On 15 October the Chairman of SORTIS Group Mr. Martin Paev, CFA was a guest of the “Business Meeting” program aired on BloombergTV Bulgaria.
Mr. Paev talked about his first steps in business, challenges through the years, and emerging opportunities for SORTIS. Asked on the history of SORTIS Group, Martin shared his inspirations and goals when founding SORTIS’ investment division more than 10 years ago, seeking to connect entrepreneurs and investors. Next, he went through the establishment of credit, real estate and hospitality advisory services within SORTIS Group that offer financial and strategic planning for businesses, valuation and appraisal services, and management consulting to companies, real estate investors and hotel owners.
In his talk Mr. Paev also commented on current M&A trends, the process of selling and restructuring of a business, and the difficulties entrepreneurs face throughout the process in the context of the Bulgarian business environment. Mr. Paev touched on the main motivations driving a sale, along with strategies to defend from hostile takeover.
Coming to the hot topic of alternative investing, Mr. Paev shared the view appetite for crypto-assets from speculative players has decreased at the expense of those who truly believe in the potential of the blockchain technology. He hinted for a personal investment in the field alongside a proprietary methodology for crypto-assets risk-return assessment developed by SORTIS Invest.
Asked on his view on the current Bulgarian real estate market, Mr. Paev commented:
I feel the market is still on a rise. Perhaps we are starting to see some indications of a bubble, however banks are limiting their exposure to new construction, so I think what happened in 2007 and 2008 is unlikely to repeat. Even if there is some sort of a correction, it won’t be 50%, but a much softer one… Instead, I don’t see prices being able to sustain a 15% growth rate every year.
Mr. Paev has a broad experience in the real estate field, as co-founder of the first Bulgarian publicly traded real estate investment trust (TBI BAC REIT), Director of Address Invest (the investment subsidiary of Address, the largest real estate brokerage and consulting firm in Bulgaria), and as a founder of his own real estate asset management firm SORTIS Real Estate.
At the end of the interview, Mr. Paev talked about SORTIS Invest’s membership in Globalscope, a leading global network of 57 independent M&A consulting companies:
While we can still maintain our identity and independence, as a member of the Globalscope family we can also benefit from the expertise of partners, who are tested and have proven their qualities, skills, and professionalism. The Globalscope membership opens up various international markets and opportunities for SORTIS, while providing a chance for cooperation with some of the best M&A consultants and industry experts in Europe and globally.
You can watch the whole video here.