About Quartiers Properties and our projects
About us Quartiers Properties in Brief
Quartiers Properties is a property developer listed in the Nasdaq First North in Sweden in 2017. Since its incorporation in 2015, the company has generated significant growth and the company had a property value of 658 SEK millions at 31 December 2018.
Quartiers Properties operates in Spain in the province of Málaga on the Costa del Sol, a market shown by a number of studies to be the fastest-growing property market in Spain. Growth in the region is due to a combination of increasing domestic demand, the region’s climate with over 320 days of sunshine a year, excellent national and international communications, and technological developments enabling more people to live in the region while retaining links to friends, family and work in their home country. Quartiers is active in two main segments; Property Value Creation and Property Development. Both business areas aim to generate value in the current property portfolio in different ways. In the Property Development segment this is done by developing carefully designed concepts for villas and apartments, which are then marketed and sold. The Property Value Creation segment focuses on transforming underperforming properties in a way that leverages each property’s unique characteristics, to enable a higher valuation when the property is either sold or revalued for refinancing on improved loan terms.
Our history
Our Companies
Quartiers has several daughter companies which focus is to provide complementary services and added value to the two main business segments of the group – Value Creation and Real Estate Development. By outsourcing certain tasks to fully and partly owned daughter companies, Quartiers keeps the overhead organization small and focused towards coordination, financing, control and development of the group’s activities.
Quartiers Estates
Quartiers Estates is Quartiers Properties’ sales company
The company in brief
- Founded in March 2018.
- Quartiers owns 50 percent. The other 50 percent is owned by Grupo Imobilario Ruben Otero SL.
- Chief Executive Officer: Ruben Villaverde Otero.
- The company’s business comprises property brokerage on Spain’s Costa del Sol with a focus on Marbella, Benahavís and Estepona.
- In the company’s first financial year, which comprised only part of 2018, sales amounted to EUR 335 thousand and income after tax was EUR -100 thousand.
- As stated in its annual accounts, the company has five employees.
- Website: www.quartiersestates.com
Company description
Quartiers Estates is Quartiers Properties’ sales company. The company markets and sells Quartiers’ own projects, as well as external projects and projects sold and developed by Otero Group. The company is 50 percent owned by Quartiers Properties, with the other 50 percent owned by Ruben Villaverde Otero through companies.
The company began operating in 2018. During the year it focused on launching and selling Quartiers’ apartment project, 22byQuartiers, and on developing an effective organisation of sales staff. The company currently has five employees of various nationalities, which is important for addressing the large target group of international buyers in the market. The company’s sales in 2018 amounted to EUR 334 thousand, a reasonable result for the first financial year, which only included eight months. Income was impacted by startup costs and amounted to EUR -100 thousand.
Background to Quartiers’ ownership
Quartiers has chosen to co-own a sales company to give it greater influence and control over the sales process for the company’s property development projects. Co-ownership also means that commission paid to the main agent, which in Quartiers’ case is Quartiers Estates, goes towards further developing Quartiers Estates as a company and strengthening Quartiers as a brand in the region. The market price for a sale mandate like the one Quartiers Estates has received for the 22byQuartiers project amounts to 8 percent of sales proceeds. So when launching the 22byQuartiers project, Quartiers’ management assessed various options for optimising sales at the lowest possible cost. The collaboration with Ruben Otero enabled the company to bring in key know-how to start the business. As well as operating as a sales office, the office in Puerto Banús also acts as an advertisement for Quartiers’ brand and is important for the company’s long-term brand development.
Competition and market
The estate agent sector on Spain’s Costa del Sol differs in many ways from the Swedish model, in which estate agents have a significant responsibility to buyers purchasing residential property. In Spain, there is no formal requirement to register as an estate agent, which means anyone can arrange property sales. In practice this, along with high commission, has led to a sharp increase in the number of full- and part-time estate agents on the Costa del Sol as interest in properties in the region has grown. As the number of relatively active agents rises considerably, and in the absence of formal requirements for expertise and registration, the number of irresponsible agents is also on the increase. It is therefore important that buyers use a reliable operator and always involve a solicitor in the process. Quartiers Estates takes a long-term approach, in relation to both buyers and other estate agents.
