Debrecen4U
September 25, 2025
Real estate developments: major investors are no longer just talking about Debrecen
As reported based on the EDC Debrecen press release, Debrecen also presented itself at the Portfolio Property Investment Forum in Budapest.
The city’s leading developers appeared at the conference with a joint stand and program, presenting Debrecen’s opportunities through a panel discussion.
When contacted by Médiacentrum Debrecen, one of the participants in the panel discussion, Virág Marossy, stated that they set a goal with local real estate developers to show how the city’s economy has developed in recent times and what impact this has had on real estate development. The CEO of Debreceni Vagyonkezelő Zrt. (Debrecen Asset Management) added that the asset manager acts as an engine between the city and the developers in this system, and the holding sells the land to investors. As she said, they would like to show local opportunities not only to Debrecen but also to Budapest and foreign investors.
Marossy Virág reported that she has been attending the Portfolio conference for a long time, and now the interest in Debrecen has really increased, adding that investors have already been looking for them at the conference to inquire about the opportunities. She said that this year they set up a joint stand at the Portfolio conference for the first time, offering a great opportunity to talk to potential developers visiting the stand.
Zoltán Pécskay, the managing director of the EDC Debrecen City and Economic Development Center, who moderated the panel discussion, talked about how around EUR 12 billion of working capital has arrived in Debrecen in the past 10 years. “There is a change of scale at the moment, a leap forward, not just growth; the city’s GDP will increase by an astonishing amount between 2020 and 2030,” he added. In a statement to the Debrecen Media Center, he said that Debrecen’s economic development successes have attracted attention at an international level, but that the real estate development results are also worth presenting. So far, these have mainly been carried out by local companies and have also provided a basis for the development of the economy. He emphasized that although the companies at the Debrecen stand were essentially competitors, they had nevertheless come together under the slogan “Together for the development of Debrecen.” He believes this approach is very important.
According to experts, the commercial real estate market may continue to strengthen in the city. One of the drivers of this will be the BMW Group Debrecen Plant, which will be officially handed over on Friday.
Gergely Ditróy, the business development director of the Portfolio Group, told Médiacentrum that, “For a long time, capital-rich real estate developers primarily thought about Budapest, but now, as a result of a long, conscious construction, Debrecen has appeared on their map, and they are no longer just talking about investing here, but investments that actually attract capital and investors who may have been more risk-averse until now. They recognized that this is indeed a thriving region with real potential for success. The foundation of its viability lies in a vibrant and growing economy and industry.”
The expert stated that the mood in Hungary’s commercial real estate investment market has been somewhat pessimistic in recent years, but now a shift is emerging—possibly influenced by the momentum of Debrecen and other major rural cities.
Gergely Ditróy also said that for the first time, Debrecen had its own dedicated panel discussion at the Portfolio Property Investment Forum, which attracted significant interest.
Sándor Szabó, Deputy CEO of Szinorg Universal Zrt., also believes that Debrecen has now entered a positive spiral—where any step forward by one player creates new opportunities for others as well, according to Portfolio’s report.
Zsolt Nyitrai, Risk Management Director of XANGA Investment & Development Group, talked about how the Western Industrial Zone was developed with private capital, and they started diversifying due to the appearance of competition. Gábor Krizsán, Business Development Director of Dryvit Profi Kft., emphasized that developers are in a fortunate position, as they are given opportunities as a result of the decisions of the Debreceni Vagyonkezelő Zrt.
It was also mentioned that hotel room capacity in Debrecen has increased by 50% over the past five years, with half of the rooms being newly built or recently renovated. In 2022, Mercure entered the local market, followed by Hilton and Ibis.
The forum also addressed the fact that between 2014 and 2024, just over 5,000 new apartments were built in Debrecen, but this process has now accelerated significantly. According to the Hungarian National Bank’s housing market index, Debrecen currently ranks second after Budapest in terms of new housing construction. Major residential developments are underway, including a project by the Budapest-based Bayer Group to build 550 apartments, and the Swiss-backed iProperty AG is constructing a unique condominium on Komlóssy Street.
Source and photo credit:dehir.hu
