Foreign investors are ready to view Ukrainian real estate as an investment asset if the developer offers not just promises and presentations, but a finished product, a clear business model, transparent financial logic, and an exit strategy, said Oleksandr Ovcharenko, co-owner of Standard One, during his speech at Forbes Development 2026.
“A foreign investor should see not just attractive promises or pictures, but a finished product and a proven business model. The investor must understand all the risks involved, the payback period, the rate of return, and, most importantly, the exit strategy for this investment,” Ovcharenko noted.
According to him, foreign investors’ requirements for development projects have not fundamentally changed either before the full-scale war or during it. Transparency, a clear investment structure, a proven business model, and a track record of successful projects remain key for them.
Standard One notes that the company has already implemented this approach in its first project, S1 VDNG. Of the 660 apartments in the project, 235 were purchased by non-residents, including investors from Israel, the U.S., EU countries, and South Korea.
According to Ovcharenko, foreign buyers’ interest stems from the clarity of the build-to-rent model, which has long been in use in the EU, U.S., and UK markets. This format allows investors to assess how the asset operates, its projected returns, and potential exit strategies.
“We have offered the market a real product, a real model—the build-to-rent income property format—which has been operating in developed countries of the European Union, the U.S., and the UK for several decades. The Polish market for rental residential real estate has grown tenfold in recent years. Therefore, this model is proven,” he emphasized.
The company states that the yield on Standard One’s development projects ranges from 10% per annum in dollars, excluding capitalization. According to Ovcharenko’s assessment, this is significantly higher than the approximate 4.5% per annum that real estate markets in Israel or the U.S., for example, can offer.
“It is precisely this difference in returns that makes Ukrainian real estate attractive to foreign investors, who are accustomed to lower rates at home and are seeking more effective opportunities to invest their capital,” noted the co-owner of Standard One.
At the same time, foreign investors who have had negative experiences with the Ukrainian market in previous years are returning to investing cautiously. For them, the developer’s transparency, financial reporting, the project’s legal structure, and proven results are important.
Ovcharenko also noted that today’s investor has become more pragmatic: they seek to diversify risks, invest in liquid projects with smaller investment thresholds, and are increasingly considering collective investment vehicles.
The group cites S1 REIT as the answer to this demand—an investment company within S1 Group that allows investors to invest in income-generating real estate starting at 1,000 UAH and earn returns comparable to those of an individual apartment owner.
Standard One is a Ukrainian real estate development company that specializes in the “build-to-rent” model for income-generating residential properties. The company implements projects under the S1 brand and develops investment instruments to enable private investors to participate in the rental real estate segment.