When a project is listed or put on the market for sale it is often an estate agents business that is mainly commissioned to market and sell the project. This ‘lead agent’ then generally cooperates with a large number of other estate agents to efficiently and effectively reach prospective buyers. This kind of cooperation is particularly important for holiday homes, as buyers generally do not know the area as well as the local population and so need the support of an estate agent who can show the buyer suitable apartments and villas. The lead agent shares the commission on a sale with the agent that found the buyer.
Quartiers Management
Quartiers Management operates the
Quartiers Apartment Hotel & Resort
The company in brief
- Operations started in January 2019.
- Wholly owned by Quartiers Properties.
- Chief Executive Officer: Henric Persson.
- The company conducts hotel and property service operations.
- The company took over operation of Quartiers Properties’ approximately 100 apartments in Hacienda del Señorío de Cifuentes in Benahavís as of 1 January 2019, and now operates the facility under the Quartiers Apartment Hotel & Resort brand.
- As stated in its annual accounts, the company has 10 employees.
- Website: www.quartiersproperties.com
Company description
Quartiers Management operates the Quartiers Apartment Hotel & Resort apartment complex in Benahavís, and offers concierge and letting services to buyers of apartments in Quartiers Properties projects. The company began operating in 2019, which is why no historical figures are reported.
Background to Quartiers’ ownership
Quartiers’ ownership of the operating company that runs the company’s apartment complex in Benahavís is an extension of the company’s Property Refinement business segment. By having in-house operating know-how, Quartiers has created a competitive advantage over other property owners. The value of hotel properties is created through profitable hotel operations, which in turn have to generate sufficient income to pay the market rent to the property owner. Quartiers’ business model is based on investing in underperforming properties and improving them to create growth in value. This is done by investing and optimising operations. It is therefore important that Quartiers also has control over operations in the business development phase.
Market and competition
Both the short- and long-term apartment rental markets are highly fragmented and dominated by private property owners with one or a few apartments to let. In Spain there are generally few operators specialising in just letting apartments, like the system of rental apartments in Sweden. So it has instead been more common to own a home and many young people have chosen, or for financial reasons have had no option other than to continue living with their parents until increasingly older ages compared with Sweden, which has a relatively well-functioning rental market. One of the reasons for the weak market dynamics for rental apartments is believed to be complex and unclear rental legislation for both property owners and tenants. One operator that has recently taken extensive market share is the US investment company Blackstone, which through a Spanish subsidiary structure has around 20,000 apartments to let in Spain. Blackstone focuses on long-term rental of residential properties with contract terms of at least three years per tenant. Blackstone is a direct competitor to Quartiers and currently rents out 55 apartments in Hacienda del Señorío de Cifuentes in Benahavís.
BOHO Club
Boho Club is Quartiers’ operating company for the hotel and restaurant project in the Golden Mile area of Marbella
The company in brief
- The company was founded in May 2018.
- Quartiers Properties owns 80 percent. The remaining 20 percent is owned by Raouf Amer Lotfi.
- Chief Executive Officer: Raouf Amer Lotfi.
- The company’s business comprises hotel and restaurant operations.
- The company has a tenancy agreement with Quartiers’ subsidiary CFS Marbella Hotel Property SL regarding the operation of part of the Centro Forestal Sueco property complex.
- As stated in its annual accounts, the company has four employees.
- Website: www.bohoclub.com
Company description
Boho Club is Quartiers’ operating company for the hotel and restaurant project in the Golden Mile area of Marbella, where Quartiers is currently developing part of the Centro Forestal Sueco property. The company was founded in 2018 and is 20 percent owned by Raouf Amer Lotfi, who has extensive experience of the hotel and restaurant industry. All key personnel have been employed by the company. These include Marie Rodoni, who was previously manager of the Columbus Hotel in Monaco and director of the Elite Palace Hotel in Stockholm, and the Michelin-star chef Diego del Rio.
Refurbishment of the hotel and the two restaurants is underway, with opening expected in 2019.
Background to Quartiers’ ownership
Ownership of Boho Club comes under the company’s Property Refinement segment. The property where the business is being developed is unusual with regard to planning, as a new local development plan is expected for Marbella in the next three years. The new local development plan is expected to have good opportunities for Quartiers to regain the same construction rights as in the 2010 local development plan, which was previously scrapped. Having a controlling stake in the operating company gives Quartiers greater control over the project, increasing the flexibility as property owner to fully leverage the potential value of the property in the short and long term. In addition, the current partnership and extensive experience of key personnel mean the operating company has the necessary experience to meet the requirements for an exclusive five-star design hotel.
