Portuguese property fair SIL opens Thursday

Portugal’s annual property fair SIL – Salão Imobiliário de Portugal opens tomorrow in Lisbon and will run until April 12.

One of its conferences scheduled for Friday afternoon will focus on the main challenges faced by Portuguese cities.

The pressure to attract new residents and tourists, together with the lack of affordable housing for young people, raises key questions about the balance between growth and sustainability and how to rebalance sustainable development in Portugal.

Moderated by António Gil Machado, the director of Vida Imobiliária, the conference starts at 3pm with the Mayor of Lisbon opening the discussion and providing insights into ways of making cities fairer and more accessible.

António Ramalho, President of the Executive Commission of Lisbon – Future Capital of Entrepreneurship (FCE) will provide a ‘geo-economic analysis and impact on the real estate market’, offering insights on how economic and territorial factors influence the way cities develop.

This year’s SIL presents a new conference programme, with the aim of boosting the real estate market agenda, in co-organisation with the Iberinmo Group, which brings its general media partners – CNN and Jornal Público. “In the 2025 edition, the debates are expected to reflect the current challenges and opportunities of the market”, commented Sérgio Runa, manager of the Real Estate Exhibition.

At a time when Portugal is preparing to return to the polls in two months, SIL emerges as the ideal opportunity to discuss the political options related to housing, construction and the real estate sector. In this context, the conference that will take place in the early afternoon stands out, with the theme “A housing policy for Portugal – the proposals!”, where the “confrontation” between “Building in Portugal” and “More Housing” will be on the table.

The session, scheduled for 3pm, will be opened on Thursday, April 10 by the AIP Foundation/FIL and will be moderated by CNN Portugal commentator and journalist Anselmo Crespo with Avelino Oliveira, President of the Order of Architects, the President of the Portugal Association of Real Estate Developers and Investors (APPII), Hugo Santos Ferreira, the President of Portugal’s Estate Agents and Agencies Association (APEMIP), Paulo Caiado, and Bento Aires, board member at the Engineer’s Association who will discuss the essential policies for the future of the real estate market in Portugal, covering the needs of the sector and solutions for sustainable growth.

The debate will continue with the intervention of mayors such as Ribau Esteves, Mayor of Aveiro, João Teixeira Leite, Mayor of Santarém, and Gonçalo Lopes, Mayor of Leiria. The panel will address the perspectives of the municipalities on the national housing policy and the proposals to respond to the specific needs of each region.

The official inauguration of the events will be presided by the Minister of the Economy, Pedro Reis at 3.30pm on Thursday April 10.