Philippe Barthélémy (We Invest Capital Partners): promoting real estate investment
Alternative investments in real estate are experiencing significant growth. Philippe Barthélémy and his partners Pierre Thomas and Jean-François Quevrain (We Invest Capital Partners) make the most of the skill set offered by the financial center to carry out their projects.
Can you present your project in a few words?
We have just set up the structure "We Invest Capital Partners", initiator of a real estate fund which will be called Premium Real Estate Fund SICAV-RAIF S.C.A., whose mission is to make premium investsments in real estate. The first pillar resides in the selection of locations on the basis of their high visibility and popularity. We have thus identified opportunities in Miami, in the major resorts of the French Alps, in the Monegasque region and in the Île-de-France region. We then choose local partners to deploy projects for development, renovation or acquisition and sale. We are opportunistic in the selection of projects (residential, commercial...), provided that the selected area enjoys good visibility and that the project conveys a strong image.
What advantages does this type of investment offer?
Alternative investments generally have higher profitability profiles than traditional products (stock market, savings accounts, etc.). They attract more and more sophisticated investors, but also institutional clients. We target performance on projects that we select for their ability to generate returns over short periods - from 24 to 42 months. Moreover, backing a superior performance strategy with a real estate counterparty limits the risk to one’s capital.
What role does Luxembourg play in your strategy?
We are launching a specialised operation by integrating all the best practices and know-how of the financial center. We also rely on major players in Luxembourg: custodian banks, fund managers, service providers etc. The pooling of our respective expertise ensures excellent service and transparency for investors. Luxembourg serves as a base for the deployment of our strategy and contributes to the influence of the Luxembourg financial centre on business lines that are less represented there. In addition to the large institutions, it is in the Grand Duchy's interest to support smaller teams that can benefit from Luxembourg's know-how, while promoting the country at the same time. Historically, the Grand-Duchy has developed the back and middle office sector. The presence of front office players developing investment strategies in Luxembourg is still too confidential. The next step for the financial centre will be to welcome and structure these businesses. In addition, the world of alternative investments is opening up more and more to family offices and qualified investors. It will therefore be necessary to ensure a more direct dialogue with them and to better manage relationships by proactively developing a competitive advantage in the application of the many regulations governing our industry. And we intend to meet these challenges.