Free Immo |
The network of real estate agencies Era, which has more than 140 agencies in Belgium, has taken a big resolution this year: to play “thoroughly“the map of the new.”Thanks to the support of its network, its internal marketing agency and the use of extensive data“, the latter aims to attract in its portfolio “some 8,000 new units per year by 2030, i.e. one in ten new apartments available on the market“, he says in a press release. To achieve this, Era has decided to create a brand new internal division: Era Projects. It is intended to support real estate developers by facilitating the sale of their new projects across the country. . “The new home market experienced serious difficulties last year, mainly due to delays in launches. This is why 2023 will be a crucial year for new constructions“, provides Johan Krijgsman, CEO of Era, quoted in the press release.
According to the latest figures from Statbel relayed by Era, local authorities issue a little less than 25,000 permits each year for residential construction, which represents, year after year, some 80,000 new housing units. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of permits issued increased by another 40%. But in 2022, it dropped and fewer projects were launched.
“On the one hand, it is linked to the increase in procedures and disputes relating to permits and, on the other hand, to the increase in construction costs due to the war in Ukraine and high inflation.comments Marjanne Migom, operational director of Era Projects for Belgium. Even though the new home market is slowly recovering, many developers do not know how to boost their sales and marketing. They find that the market tends to run out of steam, especially compared to the peak years of Covid. These promoters can now call on us.“
Incentives to provide
Because Era is convinced that the new will gain in importance in the coming years. The network even mentions a “new boom.” “People looking for a home, young and old, are more than ever having to choose between an energy-efficient renovation and a new construction. People in their fifties and sixties are the most inclined to choose new construction: they have time to wait several years for their project to be completed and, like many investors, they are not put off by the rise in interest rates. interest and put a lot more cash on the table“, observe Johan Krijgsman.
Political decisions could also play a decisive role in the direction that the market will take, continues Era, who cites, among other things, the example of the VAT rate reduced to 6% on demolition-reconstruction, which “is in place until the end of the year and could be extended.” “Given the dilapidated state of our housing stock, inflation and the cost of energy, the reconstruction of the city on the city can only begin through tax incentives decided in the long term to respond to strong demand for housing while aiming for carbon neutrality.”