Oleksandr Ovcharenko: “Investors seek a balance between quality, product readiness, and profitability”
At LUN Conference 2025, the largest annual event in the Ukrainian real estate market, co-owner of Standard One, Oleksandr Ovcharenko, spoke at the first panel discussion on trends in the primary real estate market. In his remarks, he emphasized that in the context of the war and the reduction of new projects, developers should focus on creating products that ensure predictable cash flow and build investor trust.
“We will be able to observe the return of trust among buyers and investors. However, investors are becoming more selective, seeking a balance between price, area, quality, product readiness, and, above all, predictable profitability and return on investment,” Ovcharenko noted.
According to him, projects that can provide stable and transparent income attract investor interest. These are properties where every square meter has meaningful value, there is good infrastructure nearby, and services are available. This primarily concerns the build-to-rent format — a model that Standard One was the first to systematically introduce to the Ukrainian market.
“If you bring a product to the market that, thanks to capitalization combined with rental income, can provide a high-quality cash flow, you will attract significant investor interest. Build-to-rent is currently the only product capable of providing income with predictable options and guarantees for investors and developers alike,” the speaker emphasized.
Ovcharenko also paid special attention to the financial stability of developers and the role of installment plans in supporting the market.
“Cross-financing is the first step toward bankruptcy. We abandoned this model long ago. We do not withdraw a single hryvnia from projects until their completion. Every developer must have their own financing system, and today this is primarily internal mortgage — installment plans. Already 80-87% of our contracts are concluded in this format. In the coming years, buyers will expect even more flexible terms,” he explained.
Currently, the market is entering a phase of natural selection, with focus remaining on systematic developers with clear financial discipline. According to Oleksandr Ovcharenko, “what is cheap and affordable is not necessarily high quality,” so the winners will be developers who do not engage in price dumping but instead transparently explain to investors what they are paying for, demonstrating clear value and product quality.
Oleksandr also mentioned the company’s new financial product — S1 REIT, which offers investors a more accessible opportunity to participate in the income-generating real estate market. He noted that S1 REIT allows investors not only to invest profitably in a liquid product but also, in the future, to exchange accumulated certificates for an apartment.
Standard One is implementing several projects in Kyiv based on the build-to-rent model. The company put its first building into operation in 2019, and construction of S1 Obolon is currently underway. By the end of the year, the launch of two more new projects is planned.