Market and competition
The Marbella hotel market is highly international, with international guests accounting for over 80 percent of guest nights. Compared with other European destinations, Marbella is especially focused on the luxury segment and ranks number two in Spain for sales of exclusive products and services, with around one-third of total sales in Spain. Within walking distance of the planned hotel is Puerto Banús, which has one of the world’s highest concentrations of luxury goods shops per square metre.
Digitalisation has given affluent international consumers greater flexibility to travel, which has helped reduce seasonal variations in the higher Marbella segment. This is particularly reflected in the majority of all luxury hotels in Marbella being open all year round, and through established brands such as W Hotel, Club Med and Four Seasons working on extensive hotel projects that are due to open within the next few years.
In the restaurant market, as with the hotel segment, the market for restaurants in the top segment is growing. When they choose a restaurant, the customer group in this segment is often looking for a unique and special experience in addition to high-quality food and drink.
The range of new and established luxury hotel and restaurant brands is both expected to increase competition for Boho Club and to boost demand for the product that is being developed at the property. This is mainly due to the positive impact that these developments are having on Marbella’s brand as a tourist destination, which in turn is expected to boost travel to the region.
Board of directors and Management team
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOARD MEMBER SINCE 2017
Jimmie Hall (1974)
Jimmie has wide experience in the real estate industry where he was previously a consultant and partner of real estate advisors Jones Lang LaSalle, Nordier Property Advisors and Treal Fastighetsutveckling AB. Jimmie currently works as a real estate consultant through the company Realist Real Estate Development. Realist Real Estate Development helps some of Sweden’s largest property owners to work strategically on concepts development, profiling and leasing.
OTHER ASSIGNATIONS OF THE BOARD (IN SELECTION):
Member of the board and owner of JIHA AB and Wallery AB.
MAIN EDUCATION:
Jimmie is a certified property manager.
HOLDING OF SHARES IN THE COMPANY:
1,050 ordinary shares through companies and 100 ordinary shares privately.
INDEPENDENT OF:
Company and company management: yes.
Main shareholders: yes
BOARD MEMBER SINCE 2017
Jimmie Hall (1974)
Jimmie has wide experience in the real estate industry where he was previously a consultant and partner of real estate advisors Jones Lang LaSalle, Nordier Property Advisors and Treal Fastighetsutveckling AB. Jimmie currently works as a real estate consultant through the company Realist Real Estate Development. Realist Real Estate Development helps some of Sweden’s largest property owners to work strategically on concepts development, profiling and leasing.
OTHER ASSIGNATIONS OF THE BOARD (IN SELECTION):
Member of the board and owner of JIHA AB and Wallery AB.
MAIN EDUCATION:
Jimmie is a certified property manager.
HOLDING OF SHARES IN THE COMPANY:
1,050 ordinary shares through companies and 100 ordinary shares privately.
INDEPENDENT OF:
Company and company management: yes.
Main shareholders: yes
BOARD MEMBER SINCE 2019
Andreas Bonnier (1972)
Andreas founded Quartiers Properties and is a serial entrepreneur who has spent most of his career building and growing companies in international environments. Andreas has many years’ experience of property development in Switzerland and France, where he has lived for 37 years.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS OF THE BOARD (IN SELECTION):
Andreas is active as a Board member in a number of other growth companies, including Nowonomics AB, and as a trustee of the Bonnier Family Foundation and previously member in companies including Aitellu Technologies AB and Tradevenue AB and also of Quartiers Properties before, in 2014 and 2015–2017.
MAIN EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Business Administration degree and qualifications in international business and marketing from Schiller International University in Paris.
HOLDING OF SHARES IN THE COMPANY:
6,284,590 ordinary shares and 25,236 preference shares in the company through Egonomics AB. Andreas also holds 281,380 ordinary shares in the company directly through private holdings.
