The Readers' Choice Realty Awards presented at the 21st edition of Business Review's Realty Forum

As the curtains dropped yesterday after more than two hours of insightful conversations, the spotlight moved from the conference room to the networking area where, after the launch of the latest edition of the annual Realty Guide, Business Review presented the Readers’ Choice Realty Awards, consisting of 10 categories based on the most successful content in the “Property” category.

A premiere for Business Review’s Realty Forum, the Readers’ Choice Realty Awards took a step back from the usual “Editors’ choice” format and focused on the Vox Populi of the BR readership and social media community. By looking at the best-performing companies in the Romanian real estate sector through this lens, Business Review determined, according to the metrics of the news articles, stories, analyses, profiles, or interviews from the last 12 months, what are the most remarkable accomplishments in the industry and who are the people behind them:

Most Dynamic Mixed-Use Urban Hub

Vastint Romania for Timpuri Noi Square, the most dynamic new urban pole, providing an interactive, friendly environment with a unique identity, which includes working, leisure and living functions, integrated into a mixed-use environment – modern, class A office complex, retail spaces & plaza.

Trophy handed out to Sorin Macoveiu, Commercial Manager, Vastint Romania

“We are deeply pleased and honored to have received the award for the “Most Dynamic Mixed-Use Urban Hub” for our Timpuri Noi Square project, during Business Review’s Realty Forum 2022. Timpuri Noi Square is for sure the most dynamic urban pole, which provides an interactive, friendly environment with a unique identity, includes working, leisure and living functions, integrated into a mixed-use environment, modern class A office complex, retail spaces & plaza, and as we always say: the place to be in the middle of the city! We are thankful for the entire Timpuri Noi Square team, that has shown relentless effort for this dynamic real estate project!” Declared Macoveiu.

Most Important Office Lease Deal

IMMOFINANZ Romania for signing the 25-year lease contract for 6,500 sqm in Victoria Park with Leventer Medical Group, which will invest around 10 million Euros in a private dermatology and oncology surgery hospital set to open in 2024.

Trophy handed out to Andreea Cotiga, Senior Leasing Manager, IMMOFINANZ Romania

“We are extremely honored and proud to have received the “Most Important Office Lease Deal” award from Business Review, for leasing 6.500 sqm in myhive Victoria Park, surface that will host the country’s first private dermatology and surgical oncology hospital. This year has been as challenging for us as it is rewarding and we are grateful for the acknowledgment of this transaction and of its importance for the office sector. Special thanks to the amazing team of Leventer Medical Group for this partnership and for the trust that they have invested in us for the next 25 years.” Andreea Cotiga told Business Review.

Best National Expansion Strategy

SPEEDWELL for its large portfolio of developments in Romania that includes RECORD PARK in Cluj-Napoca, THE IVY, TRIAMA Residence, THE MEADOWS, SPACEPLUS and MIRO inBucharest, PALTIM in Timisoara, and RIVERSIDE CITY in Ramnicu Valcea.

Trophy handed out to Jan Demeyere, Co-Founder & Partner, Speedwell

“We are very proud to have received The Best National Expansion recognition from Business Review. A big thank you to Business Review, its readers and the Speedwell Superteam for making this possible!” Says Demeyere.

“The entire Speedwell Superteam thanks the readers of Business Review for this nice recognition of looking beyond the capital and exploring the potential of the amazing country that Romania is.” Added Didier Balcaen, Founder & CEO at Speedwell, on LinkedIn.

Best Office Transformation Project

Genesis Property for the transformation of YUNITY Park, a new real estate concept that will encompass new facilities for the working and urban living trends of the future in a unique green space with a futuristic design, that will cover a total area of 7,500 square meters.

Trophy handed out to Maria Tudorica, Commercial Real Estate Manager, Genesis Property

“YUNITY Park’s recognition as Best Office Transformation Project honors us, at Genesis Property, and acknowledges our strategic journey towards sustainable and community-driven developments. YUNITY Park is our way of creating a business campus specifically tailored to people’s lives at and beyond the office, addressing the complexity of the human nature with respect. This makes it more than just a real estate transformation project, but rather an experiential platform that will redesign how people will interact, collaborate, and socialize in the future, in a dynamic and flexible environment that is closely connected to nature.” Said Maria Tudorica.

5.Most Comprehensive Office Portfolio Upgrade

AFI Europe Romania for upgrading the office projects within its portfolio of approximately 300,000 sqm GLA in Romania and the refurbishment of all public areas within its AFI Lakeview office building, following an investment of approximately 2 million Euros.

