Real Estate Developer

Who we are

Vanguard Properties, today the largest real estate developer in Portugal, was founded in 2017 as a company established by a European family office, headed by Luso-Swiss investor Claude Berda, and José Cardoso Botelho, entrepreneur with a vast experience in Portugal’s real state sector.

Resulting from this partnership is a group which is financially secure, has an unusually high capacity for investment, and a thorough knowledge of the local market and its players. 

Its real estate development experience and a flexible and rapid decision making process, are other factors that make this company one of the most credible and dynamic in the sector.

Focusing on innovation and standards of the highest quality, Vanguard Properties mainly operates in the residential and tourism segments, with a vision enshrined in an integrated lifestyle philosophy, where every detail counts.

Projects with the Vanguard hallmark extend far beyond the expected, they promote a lifestyle in which all aspects, from architecture to interior design, including the pieces of art in shared areas, all converge to the same result: to offer a unique way of life, while at the same time, providing buyers with a handsome investment.   

So, as to secure its reputation as a developer of the highest standards, Vanguard Properties boasts a highly qualified team made up with more than 60 specialized collaborators, working at every step of the process, from searching out real estate opportunities, to marketing and selling the properties.

The group currently has 22 urban and tourist projects in its portfolio, spread over upmarket locations in Lisbon, Oeiras, Algarve and Comporta. Covering a total above ground Gross Building Area (GBA) of around 1.027.781 sqm, in an investment worth more than € 1.215 million.

Vanguard Properties was elected Vice-President of the Portuguese Association of Real Estate Developers and Investors (APPII) (mandate 2021-2024). APPII was incorporated in 1991, and is the national entity representing real estate developers and investors, both national and international, in Portugal, with a volume of investment representing every year 15% of the national GDP.

Vanguard Properties maintains privileged banking relationships with several banks, namely Millennium BCP, Caixa Geral de Depósitos, Novo Banco, Montepio, Banco BPI and Bankinter. The group is audited by PKF Portugal. 

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Founder

Claude Berda

Claude Berda - Vanguard Properties

Claude Berda is the founder and ex-Chairman of the AB Group (now Mediawan Thematics), one of the largest companies in the production and broadcasting of audiovisual content in France and which he sold in 2017. From 2003, Claude Berda began to invest in real estate in Switzerland, where today he is the largest private player. More than 200 office and residential assets make up his portfolio which include the Quartier l’Etange in Geneva, the largest Swiss property development, and Urban Project S.A., a development company that manages over 100 projects and around 50,000 rental contracts in the country which generate rents of over CHF 950 M (€893 M) (2,700 buildings).

Claude Berda visited Portugal for the first time in the 1970s, but it was in 2015 on a whistle-stop visit when he met José Cardoso Botelho that he decided to invest heavily in Portugal, rapidly achieving the position of the main overseas investor in the real estate sector.

More recently, his son Alexandre Berda joined the Vanguard Properties team thereby ensuring the continuation of the Berda family’s link with Portugal for many years to come. 

I’ve been to various parts of the world and Portugal continues to amaze me. It is a fantastic country because of the quality of life, climate, security and the way people think and live”.

Claude Berda

CEO

José Cardoso Botelho

JCB 2

José Cardoso Botelho has been an entrepreneur and investor since 1988. Influenced by his father who was also a developer in the real estate, he began visiting development sites from an early age and quickly developed an interest in the activity, but most of all it is the sheer joy of completing projects which still moves him to this day. An expert in Portugal’s real estate market, José Cardoso Botelho has enjoyed a multifaceted business trajectory over which he was liked to areas as diverse as construction and real estate (development and investment), software, medical equipment, leisure, fashion and financial investment in countries like Switzerland, Germany, Russia and Angola.

He met Claude Berda in 2015. Their personal empathy and shared ideas on the potential of the Portuguese real estate market led them to quickly make the decision to set up a company that is behind Vanguard Properties of which he is CEO today.

Our credibility rests on a thorough knowledge of the sector and market as well as a strong investment capacity, not to mention a huge determination to exceed expectations."

José Cardoso Botelho


TIMELINE

Vanguard Properties
  • 2016
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
  • 2020
  • 2021
  • 2022
Our first year

The Beginning

March

Terraços do Monte - Acquisition

Terraços do Monte
June

Lapa One - Acquisition

Lapa One
August

Castilho 203 - Acquisition

Castilho 203

Vanguard Properties opens a new office at Forum Tivoli in Lisbon

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Acquisition of Bayline, Algarve

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White Shell Sales Launch- Living by the Sea

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Castilho 203 official launch

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A'Tower Official Launch

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The Shore Residences - Launch

The Shore Residences

RiverBank - Launch

RiverBank Tejo

Sunset Party, Muda Reserve - Village Farms

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Vanguard Properties participates in ISEG's Luxury Real Estate Sales Management Executive Course

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The Infinity is the latest project from Vanguard Properties

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Vanguard Stars Circuit | Summary 2019

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Vanguard Properties | Multi- Sensory Identity

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Liboète - Launch

Vanguard donates €1.25M for Lisbon computer science school

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Vanguard Properties presents Vanguardeagle's new corporate image

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Terraços do Monte is the latest residential project from Vanguard Properties in Lisbon

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Vanguard Properties has a new 25 Million Project in Lapa

Lapa One

Vanguard Properties and Berda family support MNAC

MNAC

Alto do Rio - Launch

Alto do Rio

Alto do Farol - Launch

Alto do Farol

Pedro Figueiredo is the International Ambassador of Vanguard Properties.

Figgy

White Shell opened in early July

Comporta's owner is already Portuguese

New

Vanguard Properties launches brand for Comporta project

Terras da Comporta

Interior Architecture Award - Housing

Castilho 203

Vanguard renews support to CDUL

CDUL

Masters 2021 back to Jamor Sports Complex

Vanguard Stars

PORTICO, the new bet of Vanguard Properties

PORTICO

"Vanguard One" launched overboard

Vanguard One

Vanguard Properties' "Terras da Comporta - nature made" video, wins international award

Japan World’s Tourism Film Festival

Promote the theme of sustainability among young people

Jeremias

Vanguard is again official sponsor of the Millennium Estoril Open 2022

Estoril Open

Event | 5th Vanguard Anniversary

Vanguard 5555