Real Asset Media Thought Leaders
Real Asset Media Thought Leaders is a podcast from Real Asset Media, a publisher focused on the real assets and cross-border investment market. It shares thought leadership and interviews with decision-makers across real estate, retail, F&B and leisure. The podcast connects to its publications, including The Real Asset Day, Real Asset Insight and Living Retail, often tied to major events such as MIPIM and EXPO Real. It serves a community of thousands of readers, listeners and viewers.
Episodes
International capital returns to German senior living, Alexander Fröse, Periskop Living
International capital is returning to Germany’s senior living market, according to Alexander Fröse, managing partner and founder at Periskop Living. He estimates that 320,000 additional units need to be built by 2030, creating opportunities despite challenging financing conditions.
Speaking with Richard Betts of Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2026, Fröse contrasted the renewed international interes
Defence spending to fuel Romanian real estate, Voichita Lefter, AREI
Increased defence spending across Europe could create new opportunities for Romania's real estate sector, according to Voichita Lefter, secretary general of the Association of Real Estate Investors in Romania (AREI).
Speaking to Real Asset Media's Richard Betts at Mipim 2026, Lefter said Romania remained an attractive destination for international capital, with opportunities across logistics, indu
European logistics enters new growth cycle, Ingo Steves, Swiss Life AM
Swiss Life Asset Managers is positioning itself for what it sees as the beginning of a new growth cycle in European logistics, supported by rising occupier demand, strengthening rents and continued investor appetite across key markets.
“We are very optimistic about the beginning of the next cycle for logistics,” Ingo Steves, managing partner, logistics, at Swiss Life Asset Managers, told Real Asse
Deal trends, data sovereignty and AI: Alexandre Grellier, Drooms
Alexandre Grellier, chief executive and co-founder of Drooms, said real estate transactions are taking longer to complete as financing requirements become more demanding and investors request increasingly detailed documentation. He added that concerns around digital sovereignty are reshaping how firms deploy AI tools in Europe.
Speaking to Real Asset Media’s Richard Betts, Grellier said Drooms’ re
Reykjavik's residential project Keldur offers significant opportunities for international investors
Speaking to REAL FDI at Mipim 2026, Thorsteinn R Hermannsson, director of development at Transport for the Capital Area, Iceland, and Joanna Attvall, architect and partner at FOJAB, set out plans for Keldur, a major new residential-led urban district in Reykjavik designed to attract international capital.
Hermannsson described the project as a uniquely large, single-owner development opportunity w
Germany’s overlooked industrial assets offer investor opportunity: Dr Wulf Meinel, StoneVest
Speaking to Real Asset Media at Mipim 2026 in Cannes, Dr Wulf Meinel, founding partner at StoneVest, set out why investors should look beyond logistics to uncover value in Germany’s industrial sector.
He acknowledged the challenging macro backdrop but framed it as an opportunity rather than a deterrent.
“The German economy faces some headwinds, but headwinds are a chance,” he said. “If you take a
Ambassadori Island Batumi sets out Black Sea smart city vision with $1bn backing
Speaking to REAL FDI at Mipim, Gocha Kamkia, chief executive officer of Ambassadori Island Batumi, set out plans to deliver a 102-hectare artificial island development on Georgia’s Black Sea coast.
The project combines real estate, infrastructure and a long-term smart city strategy aimed at international investors.
He described the project as “the address of the Black Sea”, positioning it as both
Iceland’s K64 airport masterplan targets data centre growth: Pálmi Randversson, KADECO
Speaking to Real FDI at Mipim 2026, Pálmi Randversson, managing director of Keflavík Airport Development Company (KADECO), outlines the strategy behind Iceland’s K64 masterplan and the growing international interest in the Keflavík Airport development zone.
He explains that K64 - Iceland's Airport Region, as the project is branded, is a long-term development framework for land surrounding Keflavík
Income growth drives European real estate in 2026, David Inskip, CBRE IM
Speaking to Real Asset Media at Mipim 2026, David Inskip, EMEA head of research at CBRE Investment Management, shares his insights on the outlook for European real estate, including market sentiment, sector dynamics and capital flows.
Inskip explains that the market has firmly transitioned into a higher interest rate environment, with investors increasingly focused on income growth and net operati
Living sector and Germany set to benefit from global uncertainty
Europe’s residential and living sectors are attracting growing investor interest, supported by supply shortages and shifting capital allocation, according to Rainer Nonnengässer, managing director of omniLiv.
