In Sweden, out of 290 municipalities, 243 (85%) reported a shortage of housing. Furthermore, 196 of all municipalities which are 68% of the total, reported that this shortage is long-term. This means that of the 243 municipalities where it may be profitable to construct housing, 80% have a projected housing shortage lasting three or more years. The deficit is greatest in the metropolitan areas, though a majority of smaller municipalities are also finding it difficult to meet the demands of the market.
The Problem in Swedish Residential Rental Market
Unlike other markets, the housing market is capable of generating billions of dollars of revenue but lacks solution providers who can swiftly and efficiently fulfill the need for the ever-growing demand.
Many billions are turned over annually in the Swedish residential rental accommodation market, but there is a dire and continually growing need for ever more stock. The market is missing participants that can efficiently and timely deliver new rental units.
The problem that the residential real estate rental industry in Sweden is facing today is a lack of access to capital from traditional funding channels. The industry is exceptionally capital intensive, which impedes the industry’s ability to solve the tremendous demand for accommodation that exists today.
Also Read: Recent Trends in Startup Ecosystem
The money undoubtedly exists in Sweden; however, the major banks and other lending institutions have a great share of their capital already invested in the real estate sector. This capital has mostly been invested in property for sale projects of which there is currently an oversupply that has resulted in a lack of demand. The financial resources that were invested in these projects are as good as guaranteed in a market such as Sweden, but it does mean that the traditional lenders in this market have lost their appetite to invest in new property projects till the oversupply issue has been solved, even in the desperately neglected rental market.
What is OLM Real Estate?
OLM Real Estate’s STO allows bridging the gap between the flexible market of cryptocurrencies and the secure, stable market of properties and housing. Even though OLM is stepping into a more digitalized world with this solution, the core of the business remains to build affordable, socially, and environmentally sustainable rental apartments financed by the STO.
However, with the intention of further popularising cryptocurrencies in Sweden, they will establish contracts with service providers dealing in cleaning, laundry, and similar services to offer their services at discounted rates and payable by crypto.
OLM Real Estate is a company whose business model is to build, own and manage real estate assets, primarily for the residential rental housing market.
OLM Real Estate is a customer-focused and technology-oriented company that develops housing according to market needs.
Competitors do already exist in the market, but with the combination of affordable rentals, solid knowledge of the building industry and the team’s high level of commitment and expertise, OLM Real Estate will be able to establish itself quickly within many municipalities. The key competitive advantage is that their properties will be digitally managed, with everything from rental showings, lease contracts, fault reporting and maintenance scheduling handled online.
Also Read: A Step by Step Guide to write your Business Plan
One of OLM’s statement says –
“Our focus will be on the development and continuous improvement of building techniques that are right for the times. We are of course aware that while we have developed a revolutionary method of building using carefully prefabricated packages, our solution also requires hard work to ensure that we do address the environmental issues, social issues and the requirements for efficient housing that will change at every site.”
SWOT-analysis
Strengths:
- An innovative way to deal with the housing deficit
- For every completed house, the company will receive a large subsidy
- OLM has extensive construction experience
- Properties for construction are easy to come by
- The technical side of the construction is well-developed
- They are not tied to a single geographic location
Weaknesses:
- They require amounts of capital to construct the houses
- To grow as an organization, they need to recruit extensively
- They are heavily dependent on supplies that might increase in prices
Opportunities:
- The demand for affordable housing has never been greater
- With the demand, properties are more easily available
- Their concept is easy to take to other countries that have a housing shortage
- Once production starts, OLM benefit from economies of scale
Threats:
- Competitors may copy the solutions
- The subsidy could be slashed
- A market crash could lead to less spending power, making even the modest rents too high
- Building permits might be appealed, slowing down the administrative process
This SWOT analysis clearly shows the strengths and opportunities outweighing the weaknesses and threats. With the right capital and proper planning, they can go a long way towards achieving their goals. The construction and property business can be very conservative and slow-moving, so even a smaller company can find a niche among the inflexible titans already on the market. Housing being as basic a need as food and clothing allows for a market that is hard to saturate at the best of times, especially as increasing numbers of young people are unwilling to spend their money and risking loans to purchasing condominiums.
Also Read: Free tools for entrepreneurs to be used in a startup journey
Investment Opportunities with OLM
The OLM group boasts more than twenty-five years of experience within the construction business, allowing us to identify the solution to the massive housing shortage that is growing every day in Sweden and in many other countries. Due to the group’s proficiency with Corporate Social Responsibility and technical acumen, they are able to provide sustainability whilst also digitizing to further cut costs. The unique blend of backgrounds within the OLM team is what allows us to find solutions to most problems. It is what allows us to create a strong concept that caters to a viable market that is increasingly desperate, yet not acknowledged as profitable by many competitors.
It is this desire to embrace modern and innovative solutions that convinced us to go with the STO. Connecting cryptocurrencies with something as tangible as real estate is not for the faint of heart, yet it is the natural step for the market to take. It allows cryptocurrencies to be something that impacts the everyday life of people, as opposed to a quirky, if increasingly profitable, niche. Reaching the hard cap means that the impact is so much more than investors – OLM will provide jobs for builders, contracts with suppliers, provide housing to thousands of people, and revitalize municipalities.