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.”
The growth of Antonissen has also meant that we have welcomed new members to our team. Today, the company has a workforce of 23 employees. Sven Potvin was appointed CEO of Belgium and Luxembourg in 2018, and is responsible for daily management. ‘Sven has brought his extensive real estate experience to the job, further consolidating our position in the Belgian market,’ says Michaël Antonissen. ‘Loïc Sévin is responsible for daily management in our Luxembourg branch. Thanks to this strong team, Antonissen was able to carve out a niche for itself. As CEO, I can now focus on acquisitions and the financial agreements with banks and private investors. Despite the challenging times that the real estate market is facing, our financial partners and investors have continued to believe in our projects. They play a crucial role in our success.
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.’
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!
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.
Antonissen Development Group is set to start building a sustainable residential development with 36 apartments in Evere’s Kolonel Bourgstraat. With Colonel’s Corner, Antonissen is building apartments of a high standard in the Brussels municipality with the largest population growth.
A building in the centre of Ghent is set to be repurposed as student accommodation in the not too distant future. With ‘The Albert’, Antonissen Development Group is helping to address the pressing shortage of student housing in the city. Construction on the 110 units will start this summer. The development should be completed by August 2027.