Speaking at Mipim 2026 in an interview with Real Asset Media, Nonnengässer said the region is benefiting from renewed global attention, although he stopped short of describing it as a defensi
Defensive positioning but “new spring” emerging
Investor sentiment remains sharply divided as real estate markets navigate an uncertain macroeconomic backdrop, with structural sectors offering the clearest opportunities for 2026, according to Petra Blazkova, head of research and strategy at Catella Group, the European real estate investment manager.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at Mipim 2026, she said the firm has adopted a cautious but forwar
Romanian government working with regions to create investment opportunities for global capital
Romania is strengthening coordination between central and local authorities while overhauling investment legislation to attract international capital, Orsolya Mária Kövér, secretary of state at the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, said.
Speaking to Richard Betts, group publisher of Real Asset Media, at Mipim 2026 in Cannes, Kövér outlined reforms aimed at improving permitt
Europe’s data centre market has transformed during the past 12 months
Europe’s data centre market is rapidly evolving into one of the most dynamic areas of real estate investment, shaped by digital transformation, geopolitical pressures and shifting stakeholder expectations, according to Thomas Veith, global real estate leader at PwC.
Speaking at Mipim 2026 in Cannes in an interview with Richard Betts, group publisher of Real Asset Media, Veith said the sector has e
RSM & Yardi expand co-operation in Europe as partnerships seen key in digital transformation
With increasing complexity for real estate investors, partnerships are now being seen as key in terms of building and delivering solutions for clients according to Angie Abbis, Director, Data Digital Services Finance Automation at RSM in New York and Jan-Willem Jeucken, Associate Director Europe at Yardi as they discuss the expansion of their collaboration in Europe with Richard Betts of Real Asse
Banking pressure and pension capital will reshape property markets — Andreas Walter, Yester & Morrow
Andreas Walter, partner and attorney at law at German boutique firm Yester & Morrow, says Europe’s real estate market is approaching a decisive turning point as refinancing pressure builds and regulatory reforms unlock new sources of long-term capital.
Speaking to Real Asset Media, Walter said prolonged market inertia since 2024 is nearing its end.
“In 2026, we are going to see a market moveme
Positive outlook for real estate debt strategies in Germany, Patrick Züchner, Aukera Real Estate
German real estate debt strategies are entering a new market cycle with improving fundamentals, despite continued fundraising challenges and selective competition for lower-risk assets, according to Patrick Züchner, chief investment officer at Aukera Real Estate.
Speaking to Real Asset Media, Züchner said Aukera benefits from a long operating history across cycles, even though the firm itself was
Germany housing shortage drives micro-living and affordability strategy, Matthias Euler, Greystar
Germany’s acute housing shortage, particularly in major cities such as Berlin, is driving growing demand for smaller, more affordable rental homes and reshaping development strategies across the market, according to Matthias Euler, managing director, Germany and Austria, at Greystar.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Euler said: “I think the German residential market is one of the ho
Periskop looks to expand into new European senior living markets: Alexander Fröse, Periskop Living
Alexander Fröse, managing partner and founder of Periskop Living, outlines the group’s plans to expand its senior living investment strategy beyond Germany and into new European markets.
