benchmark and continues to lead in attracting foreign investment, with more than 70% of all flows received in Spain. This dynamism brings with it many challenges and opportunities, in which the real estate sector must play a key role. New urban developments throughout the region; the promotion of strategic projects, such as Madrid Nuevo Norte, the City of Justice, the Plan Vive or the City of Health; or the expansion of the housing supply are, without a doubt, major priorities whose execution must be articulated through public-private collaboration, legal security, administrative agility and the involvement of funds, companies and investors in this sector’.
Catalyst for foreign investment
The Region of Madrid has established itself as one of the main investment destinations in Europe thanks to its favourable business environment, open economic policies and strategic position as a bridge between developed and emerging markets. Over the last five years, the region has attracted an average of 17,428 million euros per year in foreign direct investment (FDI), representing 63% of the national total.
The real estate market plays a key role in this attraction, positioning itself as a key sector for international investors. Since 1993, 8.3% of FDI flows have been directed to real estate activities, reflecting the dynamism and opportunities offered by Madrid as a logistics, financial and residential centre. Flagship projects such as Madrid Nuevo Norte consolidate the region as a benchmark in urban development and economic regeneration.
Invest in Madrid plays a key role in reinforcing this investment attractiveness. Through strategies such as the launch of the catalogue of strategic projects, which includes initiatives in priority sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, culture and digitalisation, the agency provides investors with specific information and direct access to key opportunities in the region.
In addition, measures such as the Open Line against Hyper-regulation and the elimination of more than 340 bureaucratic regulations have created a streamlined and competitive business environment. These actions, together with its dialogue with national and international organisations, position Madrid as a preferential destination for foreign capital, with a special focus on high added value sectors such as biopharmaceuticals, digitalisation and logistics.
With a prominent position in the field of data centres, which concentrates 80% of installed capacity in Spain, and as a national leader in startups, Madrid is projected not only as a hub of innovation and technology, but also as a key driver of economic growth in Spain.
The real estate sector in Spain, which in 2024 grew by 20% and reached 14,000 million euros, was driven by the prominence of investment funds, whose representation increased from 9% to 18%.
The participation of foreign capital also stood out, with the United States contributing 13% of total investment, followed by the United Kingdom with 6%. For its part, Latin American investment recorded notable growth, increasing fivefold with respect to 2023 and reaching 500 million euros, especially in the office sector.
Geographically, Barcelona accounted for 16% of real estate investment in 2024, while Madrid led with 32%, creating a scenario of great investment potential.
With this agreement with Iberian Property and the support of the Spain Real Estate Summit, Invest in Madrid consolidates its position as an international benchmark in the field of attracting real estate investment.