How developer ION is defying the crisis
24/11/2025
Following a challenging period for the real estate sector, CEOs Davy Demuynck and Kristof Vanfleteren look back in an interview with Expertise News on how ION weathered the crisis and simultaneously strengthened its foundations.
The market slowed down rapidly, costs rose and banks became more cautious, but by taking timely action and making strategic choices, we regained our agility. We temporarily put international growth plans on hold, refined internal processes and made choices that were both rational and radical. As a result, results remained stable and the company was able to continue investing in high-quality projects in the right locations.
ION is currently building on a particularly solid pipeline of more than three billion euros in Flanders, Brussels, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Thanks to our dual financing structure, with projects on our own balance sheet on the one hand and funds and JV structures on the other, we can respond flexibly to market opportunities. ION Residential Platform (IRP) plays an important role in this: by focusing on high-quality, affordable residential property in urban environments, we are building a stable, diversified portfolio that creates long-term value.
Our swift and well-considered decisions have made us stronger. Today, we are reaping the rewards.
In addition, new opportunities are emerging in the construction chain, now that contractors and suppliers are once again more open to collaboration and sharing expertise. We are not only strengthening our commercial clout, but also continuing to focus on projects with a social impact. Among other things, our care flats and inclusive housing concepts respond to the growing housing shortage and demographic changes in Belgium. With this clear focus, we look to the future with confidence.
Read the full interview on Expertise News.
