Around 120 leaders of the real estate sector met on Wednesday during the Real Estate Forum 2025, held in Miami, where they agreed that the United States (U.S.) continues to be a safe bet for real estate, thanks to the strength of its market, its capacity for value appreciation and its role as an alternative to global financial volatility.
During the forum organized by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the U.S., in collaboration with ABANCA USA as main sponsor, the challenges and opportunities currently facing the real estate sector, especially in the office, retail, residential, multifamily and hospitality industries, were discussed through different panels of experts.
Florida consolidates its position as a key destination
The event began with a conversation between the CEO of ABANCA USA and president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United States, Mónica Vázquez, and the president of the real estate company Related Group, Jon Paul Pérez.
Both highlighted Florida’s emergence as an outstanding destination for real estate investment, especially international and from other states in the country.
They also highlighted the attractiveness of lower density coastal areas and warned that tariffs create uncertainty for investors and developers.
South Florida maintains its strength
“Investments from Latin America have slowed down due to the country’s current political context,” Perez told EFE in an interview.
However, he maintained that, “with time, the situation will return to the way it was before”.
For his part, the CEO of The Estates Company, Alejandro Arrieta, said that the sector has a “very good” outlook for what is to come.
He added that South Florida is the “strongest market, if not in the world, then particularly in the United States”.
Affordable housing and more innovation called for
Alan Ojeda, CEO of Rilea Group, noted that one of the challenges facing South Florida is the creation of affordable communities, well connected by public transportation.
An indispensable factor for the sustainable growth of the area.
In addition to this, other panelists at the event highlighted the need to adopt advanced technological solutions, such as AI.
As well as sustainable practices to optimize residential management.
The main challenges
In the conversation ‘Structuring and financing of real estate projects’, ABANCA’s director of credit relations, Margarita Sánchez-Lloria, indicated that:
“Financing based on trusted relationships remains the main focus for banks.”
Whereas funds and institutions tend to operate on a more transactional basis, accepting higher levels of debt in exchange for a higher price.
He also revealed that some of the challenges facing foreign investors are:
“The permitology, which is very different from that of their countries of origin” and access to financing, since for them “local banking is quite closed”.
The conclusions of the event
Our goal with the Real Estate Forum is for it to become an annual meeting point for the sector’s key decision-makers, offering a space for debate with different perspectives and a cross-cutting vision of the industry,” said the CEO of the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Juan Carlos Pereira, “Our goal is for the Real Estate Forum to become an annual meeting point for the sector’s key decision-makers, offering a space for debate with different perspectives and a cross-cutting vision of the industry. Juan Carlos Pereira, CEO of the U.S.-Spain Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, the general manager of ABANCA USA stressed the importance of the conversation space.
Its objective is to carry out the main discussions on the prospects of this economic sector.
“It has been a forum where the most important thing is that a communications platform has been created between the great leaders in real estate and investors.
“There has been a lot of communication, very open conversations about opportunities, challenges and difficulties,” Vázquez told EFE.
The U.S. consolidates its growth
This event comes at a time of growth for the U.S. real estate sector, which could reach a market valued at $3.11 trillion by 2030, according to a statement from the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Vázquez also stressed that the United States is a strategic market for ABANCA, a Spanish bank with a presence in 11 countries in Europe and the Americas.
In six years of activity in the U.S., the country has become the third most important market for the institution in terms of business volume, surpassed only by Spain and Portugal.
From its operations headquarters in Miami, ABANCA USA provides its services to the entire North American nation and to international clients with interests in that country, according to information from EFE.
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