Urban Partners exits €1bn+ logistics portfolio as market liquidity returns

Urban Partners announced the divestment of more than €1 billion of logistics assets across two separate transactions on behalf of its funds NSF III, NSF IV, NSF V and NIP. Strong interest from both domestic and international investors highlights continued demand for Nordic logistics, characterised by increased e-commerce penetration, rental growth and an undersupply of modern assets.

Jani Nokkanen, Co-Head of Real Estate and Chief Investment Officer at Urban Partners, said: “These transactions demonstrate Urban Partners’ ability to execute at scale and deliver strong outcomes for our investors, including through the largest Nordic, direct logistics portfolio sale in several years. In a market that is stabilising after a period of volatility, we have been able to generate liquidity by building high-performing portfolios with modern specifications, long leases and prime locations.”

Following these two exits, Urban Partners remains the leading logistics investment manager in the region, with continued conviction in the sector across Northern Europe and a combined 2 million sqm of standing assets and assets in the development pipeline.

The larger of the two transactions, representing approximately €830 million of assets and thereby the largest direct logistics portfolio transaction in the Nordics since 2021, is due to close in April with Catena AB, a public logistics property company headquartered in Sweden. The portfolio comprises 20 modern logistics properties totalling >600,000 sqm, strategically located in established logistics hubs across Sweden, Denmark and Finland. The portfolio benefits from a stable WAULT of 11 years.

The second transaction, comprised of assets totalling 118,000 sqm, is being sold to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, together with its operating partner, Fokus Nordic, further evidence of strong global institutional demand for Nordic logistics assets. The portfolio comprises five high-quality logistics properties across Sweden and Denmark, in prime locations.

The transactions reflect interest from institutional capital to strengthen their Nordic logistics foothold and the quality of the portfolios, highlighting Urban Partners’ ability to aggregate, develop and operate logistics assets to a standard attractive to long-term capital. Leveraging a highly specialised team, the firm built institutional-grade portfolios, with more than 70% of the properties sold developed by Urban Partners over the past four years.

In both transactions, Urban Partners has been advised by Real Advokatbyrå as lead legal advisors, and Colliers & JLL as joint sell-side advisors.