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With nearly two decades of experience in the real estate sector, Abiner Oliveira has been on both sides of the table — first as a broker for major deals and now as a developer leading logistics projects and leasing at WTorre. As the featured guest in episode three of the SiiLA PODCAST, hosted by Giancarlo Nicastro, the executive offered a candid look into the complexities of building logistics assets in Brazil — and made it clear: capital alone isn’t enough.
According to Abiner, the sector’s biggest bottleneck lies at the very beginning: the land.
“You’ll look at 50 plots to select one. And out of those, maybe only one or two will actually turn into a real project.” Most plots offered for logistics come with challenges like environmental restrictions, difficult topography, poor soil quality, or legal documentation issues. Plus, many landowners don’t fully understand the true value of their properties, he says.
“The market is used to pricing logistics land the same way as residential — through simple comparables. But that doesn’t work. You need a topographic survey, soil testing, grading analysis… Only then can you truly estimate its value.”
To address these uncertainties, WTorre heavily invests in data and research. In markets like Goiânia, for example, the company used georeferencing and rooftop mapping to estimate the real estate stock and historical growth of the region.
“In Goiânia alone, we mapped over 2.6 million m² of single-tenant warehouses. Our project there is 80,000 m² — perfectly aligned with the real size of that market, even without an institutional track record.”
Abiner
argues that the “secondary market” label needs to be reconsidered. Capital
cities like Vitória, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Brasília, and Recife, while
outside the Rio-São Paulo axis, are economically consolidated and ready to host
large-scale assets.
“These cities are primary markets within their states. What’s lacking is
product. If you build a 50,000 m² institutional-grade warehouse in Vitória or
Porto Alegre, it will get leased.”
Beyond the capitals, WTorre is also eyeing regional cities like Londrina, Cascavel, Araçatuba, and Bauru, where supply is limited and demand is underserved.
The conversation also touched on the e-commerce boom of recent years. According to Abiner, the rapid growth of players like Mercado Livre, Amazon, and Shopee brought energy to the sector — but also risk.
“If you concentrate 100,000 m² in a single tenant in a shallow market, any vacancy becomes a big issue. But in liquid markets like Guarulhos, you can fill the space quickly.”
He also
pointed out the growing demand for temperature-controlled warehouses,
especially in the pharmaceutical segment. This niche is still largely served by
build-to-suit projects.
“There are no speculative climate-controlled warehouses. It’s a high-cost
demand, but it’s growing. Some tenants are paying R$70/m² for the right setup.”
WTorre is also pursuing office retrofits in São Paulo’s top submarkets — including Paulista, Vila Olímpia, and Faria Lima — with a focus on boutique towers and mixed-use developments. The company is currently leading the development of the largest corporate tower in Brazil, part of the Alto das Nações complex in the city’s south zone.
Given
today’s high construction costs — ranging from R$2,300 to R$3,300/m² (excluding
land) — and elevated interest rates, expected returns for new developments
hover around 10.5% per year.
“Speculative projects today only move forward when there’s real certainty.
Build-to-suit will likely dominate for the next two years,” he concludes.
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The SiiLA
PODCAST, hosted by SiiLA CEO Giancarlo Nicastro, features in-depth
conversations every two weeks with the most influential voices in Latin
America’s real estate market. Season 1 includes 12 episodes covering logistics,
office, multifamily, and retail segments — offering strategic perspectives on
market cycles, investment, and innovation in the sector.
🎧 Listen on Spotify
▶️ Watch on YouTube
🎶 Also on Amazon Music







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