ION Real Estape

Built Heritage is a component of our history and what our streets look like. In a future that will be marked by population growth and where there are already increasing limits on construction and the use of concrete in open spaces, we discuss the role of our Built Heritage. Matthias Diependaele, the Flemish Minister of Finance, Finance, Budgets, Housing and Immovable Heritage, Erwin Vrijens, Head of Real Estate at Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV - investment company owned by the Flemish government) and Jeroen Huysmans, business development director at ION express their views on the subject.

People are having to work increasingly longer. So not only do employers need to find people who are a match with their business but also keep those people on board. How does employer branding help the real estate industry position itself as an attractive employer in the market? That is the topic of our podcast with Stijn Baert, professor of labour economics at Ghent University, Jonas Heuts, managing partner of employer branding agency Insilencio and Florence Leterme, HR director of project developer ION.

In Flanders alone, the construction sector produces 15 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste every year. This is the equivalent to as many as 40 demolished Empire State Buildings. This gigantic mountain of waste, of course, signifies a potential goldmine of reusable raw materials and other materials. The potential benefits of urban mining for the climate, humans and nature seem obvious but is it in fact as straightforward and advantageous as it first appears? We put it to 3 experts: Peter Artois: technical director for ION, Anton Maertens: co-founder of BC Architects Studies & Materials and Sam Vandenberghe: Atelier Circuler vzw (an open workplace engaged in urban mining).

A great many problems such as fragmentation, ribbon development and poor insulation are a consequence of the vision of construction and living in the second half of the twentieth century. If we want to keep our planet habitable, then we need to shift our focus to green space and to more sustainable, energy-neutral and more compact building. Davy Demuynck, CEO of ION, Herman Konings, change psychologist and trend analyst, and Rick Splinter, Associate Partner at Mecanoo Architects, reflect on building in the future.

Retail has had a particularly difficult time over the past two years. On the one hand due to the compulsory closures, on the other due to the flourishing of e-commerce that followed. Are physical shops a thing of the past? Is the solution to be found in our existing shopping areas or is there a need for a shift of mentality? We sat down with five experts: Nicolas Damman, Director at consultancy firm PwC, Jan De Nys, CEO and founder of Retail Estates, Stijn Thomas, co-founder of Avenue, Nicolas Beaussillon, Managing Director of Wereldhave Belgium and Christophe Leenesonne, Senior Business Developer at ION.

Climate change is leading to extreme weather conditions, which is why Europe developed the Green Deal. The objective of this new growth strategy is to make the EU a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. Let’s discuss the impact of this Green Deal on the real-estate sector with Davy Demuynck, CEO of ION, Iwan Barrez, Sustainability Manager at KBC Bank and Insurance, and Nele Pieters, Chief Strategy Officer at Encon. 

Those who want to buy or rent a home are confronted with skyrocketing property prices. It is becoming very difficult to enter the housing market without a solid financial boost, particularly for young people and people with more limited financial means. Can housing become affordable again? Let’s ask Alexis Spaas, Business Unit Manager at ION, Frédéric Sohet, Managing Partner Financial Advisory Real Estate at Deloitte Belgium, and Jens Aerts, urban engineer and architect at BUUR Part of Sweco.

The energy requirements for buildings are becoming increasingly strict. By 2050, every building must carry an A energy label, which is a great challenge for home owners and property developers alike. Sustainable construction - how do we go about it? We asked Kristof Vanfleteren, CEO of ION, Jeroen Rabaey, co-founder of NOVEN, a Ghent-based expert in sustainable energy, and Tinne Van der Straeten, federal Minister for Energy.

Real-estate prices in Belgium are on the rise. In 2020, despite the Covid-19 crisis, we recorded an increase of 5.7 percent. Real estate therefore seems a very profitable investment. But is that set to change? Let’s ask Frank Vranken, investment strategist at Puilaetco Private Bank, Mark Delboo, lawyer specialising in wealth & assets at Delboo Advocaten, and Kristof Vanfleteren, CEO of ION.

Innovation also plays an important role in the real estate market. Technological innovations are launched one after the other in rapid succession and offer new challenges and opportunities. Arne Allewaert Managing Partner of AMAVI, Steven Lambert Venture Capitalist and former owner of Spacewell and Davy Demuynck CEO of ION share their views in this podcast.

In the second edition of Real Estape we focus on the world of institutional investments in the real-estate business. We talk to the 3 partners of ION Residential Platform about the future of the rental market and the goals of IRP. Meet Line Verroken Senior Investment Manager of CBRE Global Investment Partners, Jasper Petit Senior Portfolio Manager Europ van Bouwinvest and Sam Bordon Investment Director van ION.

In this first edition of ION Real Estape, we discuss the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the real-estate market. What’s next? That is the key question in our podcast with Filip Dewaele, CEO of real-estate group Dewaele vastgoedgroep, Véronique Goossens, Head of Research at the economic research department of Belfius, and Davy Demuynck, CEO of ION.