Speaking to Real Asset Media, Fröse said: “Periskop Living is headquartered in Berlin. It’s an investment management company just focused on health care, typically on senior living, which means care homes and assi
Positive outlook for CRE lending as office market picks up in US, Helga Blum, Bayern LB
Commercial real estate lending conditions in the US are beginning to improve, with early interest rate cuts and a gradual recovery in office demand expected to support increased acquisition and refinancing activity through 2026, according to Helga Blum, managing director and head of US real estate finance at BayernLB.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO REAL in October 2025, Blum said the US lend
Huge demand for senior living in Germany, Kip Sloane, SCHÖNES LEBEN Group
Germany’s senior living market is entering a period of rapid expansion, driven by accelerating demographic change, improving affordability, and a shift away from traditional nursing home models, according to Kip Sloane, managing director at SCHÖNES LEBEN Group.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Sloane said the fundamentals supporting premium senior housing in Germany are now firmly i
Combining indoor air quality and energy initiatives creates value: Jan-Kristian Westerlund, freesi
Indoor air quality is emerging as a commercial and regulatory priority for real estate owners, with growing evidence that combining air quality monitoring with energy management can improve tenant retention, asset performance, and financial outcomes, according to Jan-Kristian Westerlund, chief commercial officer at freesi.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Westerlund said indoor air
People and capital are key to city investment, Annelou de Groot, Cushman & Wakefield
People and capital must come together if European cities are to attract long-term investment and remain competitive, according to Annelou de Groot, chief executive officer for the Netherlands at Cushman & Wakefield.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, de Groot said successful city investment strategies depend on aligning capital deployment with social outcomes. “The key takeaways f
Rate cuts to support US commercial real estate recovery, says Vikram Killampali, Helaba
Falling interest rates should help revive activity across the US commercial real estate market, supporting higher transaction and lending volumes, according to Vikram Killampali, senior director and manager of US commercial real estate finance syndications at Helaba.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Killampali was taking part in what he said was the first panel hosted in Germany by
New city centre drives quality of life and investment: Maciej Fijałkowski, City of Warsaw
Warsaw’s long-term transformation of its city centre is strengthening the quality of life, attracting talent, and boosting private-sector investment, according to Maciej Fijałkowski, secretary of the City of Warsaw.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Fijałkowski said the Polish capital’s strategy focuses on combining heritage, contemporary development, and future growth, while positio
Rate cuts to support US commercial real estate recovery, says Vikram Killampali, Helaba
Falling interest rates should help revive activity across the US commercial real estate market, supporting higher transaction and lending volumes, according to Vikram Killampali, senior director and manager of US commercial real estate finance syndications at Helaba.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Killampali was taking part in what he said was the first panel hosted in Germany by
Positive momentum builds in CEE student housing and serviced living, Heribert Gangl
Heribert Gangl, head of hotels and tourism at Erste Group Bank, said Central and Eastern Europe is entering a new phase of maturity in student housing and serviced living as demand spreads from more established Western European markets.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, he said: "There seems to be good, positive dynamics in student housing and serviced living in CEE now, spreading ov
Senior living in Europe is an opportunity for US investors: Jennifer Dixon, JD Solutions Group
Jennifer Dixon, founder and chief executive officer of JD Solutions Group, said the European senior living sector offers a significant opportunity for US investors as demographic pressures and low penetration rates begin to reshape demand across the region.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, she said the level of global interest remains striking.
"There were so many different takeaway
Digital strategy and AI critical for real estate companies: Daniele Di Fausto, eFM
Digital transformation is becoming an urgent priority for real estate owners and occupiers as artificial intelligence reshapes operating models, according to Daniele Di Fausto, chief executive officer at eFM.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, he said the sector is only now beginning to confront the scale of change required.
"The market is starting, so digital players, especially in t
Romania's North-East promotes strategic location and €1.75bn EU investment package, Sebastian Hrib
Romania's North-East region is positioning itself as an emerging investment destination, backed by major EU funding, expanding industrial capacity and proximity to fast-developing markets.
Speaking to Courtney Fingar, editor of REAL FDI, Sebastian Hrib, head of the Brussels Office at the North-East Regional Development Agency of Romania, said the area combines untapped potential with accelerating
Regional and domestic investors increase their exposure to Polish real estate, Michał Mieciński, CMS
Regional investors and domestic buyers are playing a growing role in Poland's real estate market as cross-border capital within Central and Eastern Europe expands and Polish businesses increase their exposure to institutional assets.
Speaking to Real Asset Media after a CEE investment briefing held at the CMS offices in London, Michał Mieciński, partner in the real estate and construction team at
Financials to drive Europe’s retrofit push, Aleksander Grabecki, CMS
Financial considerations are becoming the driving force behind Europe’s decarbonisation of real estate, according to Aleksander Grabecki, counsel at CMS.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, he said retrofitting is now the only viable route to meet looming EU climate deadlines.
