M7 Real Estate has sold three assets in Lisbon and Evora, via three separate transactions on behalf of the M7 Portuguese Active Fund (M7 PORAF) for a total of €12.2m.
M7 has completed the sale of Quinta do Alcaide, a 6,000m² retail park located south of Lisbon in Evora, the Alentejo region, to Europar, a Brazilian family office. Following the implementation of a comprehensive asset management strategy, including the approval for the construction of an additional 2,000m² of space to accommodate the expansion of one of the park’s existing occupiers, and the letting of a vacant unit, M7 increased the occupancy of the asset to 100%, whilst also growing the income and WAULT from 1.7 years to 7.97 years. Quinta do Alcaide’s occupiers include AKI, Homa, and sofa retailer Feira do Sofas.
M7 has also disposed of a circa 2,800m² gym and office asset in the Oeiras area of Lisbon to Fundiestamo, a Portuguese investment fund. The property is let to one of Portugal’s leading gym groups, accommodating both a gym and the company’s headquarters. M7 engaged proactively with the occupier during the period of Covid restrictions, agreeing a 12-month rental discount in exchange for the removal of break clauses over the next eight years of its 20-year lease, improving the longer-term income profile of the asset.
M7 has also divested of a 251m², fully let office unit in Lisbon’s Arcis building to Fundiestamo on behalf of the Fund.
In addition to the three sales, a significant re-gear has also been agreed with a car parts and accessories distribution company for 4,400m² of last-mile logistics space in Lisbon, which increased the in-place rent by circa 40% enabling the Fund to capture significant reversion.
Leonardo Peres, Managing Director in Portugal at M7 Real Estate, commented: “The investment market in Portugal continues to perform very well despite the challenging market backdrop, and these three sales generate attractive returns for our investors. This confidence is driven by strong real estate fundamentals in the Portuguese market, which is translating into positive performance forecasts for the region and the remaining portfolio. It is also confirmed by the strong level of transactions anticipated to complete in the Portuguese market during the early part of 2022, with over €2bn of deals already at various stages of negotiation, which is more than the total volume of commercial real estate transacted during 2021 (€2bn).”
Joao Salema Garcao, Senior Asset Manager at M7 Real Estate, added: “Our local asset management expertise has been key to driving value across these assets and securing these sales on behalf of the Fund. Additionally, we have seen particularly strong interest in retail parks, both from occupiers and investors, due to the growth of e-commerce in Portugal and the flexibility that this type of asset class can also provide for alternative uses.”
