In an exclusive interview with Property Forum, Rüdiger Dany, CEO of NEPI Rockcastle, reflects on the company’s record-breaking year, key investments in retail and green energy and explains why consumer resilience in CEE continues to drive growth. Looking ahead to 2025, he discusses market expectations, omnichannel retail trends, and NEPI Rockcastle’s unwavering commitment to sustainability.
What's your current impression of the market? What’s the feeling you’re getting going into 2025?
I'm quite astonished, actually. The market sentiment is surprisingly positive. Over the past few weeks, we've witnessed significant changes in the world order, which naturally brings uncertainty. However, it's remarkable how business continues as usual. Deals are being done, and people remain interested in moving forward. The overall mood is much more optimistic than one might expect given the current global landscape.
You've recently published your 2024 results. What would you say were the key highlights?
2024 has been the best year in our company's history. We've distributed the highest earnings per share ever, which has certainly pleased our shareholders. Operationally, our business has continued to strengthen and grow across the region. Our retailers are happy, and we've made some significant strategic moves. We raised a green bond of €500 million and additional equity of €300 million, which we immediately invested in two new properties in Poland - Magnolia and Silesia. This was a substantial investment of around €760 million. Our loan-to-value ratio is impressively low at just 32%, which puts us in an excellent position for future growth.
