This year, Antonissen celebrates its 15th anniversary. Originally a small-scale renovation company, Antonissen has since become one of the leading property developers in Antwerp. Founder Michaël Antonissen reflects on the past years and on the four milestones that helped position Antonissen as a developer. ‘It all started with home renovation.’

29 May 2024

Steendok, the first newbuild development

The Steendok development in 2010 marked the official start of Antonissen as we know it today. ‘Until then, I mainly focused on small-scale renovation projects,’ says Michaël Antonissen. ‘When we got the opportunity to redevelop a row of houses, we snapped up our first land for development. Steendok consists of 12 apartments, two commercial spaces, and an underground car park. “I spent eight years living on the top two floors with my family. It was my first acquisition, with a superb location in the heart of Antwerp’s Zuid district. To me, it is still one of our most special projects. Since then, we have built more than 1,250 apartments with just as many in the pipeline.”

Our team is growing

As Antonissen has grown, the team has also expanded significantly. Today, the company has 23 employees. In our Luxembourg office, Loïc Sévin is responsible for the day-to-day management. Thanks to this strong team, Antonissen is where it stands today.

“As a director, I can focus on acquisitions and financial arrangements with banks and private investors,” says Michaël Antonissen. “Even in challenging times for the real estate sector, our financial partners and investors have continued to believe in our projects. They play a crucial role in our success.”

Opening of a Luxembourg subsidiary

In 2020, Antonissen entered the Luxembourg market. Michaël Antonissen: 'Learning more about Luxembourg legislation and getting to know the market, building a strong local network... The establishment of our Luxembourg office was an exciting step.’ A step that also benefited Antonissen on several levels. ‘Long planning application procedures like we have in Flanders due to lengthy appeal procedures are virtually unheard of in Luxembourg. We can launch new developments there much faster. As a result, we are less impacted as a company by the Belgian market, which has slowed down.’ The company’s strong Belgian position, meanwhile, offers a response to the many changes in the Luxembourg real estate market. ‘We consciously choose to start building our developments without pre-sales. That way, we gain the trust of investors in a sensitive market.’ The two branches offset each other nicely. 'While Belgium is and always will be our home market, we take full advantage of international opportunities as and when they arise.’

Wider offer with SME business parks and student housing

Starting this year, Antonissen is focusing on the diversification of its offer. 'Everyone knows that the housing market is currently very challenging due to high interest rates and strict planning permission procedures,’ says Michaël Antonissen. ‘SME developments and student housing are different, however. What’s more, their price makes them accessible to a large group of private investors. If you have 20,000 or 30,000 euros to spare, you can invest in these developments and expect an attractive return.’ Antonissen’s future looks bright. ‘In the next few months, we will be launching a large student housing project in Antwerp, in addition to several new SME projects. We currently have more than 1,000 units in development. Our company continues to grow, making it a leading player in the Belgian and Luxembourg property markets.’

These milestones make us proud of what we have achieved to date and enthusiastic about what the future has in store for us. We want to thank all our clients, partners and employees for their support and the trust they have placed in us in the past 15 years!

Michaël Antonissen

Lier gains a green living space of 3 hectares

22 May 2026

Antonissen Development Group is launching sales for Dungelpark in Lier: a green residential park of 85 nZEB apartments and 28 single-family homes, just outside the historic city walls and right next to the former Dungelhoeff barracks. Across a 30,000 m² estate, the Boomlaarloop stream is being reopened and integrated into the development, and the developer is providing additional publicly accessible green space for the entire neighbourhood. A response to the considerable population growth Lier has seen in recent decades.

Vogelzang site in Leuven to be repurposed

07 April 2026

Antonissen Development Group is repurposing an existing wing of the Vogelzang nursing home in Leuven into a high-quality student residence with 84 student rooms. The site is strategically located near the UCLL and Campus Gasthuisberg, two important campuses for Leuven’s student population. The City of Leuven granted planning permission in record time due to the clear social impact and widespread support from the local community.

Antonissen Luxembourg seeking land with future potential

24 October 2025

As the Luxembourg real estate market navigates a period of uncertainty, Antonissen Luxembourg is taking decisive action with a clear call to landowners with vacant plots, underused properties or potential project sites – inviting them to explore how these could be developed to create lasting value. This initiative forms part of an ambitious plan: the development of over 100 new residential units within the next 12 months.

Celebrating 15 years of Antonissen