INDEPENDENT OF:
Company and company management: YesMain shareholders: No
BOARD MEMBER SINCE 2019
Andreas Bonnier (1972)
Andreas founded Quartiers Properties and is a serial entrepreneur who has spent most of his career building and growing companies in international environments. Andreas has many years’ experience of property development in Switzerland and France, where he has lived for 37 years.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS OF THE BOARD (IN SELECTION):
Andreas is active as a Board member in a number of other growth companies, including Nowonomics AB, and as a trustee of the Bonnier Family Foundation and previously member in companies including Aitellu Technologies AB and Tradevenue AB and also of Quartiers Properties before, in 2014 and 2015–2017.
MAIN EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Business Administration degree and qualifications in international business and marketing from Schiller International University in Paris.
HOLDING OF SHARES IN THE COMPANY:
6,284,590 ordinary shares and 25,236 preference shares in the company through Egonomics AB. Andreas also holds 281,380 ordinary shares in the company directly through private holdings.
INDEPENDENT OF:
Company and company management: YesMain shareholders: No
BOARD MEMBER SINCE 2017
Sten Andersen (1965)
Sten has been the marketing manager for state owned gambling company ATG (AB Trav and Galopp) since 2014. Sten has the overall responsibility for ATG’s positioning, manifesto and customer experience as well as for events and commercial communication activities. Sten has previously been the marketing manager at OBH Nordica. For 12 years, Sten was the CEO of several agencies within international communication groups, most recently the communications agency INGO, today ranked as one of the world’s foremost, in which Sten participated, founded by the merger of Gray Stockholm and Ogilvy Stockholm.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS OF THE BOARD (IN SELECTION):
Board member of Kanal 75 AB and Nowonomics AB.
MAIN EDUCATION:
Sten holds a degree in economics from the University of Lund.
HOLDING OF SHARES IN THE COMPANY:
83,085 ordinary shares.
INDEPENDENT OF:
Company and company management: yes.
Main shareholders: yes
BOARD MEMBER SINCE 2017
Sten Andersen (1965)
Sten has been the marketing manager for state owned gambling company ATG (AB Trav and Galopp) since 2014. Sten has the overall responsibility for ATG’s positioning, manifesto and customer experience as well as for events and commercial communication activities. Sten has previously been the marketing manager at OBH Nordica. For 12 years, Sten was the CEO of several agencies within international communication groups, most recently the communications agency INGO, today ranked as one of the world’s foremost, in which Sten participated, founded by the merger of Gray Stockholm and Ogilvy Stockholm.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS OF THE BOARD (IN SELECTION):
Board member of Kanal 75 AB and Nowonomics AB.
MAIN EDUCATION:
Sten holds a degree in economics from the University of Lund.
HOLDING OF SHARES IN THE COMPANY:
83,085 ordinary shares.
INDEPENDENT OF:
Company and company management: yes.
Main shareholders: yes
MANAGEMENT TEAM
CEO
Marcus Johansson Prakt (1990)
MARCUS JOHANSSON PRAKT became CEO in 2018 and was previously CFO, since 2017. His main tasks include leading the development of the company’s short- and long-term strategy and creating and implementing the company’s vision and mission. He has no assignments outside Quartiers and joined the company in 2016.
Marcus has a broad experience in property development and finance. While working at the Swedish real estate advisor Annordia, Marcus advised in hotel establishments for some of the largest real estate companies in Sweden. Marcus joined Quartiers after his position as Analyst/Project Manager at Mangold, where he managed IPSs, M&A transactions, capitalizations and regulatory matters related to listed companies. Marcus has a Master’s Degree in Finance from Gothenburg School of Business Economics and Law with part of the program completed at ESSEC business school in Paris and HEC in Montreal.
HOLDING OF SHARES IN THE COMPANY:
220,370 ordinary shares and 24,295 preference shares.
.
HEAD OF BUSINESS SUPPORT
Maria Cepero (1973)
MARIA CEPERO became Head of Business Support 2022 and was previously CFO of the company since 2018. Her main tasks are to support the business through operational and efficiency analysis, as well as implementation and operation of operational support functions. Maria has been an employee of Quartiers since 2018.
Maria has over 20 years of experience in tax, legal and financial aspects and has worked for companies such as Accenture and Symantec. She has also worked for other companies in Costa del Sol; including Xpat Marbella as founding partner, 9 lions residences as CFO and for Uniconta as a consultant.
She is an economist, registered at Malaga Economists Association with a degree in Business & Economic Science by University of Granada, Spain and stays at University of Limerick and Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland.
