Forum Estates Holding BV has just successfully completed its 13th capital increase at civil-law notaries Ghesquière, De Brabandere and Degryse. 15 million euros was raised from a number of existing and new shareholders, partly in capital and partly with a subordinated loan. Forum Estates Holding BV is the holding company above Forum Estates NV. Forum Estates NV acquired the GVBF or REIT status in December 2019.
This capital increase is intended to support the expansion in the Netherlands. Last month, the Board of Directors gave the green light for this, and Forum Estates NL B.V., a 100% subsidiary of Forum Estates Holding BV, was established. The Dutch supermarket landscape is known as a highly consolidated but also very stable market. This market offers Forum Estates the necessary growth perspectives as well as a greater geographical and tenant risk spread. Forum Estates has meanwhile identified a number of interesting supermarket prospects in the Netherlands. The due diligence and negotiations are in full swing for this. It is envisaged that these prospects will be acquired in the course of May and June.
Forum Estates has the ambition to become the first BeNeLux supermarket real estate fund. The solid foundation in Belgium and the further planned expansion in the Netherlands will support this ambition. To this end, a number of capital rounds are being carried out with institutional investors and family offices. Supermarket real estate has meanwhile become a top-rated investment product among investors. Stable tenants, affordable rents, a growing consumer market with positive trends and underlying demographic fundamentals and the complex licensing process guarantee stable future cash flows.
CEO Stefan De Bock responds with satisfaction: “With this capital increase, Forum Estates once again proves that it can place and manage a solid and stable investment product on the market. 2020 was a good year for us, and 2021 has also started positively. I am pleased that supermarket real estate has now also acquired the connotation of ‘safe harbour’. In this way, we take a position next to real estate investments in residential care, logistics and student housing.”
4 May 2021