Grabecki said landlords face a tight regulatory window. “The EU is pretty clear about all the buildings needin
Poland’s student housing sector enters next stage of institutional growth, Agata Jurek-Zbrojska, CMS
Poland's living sectors are evolving from niche offerings into recognised institutional investment products as student housing, micro-living, and co-living models expand across the market, according to Agata Jurek-Zbrojska, partner and head of real estate and construction at CMS in Poland.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, she said the evolution of those sub-sectors across Europe has
AI and cleaner data can transform real estate decision-making, Mike Harrison, NTrust
Property and investment managers are still struggling to work effectively with the volume of data generated across real estate, but AI tools and closer alignment between stakeholders can significantly improve outcomes, according to Mike Harrison, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at NTrust.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Harrison said the sector continues to grap
AI set to transform data as a service for investment managers, Martin Betts, NTrust
Martin Betts, vice-president of commercial real estate, EMEA, at NTrust, said real estate investors are increasingly frustrated by the time and money they spend trying to manage fragmented data, a problem he argues can now be solved with AI-driven tools.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Betts said the issue has become a constant theme in conversations with senior executives.
“The qu
Life sciences and innovation drive economic growth, Vesa Palander, City of Turku
Turku is positioning itself as one of the Nordic region's most dynamic investment locations as strong growth in life sciences, innovation, and major waterfront development reshape the Finnish city, according to Vesa Palander, director of business and economic development at the City of Turku.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Palander said Turku's long history and fast-expanding econ
Delivering sustainability strategies through local engagement: Elín Guðnadóttir, KADECO
Elín Guðnadóttir, programme director at Kadeco, said the push for sustainability and decarbonisation in real estate will only succeed if global ambitions translate into locally grounded implementation.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, she emphasised that the sector’s biggest challenge is aligning municipal and institutional stakeholders behind a shared vision.
Guðnadóttir said the i
Opportunity to rethink how real estate can drive performance: Paul Danks, SIOR
Commercial real estate professionals must adapt to shifting global dynamics by rethinking how decisions support long-term business performance, according to Paul Danks, international representative on the SIOR Board and director at DRG Group.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, Danks said: "What we're seeing right now is that the real competitive edge in commercial real estate comes fr
Strong demand for residential across all major European cities, Hilke Nijmeijer, CBRE IM
Investor sentiment towards European residential markets has turned increasingly positive, according to Hilke Nijmeijer, senior portfolio manager at CBRE Investment Management, speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025.
"You can sense there's more market momentum now. There's more positivism, opportunism about the markets," she said. "There is more interest and enthusiasm from investors to act
Defence, advanced manufacturing, battery storage driving logistics demand: Brad Gries, LaSalle IM
Brad Gries, head of the Americas at LaSalle Investment Management, said the logistics sector is evolving as similar demand-side trends shape both the European and US markets, albeit for different reasons.
Speaking to Real Asset INSIGHT live at Expo Real 2025, Gries said there were “some similarities in terms of how the European market is operating relative to how the Americas markets are operating
European Lending landscape is in a unique position: David White, LaSalle Investment Management
Speaking at EXPO REAL 2025, David White, head of LaSalle Real Estate Debt Strategies, Europe at LaSalle Investment Management, said Europe’s lending market is in a unique phase, with renewed demand for debt and more acquisition financing returning to the market.
“The European lending landscape today is in a really unique situation. We spend a lot of time analysing data, we collect a lot of that, a
Tailwinds for European logistics bolster investment opportunities, Sally Bruer, Cushman & Wakefield
In an exclusive interview at EXPO REAL 2025, Sally Bruer, head of EMEA logistics & industrial and retail research at Cushman & Wakefield, said Europe’s logistics and manufacturing sectors are poised for renewed investment and development momentum despite near-term economic uncertainty.
“We all agree that there is a lot of uncertainty in the market, particularly around businesses and their
Is Europe a borrowers market for real estate? Duco Mook, CBRE Investment Management
Europe’s real estate financing market has turned “extremely liquid” for prime assets as banks compete aggressively to deploy capital, according to Duco Mook, head of treasury and debt financing, EMEA at CBRE Investment Management.
Speaking live at Expo Real 2025 with Real Asset Media, Mook said sentiment had improved markedly compared with last year’s event. “I’m seeing the market as very positive
Flight to quality defines logistics investment, Maximilian von Medem, Union Investment
Investors are increasingly focusing on resilient, energy-efficient and ESG-compliant logistics assets as market uncertainty drives a clear flight to quality, according to Maximilian von Medem, investment management logistics DACH at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, von Medem said: "Due to current uncertainties in the market, geopolitical disruption
C Change Summit brings together real estate leaders to decarbonise
ULI Europe will bring senior real estate executives to Paris this week for the latest C Change Summit as the organisation steps up efforts to scale decarbonisation across the industry.
