Since 2010, the Global Law Experts annual awards have been celebrating excellence, innovation and performance across the legal communities from around the world.
Structuring a real estate investment in Italy or Greece comes down to a few early choices: a share deal or an asset deal, the investor’s exit horizon, how the purchase is financed, and whether the asset can meet today’s ESG and permitting rules. In this Global Law Experts roundtable, two practitioners compare how deal structuring, asset management, financing, sustainability and digitalisation actually work for real estate in Italy and Greece in 2026, for investors and the counsel advising them.
The through-line: in both markets the legal and tax work has to happen before the deal, not after. An ESG certificate can decide whether a building is even sellable, a permit timeline can put a development off-market, and a golden-visa rule can reshape what a foreign buyer is allowed to purchase, so the structuring choice made up front is what determines the return.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction and the panel
0:17 Vincenzo Iacovazzi on real estate in Italy
2:00 Theodoros Spanos on real estate and the golden visa in Greece
3:10 Question 1: structuring deals and deploying capital
3:46 Italy: share deal versus asset deal, and the investor’s exit horizon
7:12 Greece: investor profiles, the post-crisis market and the golden visa
11:52 Question 2: asset management and value optimisation
12:27 Italy: leasing, tenant risk, permits and brownfield development
18:54 Greece: lease terms, redevelopment rules and taxation
25:16 Question 3: financing and lender requirements
25:48 Italy: interest rates, lender types and access to credit
29:18 Greece: bank guarantees, mortgages and lending after the crisis
33:53 Question 4: sustainability and ESG
34:27 Italy: why LEED, BREEAM and ESG are now table stakes
37:26 Greece: environmental licensing, energy efficiency and earthquake rules
44:54 Question 5: digitalisation and proptech
45:29 Italy: AI tools, automation and the limits on their use
51:36 Greece: digital tax clearance, the cadastre and online applications
57:21 Closing thoughts
Panel:
Vincenzo Iacovazzi, Italy
Theodoros N. Spanos, Greece
Hosted by Jenny, Global Law Experts.
Roundtable Participants
Sign up for the latest legal briefings and news within Global Law Experts’ community, as well as a whole host of features, editorial and conference updates direct to your email inbox.
Naturally you can unsubscribe at any time.
Global Law Experts is dedicated to providing exceptional legal services to clients around the world. With a vast network of highly skilled and experienced lawyers, we are committed to delivering innovative and tailored solutions to meet the diverse needs of our clients in various jurisdictions.
Global Law Experts is dedicated to providing exceptional legal services to clients around the world. With a vast network of highly skilled and experienced lawyers, we are committed to delivering innovative and tailored solutions to meet the diverse needs of our clients in various jurisdictions.
Send welcome message
