JLL advises eQ Care special investment fund on the largest ever healthcare transaction in Finland

HELSINKI, October 15, 2020 – eQ Care special investment fund has signed an agreement to sell a portfolio of 55 healthcare properties, providing more than 2,400 customer places and a gross lettable area of some 71,000 sq m, to Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden AB (publ) (SBB).

The properties are located mainly in growing Finnish cities and are fully occupied with long lease agreements containing largely elderly and special care homes and children's day care centres. The total purchase price is 222 million euros and, if the listed sector transactions are excluded, this sale is by far the largest ever healthcare transaction taking place in Finland.

Jennifer Eloheimo, Investment Director of eQ Care at eQ Asset Management: “In connection with this deal, the fund strengthens its position as owner and developer of larger and centrally located care and municipal properties while improving the effectiveness of its operations. After this transaction the fund owns 107 properties worth 1.1 billion euro, whereof 66% are located in the Helsinki region. The fund continues investing in care, health hubs, schools and other public properties. The target is also to increase the current 45% share of public tenants in the future. We are pleased to have found a good home for the assets to be divested and trust that SBB will take care of them well.”

Ilija Batljan, CEO and Founder of Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden AB: “We continue to strengthen our position in Finland and in line with our strategy to increase the number of elderly care homes under own property management”

Tero Uusitalo, Co-Head of Capital Markets, JLL Finland: “We are extremely pleased to advise eQ Care special investment fund in the sale of this major healthcare portfolio to SBB. The sale is the largest transaction in Finland since the lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic in March and reflects the strong underlying investor demand for the Finnish healthcare market. At JLL we have focused a lot on the Living segment covering residential, healthcare and hotel investments and this sale is an excellent example of the results our uniquely positioned platform can offer to our clients on the Nordic level and globally. In 2019 – 2020 JLL has advised only in Finland more than 170,000 sq m of transactions in Living segment emphasising the growing demand for the alternatives.”  

Thomas Persson, Head of Capital Markets Nordics, JLL Sweden: “It is great to see that our efforts to build a market leading pan-Nordic Capital Markets platform continues to give results. This deal also demonstrates JLL’s unique position in the Living segment.”

JLL acted as eQ Care special investment fund's sole commercial advisor on the targeted sales process and Avance Attorneys provided legal advice.

The completion of the sale requires approval of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, which is expected in autumn 2020