Speaking to Real Asset Media's Richard Betts, Sophie Chick, vice president for ESG programmes at ULI Europe, said the summit forms part of a wider four-year initiative "to speed up and scale up decarbonisation of re
Proptech collaboration essential to deliver real ESG impact
Proptech companies must work together if the real estate industry is to achieve meaningful progress on ESG performance, according to Paul Wessels, founder of Blue Module, speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025.
Wessels said rising pressure on owners and investors to cut costs, improve reporting and meet sustainability obligations is accelerating demand for integrated digital solutions rath
European logistics remains a buyers’ market: Balazs Lados, Realterm
Europe's logistics sector remains a buyer's market, but landlords with prime, well-located assets still hold the advantage, according to Balazs Lados, managing director and European fund manager at Realterm.
"It's still a buyer's market out there and it's still a landlord's market," Lados told Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025. "So, if you have good buildings in good locations, you can still make
Stability is a key demand driver for residential in Europe, Britta Roden Swiss Life Asset Managers
The residential market remains the hottest investment segment across Europe, according to Britta Roden, head of research for real assets at Swiss Life Asset Managers, speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025.
"The residential market is the hot topic in terms of investment right now across Europe," she said. "It's the one segment that's stable across any type of geopolitical risk, across any
Decentralisation and new demand drivers support logistics growth: Joël Gorsele , CEO, Intervest
Joël Gorsele, chief executive officer of Intervest, says Europe's logistics market is showing signs of renewed confidence, underpinned by decentralised supply chains and new sources of occupier demand.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025, he said stability in macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions has encouraged tenants to restart expansion plans after a period of caution.
"Certain e
Transport Logistic 2025: intensifying competition for logistic real estate
At Transport Logistic 2025 in held in Munich (2 to 5 June), Richard Betts, founding partner of Real Asset Media, shared his impressions of one of the world’s leading transport and logistics events.
The fair expanded to 12 halls this year — an increase of two compared to 2023 — and attracted over 75,000 attendees.
“From my side I can see that it's a lot more international than it has been in p
Battery technology can transform real estate, Neil Richardson, Titanvolt
Neill Richardson, CEO of Titanvolt, a UK-based leader at the forefront of advanced energy storage for the built environment, was at MIPM to talk to investors and customers; "we've had a lot of discussions with investors around the bigger picture, the 10-year plan looking at what Titanvolt can do in the future." Titanvolt, based in Newcastle aims to become a global brand says Richardson "There's cu
Could LTO technology lead the charge on sustainable power?
Saudi Arabia: partnerships help make progress to Vision 2030
New technology to the fore as ROSHN focuses on Saudi vision
Manchester: High quality real estate critical to FDI success
New Murabba is establishing a new ‘downtown’ for Riyadh
‘Entire value chain’ needs to address resi affordability crisis
ESG: 'Exciting times' ahead as consensus on KPIs grows
Can real estate leverage the AI data management revolution
New US car cleaning concept could wash its face in Europe
ULI Europe's Milan conference ready for RE's tough questions
Patron's 7th fund targeting assets 'in need of a bit of love'
Data centre demand soars but energy consumption a concern
Greece’s new economic and political stability shows in FDI
Proposed project generates tenant interest at Val d’Europe
Pace of investment picks up in Riga as Baltics prep for future
Market awaits gentler rates policy and ‘rational optimism’
Property management shapes up for changed environment
Socio-economic trends the basis for 'investable strategies'
ESG and senior living both mainstream MIPIM ’24 topics
Transformed real estate market awaits monetary policy shift
MIPIM 2024: ‘Cautious optimism’ the key phrase as markets foresee the upturn
Vehicle maker’s business case for Polish FDI project explained
Stars are aligned for logistics despite the recent headwinds
CEE markets facing 2024 with a mood of cautious optimism
Logistics still providing fresh opportunities despite tough '23
New series: how can real estate harness data’s full potential?
Light at the end of the tunnel draws buyers to Polish market
French net zero regs keep property sector on its toes
Renewables are simply ‘good governance’ but context is fluid
CEE construction is getting into shape - and it's circular
