In this new episode of the BeeBonds podcast, our guest is Manuel Rizzo, project manager in the "Op der Pompel" campaign, which involves the construction of 3 residences of 4 flats in the village of Mertert in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
In this episode, discover :
- Highlights of the Op der Pompel project ;
- The track record of the project owner;.
- Why Manuel Rizzo called on BeeBonds;
- How does it intend to repay the bondholders?
More information about the Op der Pompel campaign
This campaign is part of the solidarity partnership with the United Fund for Belgium association to make a financial contribution to the fight against social exclusion in Belgium.
In practical terms, for each new investor making an investment, BeeBonds will pass on part of its fees to United Fund for Belgium.
More information about our real estate crowdfunding campaigns in Luxembourg.
Warning:
Subscribing to a Capital Raising involves an element of risk for the investor in terms of the repayment of capital and the payment of interest due. Before investing, please read the information memorandum. For individuals resident in Belgium for tax purposes, interest received is subject to a withholding tax of 30%.
Transcript
Elisa
Hello everyone and welcome to the BeeBonds podcast. Today I'm pleased to welcome Manuel Rizzo. Hello Manuel.
Manuel Rizzo
Hello.
Elisa
Welcome to this episode. You are the project owner of our new Op der Pompel campaign, presented on the platform, which consists of financing the construction of three residences with four luxury flats in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Thank you for accepting our invitation.
Manuel Rizzo
A pleasure. Thank you for your time.
Elisa
Manuel, I'd like to get straight to the heart of the matter by telling us the story of your Op der Pompel project.
Manuel Rizzo
The Op der Pompel project in the municipality of Mertert is a development of three residences with four flats that began in 2018. We had our first meeting with the owners to really see the feasibility of a project on this plot of land. Since 2018, we've been looking into the matter with the municipality, and it was finally in April 2022 that we received planning permission for this project.
Elisa
What do you see as the strengths of your project?
Manuel Rizzo
We're in the east of the country, we have direct access to Luxembourg City, we have a train station at Mertert and also at Wasserbillig where there's a train to the city practically every half hour. Opposite the project is a bus stop that will take you directly to Kirchberg, in Luxembourg. The commune itself is a green commune along the vineyards, the good Luxembourg wine in our region, and the commune itself has really grown over the last few decades. We've had an influx of more than 1,200 new residents and we're currently expecting to have around 1,500 new residents in Mertert over the next ten years.
Elisa
Can you also talk about the energy performance of buildings?
Manuel Rizzo
Yes, the project will be built to energy class A/B/A, which means that, in theory, it will have an insulating facade. But I'm not a fan of an insulating facade. I'm going to use a Ytong block that's practically on the inside, the insulation is on the inside and it's completely ecological insulation at 100 %. And I'm going to make windows with an aluminium frame, a wooden frame and an aluminium exterior. There will be a photovoltaic system on the roof. The project will really be of the highest quality. Firstly, because I'm going to be living in it myself afterwards. And as it's a project that's being carried out in my own commune, I'm sure I'll be putting all my know-how into it for the well-being of the future buyers.
Elisa
This is an opportunity to talk a little about you. Can you tell us a bit about your career in real estate?
Manuel Rizzo
I started in 2000 with Court de Construction in Luxembourg, which at the time was one of the biggest construction companies in Luxembourg, and which also did a lot of residential work at the time. They hired me to manage their estate agency. And in 2009, I set up my own business in Mertert, the town where I was born, where I already had the whole network around me. The company also had a building project in my home town. At the time, I did almost 70% of sales. If I look a little more closely at my career, the associative aspect, in 2010 I joined the board of directors of the Chambre immobilière in Luxembourg, where I also directly took over the representation work in Brussels, at CEPI, which is the European Confederation of Real Estate Professions. We lobby the Parliament and the European Commission. In 2013, I joined FIABCI Luxembourg, which is the World Federation of Real Estate Professionals. I took over the position of president in 2016 and in 2018 until 2022, I was even world president of estate agencies within the international FIABCI.
Elisa
All right, then. How are you going to redeem the BeeBonds?
Manuel Rizzo
The repayment, of course, will come from the sale of the development. The project has already been sold to a third party. And as soon as we start selling, sales will naturally continue. We're still negotiating with an investor for an entire residence, which is well under way. If all goes well, we'll be able to start work on two residences as soon as possible. But first, we're going to start on residence 1. Next year, residence 2 and residence 3 will be ready in 2026. I wanted to put together a conservative programme to pay back the Beebonds investors afterwards, and I'd like to thank them very much now because it's a very good alternative solution for financing these projects.
Elisa
Thank you very much, Manuel Rizzo.
Manuel Rizzo
I'd also like to thank you for this opportunity and, of course, I'd like to thank once again all the investors who have put their trust in me. And believe me, I'm not going to disappoint you.
Elisa
Thank you for listening to this podcast. Visit the beebonds.com platform to create your free investor account. Beebonds allows you to invest directly in companies via bond issues without intermediary fees. You can earn an average gross annual interest return of 7.7 %. The bonds offered are debt instruments. Lending to SMEs exposes you to the risk of losing all or part of your investment. Individuals resident in Belgium for tax purposes are subject to a 30 % withholding tax on interest income. Before investing, please read the information note relating to the project. Finally, for each campaign, BeeBonds sponsors a beehive to support biodiversity.
