Professional services and investment management company Colliers has expanded its profile in Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula by opening a Lisbon office and appointing Pedro Valente as managing director.
Valente’s appointment and the firm's expansion in Portugal is in response to both domestic and international client demand, as the call for cross-border transactions has risen locally within Portugal and from Spain.
Mikel Echavarren, CEO in Spain, said: 'The Portuguese real estate market offers huge investment opportunities for our clients in the same market segments that we are most active in Spain – notably offices, hotels, build to rent, and data centres.
'The appointment and leadership of Pedro Valente will allow us to respond to the needs of our clients, combining his experience in the Portuguese market with the best-in-class approach that distinguishes our company.'
Valente is a capital markets expert with over 20 years of experience. He joined Colliers from WORX Real Estate Consultants where he focused on offices, retail, tourism and hospitality, and industrial and logistics assets, along with distressed sales.
The new office is in a prime central business district on Barata Salgueiro, adjacent to Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon.
Chris McLernon, CEO in EMEA added: 'This is yet another strategic appointment for Colliers in Europe - on the heels of our expansion in Italy with the acquisition of Antirion and our Colliers affiliate.
'Portugal is an important market, both domestically and internationally and we are delighted to see Pedro join Mikel to build our Iberian presence in response to client demand.'
In the coming months, capital markets, corporate finance and valuations experts joining Colliers Portugal will form a joint team with Colliers Spain, under a strategic umbrella of services in the Iberian market.
'I am delighted to be starting up Colliers’ operation in Lisbon and look forward to developing the team. This is a fantastic opportunity for Portugal and Spain to combine expertise and establish a market-leading Iberian offer.
'Together, we will unlock the cross-border potential that exists between the two countries, as well as the broader European region,” said Valente.
