Post-release

The INFOREAL International Real Estate Forum, which was held on October, 2-4 2009 in St. Petersburg has been completed.

The INFOREAL Forum has become a good tradition

The forum was held for the second time and has already proved its relevance and topicality. The work of Forum’s both parts – a Congress for professionals and an Exhibition for consumers – has been highly appraised by participants and members of the Supervisory Board.

The INFOREAL Congress has gathered 250 professionals from various countries of the world. The Congress was opened by a plenary meeting on October, 2. The meeting was addressed by Consuls General of Spain and Turkey, the Consul of Germany, representatives of the organizers, sponsors, and realtor community. The meeting was followed by the work in sections.

A constructive dialogue among market participants has been established already at the plenary meeting. Diplomats and representatives of business community were eagerly answering questions asked by the audience. The speakers have agreed that the foreign property market remains active, despite the global financial crisis.

In particular, Consul Generalof theKingdom of SpaininSt. Petersburg, Mr. Francisco Pascual de la Parte has highlighted that the crisis has had a positive impact on Spanish property market, and filtered out all the “one-day companies”. The Consul General of Turkey in Saint Petersburg, Mehmet Cinar said that the effective Turkish legislation will soon include the laws that would significantly simplify the procedure of buying local property for foreigners. Consul for Economic Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany in St. Petersburg, Max von Hahn has pointed out that the INFOREAL Forum has been held for the second time, which indicates the Russian buyers’ vivid interest in foreign property.of thein Mr. Francisco Pascual de la Parte has highlighted that the crisis has had a positive impact on Spanish property market, and filtered out all the “one-day companies”. The Consul General of Turkey in Saint Petersburg, Mehmet Cinar said that the effective Turkish legislation will soon include the laws that would significantly simplify the procedure of buying local property for foreigners. Consul for Economic Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany in St. Petersburg, Max von Hahn has pointed out that the INFOREAL Forum has been held for the second time, which indicates the Russian buyers’ vivid interest in foreign property.

“The age of budgets in the competitive struggle is long gone, the time of technology and knowledge has come on the market”, said Mikhail Kelim, co-chairman of the Forum Organizing Committee and Prian.ru project manager, thus summarizing and closing the plenary meeting of the Congress.

Within the framework of Congress sections, the greatest interest among market professionals has been attracted to the current situation on global property markets, especially to the work of a realtor on the overseas property market, and to the peculiarities of a Russian buyer. The seminar “Technologies of overseas property promotion for Russian buyer” has been held at full audience, lively debates were conducted at the round table “Choosing an overseas property market”. Upon the completion of the business agenda, INFOREAL participants have not only highlighted the topicality of discussed topics, but also the high level of organization., lively debates were conducted at the round table “”. Upon the completion of the business agenda, INFOREAL participants have not only highlighted the topicality of discussed topics, but also the high level of organization.

Also on October, 2, the Annual National Contest in Property, Construction and Mortgage Lending – CREDO has been conducted as a part of the INFOREAL International Real Estate Forum and Civil Housing Forum. For the first time in the contest’s history, the organizers have introduced the nomination for the best Russian brokerage organization, working on overseas property market. The Moscow-based company “BEST-Nedvizhimost” has received this award.

An Overseas Property Exhibition has been conducted on October, 3-4, at one of Saint-Petersburg’s largest showrooms - Ledoviy Dvorets. The event has gathered nearly 50 companies from around the world. It has attracted many visitors, citizens of St. Petersburg. Within two days the Exhibition has been attended by over six thousand people. Exhibitors have noted that the number of target customers is growing while the visitors are becoming better informed.

Topical seminars on overseas property have been held at full audience. This speaks for the willingness of potential buyers from St. Petersburg to acquire the information. The interest of Petersburgers has been noticed by the experts of an overseas real estate Consultation Center, which has been operating on the Exhibition during two days, giving all necessary answers on visitors’ questions.

The Visitors of the Exhibition have thanked the organizers for providing them with a source of reliable information. Consumers were not only given the opportunity to directly communicate with foreign companies, but also received a printed reference book, which has included all key information on overseas property markets. The circulation has been fully given out within the first day and the half of the Exhibition.

The Organizers of the International Forum are assured that INFOREAL has been conducted successfully. “The first Forum, which was held in May, has allowed us to assess the needs of market professionals and consumers alike”, says Mikhail Kelim, “For this reason, we have stiffened the selection of speakers for the Congress, and saturated the program of seminars held during the exhibition, focusing their informational content on a practical aspect. We can confidently say that the level of the Forum’s business agenda was high. In addition, the abundance of applications for the purchase of foreign property that have been submitted to the exponents speaks for a serious success and progress of the INFOREAL Forum.

The INFOREAL Organizers would like to express respect and gratitude to our partners, the Supervisory Board and the participants of the Forum, as well as to the visitors of the Exhibition, and invite everybody on the third Forum, which would be held in May 2010.