Trophy handed out to Emma Toma, Head of Office Division, AFI Europe Romania

“Thank you, Business Review, for an inspiring event and bringing together the real estate industry under one roof to celebrate a year-long worth of development efforts and investments. Us, at AFI Europe, are very grateful for receiving the award for Most Comprehensive Office Portfolio Upgrade for our AFI Lakeview modernisation project. It’s a recognition of our aim to uphold the highest standards when it comes to the office buildings in our portfolio and an encouragement to continue offering our tenants and their employees modern, sustainable spaces, where they can feel safe and part of a dynamic community.” Emma Toma said while accepting the trophy.

6.Best Technology Driven Office Building

Globalworth for Globalworth Square, a very ambitious project, designed as a business hub focused on sustainability, innovation, and efficiency, where cutting-edge technologies play a central role, such as a photovoltaic roof, or in-built humidification, innovative air disinfection, and ecological cooling systems.

Trophy handed out to Oana Cojocaru, Investments and Capital Markets Senior Manager, Globalworth

“We are very honoured to have received the Best Technology Driven Office Building award for Globalworth Square, our ambitious project, designed as a business hub focused on sustainability, innovation, cutting-edge technologies and efficiency. The development of PropTech represents a fundamental move towards broad-scale digitisation of buildings. We are happy to bring the future closer and we will continue to lead the global transformation of the real estate sector in Romania. Thank you for the recognition!” Declared Oana Cojocaru.

7.Best Urban Regeneration Project

One United Properties for One Cotroceni Park, an ambitious urban regeneration project developed on the former Ventilatorul platform, which is shaping up as a true city within a city, composed of a residential area with 868 apartments, a business park with two office buildings and a commercial area.

Trophy handed out to Beatrice Dumitrascu, CEO Residential Sales, One United Properties

“With every innovative real estate development focusing on urban regeneration, Bucharest comes back to life. Thank you Business Review for the great opportunity to receive the “Business Review’s Readers’ Choice Realty Awards” for One Cotroceni Park, the mixd use development designed under the Live|Work|Play holistic approach, providing to both employees and residents a large variety of integrated amenities. On the total land surface of over 5.5 hectares, the development will have around 15,000 sqm of total retail area, about 900 living apartments.” Says Beatrice Dumitrascu.

8.Best Net-Zero Carbon Office Project

Skanska Romania for Equilibrium 2, the first office building in Romania to obtain a preliminary Net Zero Carbon Buildings certification, aiming to address a series of systematic strategies that provide solutions in combating climate change, improving the health and well-being of people, and moving towards a circular economy.

Trophy handed out to Manuela Özdemir, Project Manager at Skanska’s commercial development business unit in CEE

“We are deeply honored to have received the award for “Best Net-Zero Carbon Office Project” presented by Business Review during the Realty Forum 2022, especially for a subject of such great importance for us all at Skanska – the Net Zero Carbon Building certification, developed in collaboration with the Romania Green Building Council. Equilibrium 2 project obtained the preliminary certification, becoming the first in Central and Eastern Europe to attain it. We want to thank Business Review for this honor and, of course, our readers for creating such a great community, caring about sustainability and a greener future. This cannot happen as an individual effort, as a matter of fact, sustainability is the area where we can join our forces for a common goal – reduce our impact on climate change!” Says Manuela Ozdemir, Project Manager for Skanska’s operations in Romania.

9.Best Long Term Vision in Urban Development

IULIUS for the company’s wider vision to promote and implement good practices in urban development. IULIUS also organized the first international architecture competition for a new development in downtown Iasi. Four world acclaimed architecture firms entered the competition, won eventually by UNStudio from Amsterdam.

Trophy handed out to Marius Persenea, COO, IULIUS Group

“We are honored to receive this prize granted by Business Review, especially given that it reflects the direction we are taking in urban development, one that is focused on a sustainable future, a future of the people. The fact that four of the most prominent architectural offices in the world, the projects of whom are admired by many of us, and which are studied by architecture students worldwide, have made designs for a new development in Iasi for the first time in a contest in Romania, is a success not only for IULIUS, but also for the real estate market, and the way the cities of tomorrow are developing. We are very happy to have achieved this in a dialogue with the entire community. And we are happy to see this endeavor receiving recognition and appreciation as a prize in Realty Forum 2022.” Said Persenea.

Most Sustainable Residential Project

IMPACT Developer & Contractor for LUXURIA Residence, the first BREEAM Excellent certified residential project in Bucharest, a green compound which gives special importance to the sustainability of the buildings and the wellbeing of the residents.

Trophy handed out to Tinu Sebesanu, CEO, Impact Developer & Contractor

“We accepted with great joy the award “The Most Sustainable Residential Project – LUXURIA Residence” offered at the Realty Forum 2022, organized by the prestigious publication Business Review. LUXURIA is the first residential compound in Bucharest designed to obtain the BREEAM Excellent certification, the most important method of assessing sustainability for building and infrastructure projects. We are honored by the award received at the Realty Forum as it is an important recognition of IMPACT’s efforts to provide generations of anger with a better future through the development of sustainable communities.” Says Sebesanu.