No shares in the company
HEAD OF BUSINESS SUPPORT
Maria Cepero (1973)
MARIA CEPERO became Head of Business Support 2022 and was previously CFO of the company since 2018. Her main tasks are to support the business through operational and efficiency analysis, as well as implementation and operation of operational support functions. Maria has been an employee of Quartiers since 2018.
Maria has over 20 years of experience in tax, legal and financial aspects and has worked for companies such as Accenture and Symantec. She has also worked for other companies in Costa del Sol; including Xpat Marbella as founding partner, 9 lions residences as CFO and for Uniconta as a consultant.
She is an economist, registered at Malaga Economists Association with a degree in Business & Economic Science by University of Granada, Spain and stays at University of Limerick and Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland.
No shares in the company
SENIOR ADVISOR
Lars Åke Olofsson (1956)
LARS ÅKE OLOFSSON became property manager in 2019 and his main tasks are designing and implementing business operations and overseeing the operations of the company. He has no assignments outside Quartiers.
Lars Åke has been living in Benahavis since 1989 and is responsible for the company\’s operations in Spain. Lars Åke has also been responsible for urban planning and infrastructure in the municipality of Benahavis for many years and has a long international career in Skanska, Tailor Woodrow in Spain and Tailor Wimpey. Lars Åke holds a Master of Science from the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.
No shares in the company
SENIOR ADVISOR
Lars Åke Olofsson (1956)
LARS ÅKE OLOFSSON became property manager in 2019 and his main tasks are designing and implementing business operations and overseeing the operations of the company. He has no assignments outside Quartiers.
Lars Åke has been living in Benahavis since 1989 and is responsible for the company\’s operations in Spain. Lars Åke has also been responsible for urban planning and infrastructure in the municipality of Benahavis for many years and has a long international career in Skanska, Tailor Woodrow in Spain and Tailor Wimpey. Lars Åke holds a Master of Science from the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.
No shares in the company
IR Director
Antonio Díaz-Barceló (1965)
ANTONIO DÍAZ-BARCELÓ became investor relations director in 2019 and his main tasks are providing company and market information to existing and potential investors, enabling effective two-way communication between a company, the financial community, and other constituencies. He is also a partner with a Madrid based corporate finance firm, ONEtoONE Corporate Finance.
Antonio has over 25 years of experience having managed real estate investments for over 20 billion euro. He has worked as auditor and analyst for companies like Deloitte, ABN AMRO and BBVA in Madrid and London. He has also served as the director of Bankia business at Sareb, director of corporate development and strategy at Acciona and Quabit Inmobiliaria, as a board member of Bestinver SASVB, Marina Port Forum and Rayet Geriatricos and as the president for Georgetown Club of Spain.
He holds an Engineering Degree by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, a Bachelor in Business Administration by UNED a Master of Business Administration by Georgetown University and Cum Laude Ph.D. by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
No shares in the company
IR Director
Antonio Díaz-Barceló (1965)
ANTONIO DÍAZ-BARCELÓ became investor relations director in 2019 and his main tasks are providing company and market information to existing and potential investors, enabling effective two-way communication between a company, the financial community, and other constituencies. He is also a partner with a Madrid based corporate finance firm, ONEtoONE Corporate Finance.
Antonio has over 25 years of experience having managed real estate investments for over 20 billion euro. He has worked as auditor and analyst for companies like Deloitte, ABN AMRO and BBVA in Madrid and London. He has also served as the director of Bankia business at Sareb, director of corporate development and strategy at Acciona and Quabit Inmobiliaria, as a board member of Bestinver SASVB, Marina Port Forum and Rayet Geriatricos and as the president for Georgetown Club of Spain.
He holds an Engineering Degree by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, a Bachelor in Business Administration by UNED a Master of Business Administration by Georgetown University and Cum Laude Ph.D. by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
No shares in the company
AUDITORS
Henrik Boman
Öhrlings PriceWaterhouseCoopers AB. Since 2015
NOMINATING COMITTEE
The Nominating Committee for the 2019 Annual General Meeting is comprised of Andreas Bonnier (shareholder representative of Egonomics AB), Jörgen Cederholm (shareholder representative of Fastighets Aktiebolag Bränneröd) and Mats Lundberg (as representative of Fastighets Aktiebolag Bränneröd and Mats Invest AB). Andreas Bonnier is the chairman of the Nominating Committee.