Sorin Preda, Founder & CEO of Global Vision, talked to Property Forum about the firm's strategic evolution into a multi-sector commercial real estate investment platform. With a 2026 pipeline exceeding €150 million, he details the growth of the Global Vision Investment Fund and the integration of Al technology into modern asset management.
This interview was first published in Property Forum’s annual listing of "The 50 most influential people in Romania’s real estate market”.
What were the most significant operational highlights that consolidated Global Vision's position across the commercial real estate sector over the past year?
2025 was a year of active deployment and clear confirmation of our strategy. We completed two landmark investments: a retail park in Oradea anchored by one of the largest international food retailers operating in Romania, and a turnkey industrial facility delivered to a leading European aerospace group. Both projects demonstrated our ability to execute at a high level across different asset classes and to attract renowned organisations as tenants. Finally, we reached 100% occupancy at the Corner Office Building, further reinforcing the strength and attractiveness of our portfolio. Beyond individual projects, we continued building the foundation of what Global Vision is becoming: a commercial real estate (CRE) investment platform, not just a developer. We formalised the Global Vision Investment Fund (GVIF) as the main investment entity and are opening our capital structure to other investors. These are part of an investment pipeline exceeding €150 million this year.
Which asset classes will receive the most significant capital allocation this year?
Retail leads in 2026, with over €50 million committed. We see structural demand for well-positioned retail formats in secondary and tertiary cities across Romania—markets that remain underserved relative to their purchasing power and catchment potential. Industrial and logistics continue to absorb meaningful capital, built around corridor positioning, tenant quality, and a long-term hold strategy. Our goal is not to specialise in one or two asset classes and scale up, but rather to hold high-quality, income generating assets across the full range of commercial real estate, including office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use.
What are your main objectives from an investment perspective on the retail side?
Our objective is to develop a portfolio of retail assets that generate resilient, long-term income from very high-quality credit counterparts and excess yields. We focus on formats that serve genuine daily consumer needs: food-anchored retail parks, convenience-led galleries, and mixed-use schemes that combine retail, services, and logistics in an efficient format. The key criterion for us is location quality relative to competition density. We look for cities and catchment areas where the supply of modern retail is structurally insufficient, where demographics are growing, and where existing supply is either outdated or absent. From a tenant perspective, we prioritise long-term, contractually secure relationships with a broad mix of both food and non-food anchor tenants.
How did you decide to team up with Globalworth for a retail park in Constanța, and what is the demand for such projects in this region?
This is not a new partnership; the land has been co-owned by Global Vision and Globalworth since 2019, with us leading the development process throughout. In 2025, our strategic focus on retail park development led to the decision to move this project forward. It is the only project in southern Constanța with the permits and zoning allowing a development of over 10 hectares. The underlying investment case is driven by strong but underserved demand in Constanța. As Romania's second-largest city by economic activity and a key logistics gateway, the region has a growing year-round population, yet modern retail infrastructure has not kept pace. This creates a clear supply gap for well-anchored, modern retail parks that combine food retail, services, and complementary uses for the city's expanding catchment area.
Beyond retail, what is the 2026 outlook for your industrial-logistics portfolio?
We remain highly active in industrial and logistics. Our approach in this asset class has always been built around three principles: positioning alongside a strategic EU/NATO transportation corridor, tenant quality, and asset longevity. Global Vision targets industries with strong and expanding demand for development, such as aviation, dual-use, and data centres. In 2026, we will continue to grow this part of the portfolio, both through new developments and through the selective acquisition of stabilised assets where the fundamentals are compelling. We also target built-to-suit projects with a strong manufacturing component, where our broader objective is to support the development of cities and contribute to regional economic growth and greater energy independence.
What is your strategy for building the Global Vision Investment Fund (GVIF), which aims for €1 billion in assets in the coming years?
GVIF targets reaching assets under management (AUM) of €1.0 billion over the next five years. It is the vehicle through which we are transforming Global Vision from a privately held developer into a listed investment platform that is accessible to institutional and international capital. The fund targets investments in CRE, green energy, and AI-tech—three sectors where we see the fastest growth and deepest structural demand, consequently generating pure alpha. We seek to achieve this target by deploying a robust, fundamentals-driven investment strategy, or quality value investment.
How is Global Vision transitioning from a traditional developer to a technology-driven investor in contextual AI?
The transition is already in motion. We have built our own private AI-first platform, AHEAD, which is deployed and in use with some of our clients. It runs on-premises and works directly on live operational data across the asset. At tenant level, it supports production optimisation, Vision Quality Check, predictive maintenance, and energy efficiency. At asset level, it handles security and drone-based building inspection. This is what the transition looks like in practice: the same asset driving better production output and lower operating costs.
How is your strategy of focusing on high-quality assets and long-term leases ensuring resilience against current economic cycles?
Inspired by the 'quality value' strategies of Buffett and Munger, Global Vision prioritises margin safety through top-tier tenants, high occupancy, and robust fundamentals. This philosophy builds resilience before market shifts, using long-term leases with major retailers and manufacturers to ensure contractual stability and predictable income. By insulating the portfolio from volatility and hedging non-industry risks, we secure intrinsic value and downside protection regardless of the macro environment.
