In a video interview recorded at CEE Property Forum in Vienna, Andrei Văcaru, Head of Capital Markets CEE at iO Partners, shares his perspective on the year ahead, discussing market optimism, investor activity across the region and the company’s ongoing expansion. While the environment is changing quickly, the firm sees solid fundamentals, growing regional capital and strong momentum for a focused regional player.
How is iO Partners looking forward to the next year? Are you mostly optimistic or pessimistic, and why so?
Optimistic. I think we have to be optimistic. It’s a rapidly changing market where predictions are not easy to make, and I think what’s essential in these times is for companies to be nimble, quick and able to adapt rapidly to what’s happening around them.
There are several reasons for optimism in the region. Fundamentally, the countries are performing well, and there is a good path ahead. The companies in real estate, as an asset class, are performing well. However, as I said, there are geopolitical, political and macroeconomic changes, and all of those influence things. But in every change there is also an opportunity.
How do you see exits? Are there investors around?
Yes, there are exits. Not all countries perform the same, but the Czech Republic is definitely one example where liquidity is there and where a lot of transactions are happening. So there are investors. What has maybe changed is that there are more and more regional investors investing in our region — either in their home markets or cross-border — but with capital originating from the region.
Are you planning to expand your operations as iO Partners going forward?
Definitely. We are already doing that, both in terms of geography and the business lines we cover. When we started two and a half years ago, the company merged from the JLL offices in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
Right now, we have an office in Belgrade. We have an office through a partnership in Vienna, Austria. We also cover the Croatian market, and in terms of business lines, there are many ideas and directions we are working on.
So I definitely think there is a good path and a good growth trajectory for a regional player. And exactly in the context we mentioned before — with more capital coming from the region — I think the idea of having a service provider that is really focused on the region is, and can be, a differentiator.
