Meta Estate Trust (stock symbol MET), a holding company operating in the Romanian real estate sector and acting as a portal between the real estate and capital markets, announces its intention to invest EUR 10 million this year in the Romanian retail real estate sector. Meta Estate Trust's investment plan in the retail area includes the acquisition of retail parks finalized with food anchors, fully operational, respectively with leases concluded for periods of 10 to 15 years. The company is considering a structured financing strategy, consisting of bank leverage with 50% LTV and co-opting partner investors.
Alexandru Bonea, Managing Director Meta Estate Trust: "We have been closely following the country's retail market since the middle of last year, with the securitization of the portfolio of four stand-alone assets to be developed and leased to the international food retail brand Penny. The evolution of the retail sector in recent months, both in terms of new developments and confirmations of expansion plans by major retailers, shows that our decision to enter this market as early as 2024 was a very inspired one. We are betting on the development of this sector in 2025 and we have a competitive advantage, we are very agile in our analysis which means we can make decisions extremely fast."
The investment selection criteria target projects completed or nearing completion in 2025, with an investment value of between EUR 2 million and EUR 6 million, which benefit from reference tenants. In addition, Meta Estate Trust is considering investments in retail parks where leases are in place for 10 to 15 years. All investment opportunities will go through an optimized pre-analysis and analysis process, and investment decisions will be made in a timely manner by MET's Board of Directors or the General Meeting of Shareholders, depending on their dimensions.
The expansion of the investment portfolio in the retail area is in line with the company's development strategy and investment policy. The Meta Estate Trust's plan to invest in this sector will contribute to the development of the retail market and thus to the generation of recurring revenues and the expansion of the asset portfolio. Recent events in the real estate and capital markets confirm the trend of increasing investor interest in such assets.
Developers who choose to enter into a strategic partnership with Meta Estate Trust benefit from access to capital and a partnership with a fast and agile investor with a solid reputation in the real estate and capital markets.
