Colliers Launches Ecuador Operations, Expanding Regional Platform Into Andean Market

Colliers Central America, Andean & Caribbean (CAAC) officially launched operations in Ecuador on Aug. 25, 2026, expanding its regional platform into the Andean market at a moment when Ecuador's construction sector is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 4.6% through 2029 and net housing reservations have surged 28% in early 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier.

The launch event, held in Guayaquil, drew business leaders, investors, developers and representatives from multiple sectors. It marked Ecuador's formal entry into the Colliers CAAC network, a regional platform designed to connect opportunities, capital, knowledge and expertise across Central America, the Andean countries and the Caribbean.

A Regional Platform Designed for Cross-Border Capital

Colliers CAAC already operates across 14 countries, with headquarters in Panama, and has positioned itself as a channel for cross-border investment flows throughout its coverage area. Ecuador's addition extends that network into a dollarized Andean economy that the World Bank estimates rebounded with 3.7% real GDP growth in 2025 after a contraction in 2024. Ecuador's Central Bank projects 2026 GDP growth of 2.48%, with Q1 2026 GDP up 2.06% year-over-year.

The move fits within Colliers' broader global growth trajectory. The firm reported 2025 revenues of $5.56 billion, up 15% year-over-year, with commercial real estate revenues reaching $3.29 billion, up 7%, and capital markets revenues rising 16%. By Q2 2026, quarterly revenues climbed to $1.57 billion, up 17%, with commercial real estate revenue of $997.3 million, up 12%.

For the CAAC region specifically, Colliers has publicly targeted significant investment flows in individual markets — including a $100 million annual investment target for El Salvador and a $500 million projection for the broader region including the Dominican Republic — underscoring the scale of capital the platform is designed to mobilize.

Urban Forces Influencing Real Estate Investment and Development Decisions

The Guayaquil launch featured a presentation titled "Mixed-Use Development Trends," which examined the economic, demographic and urban forces influencing real estate investment and development decisions in Ecuador. Raul Calvet, Managing Director of Hospitality & Mixed-Use Services at Colliers CAAC, was among the speakers at the event.

The presentation emphasized that evaluating a real estate project requires looking beyond its individual characteristics to consider the broader economic environment, investment activity, demand conditions and the forces that shape its performance over time. Understanding who generates demand, where that demand originates and how it may evolve was framed as fundamental to identifying opportunities and supporting better-informed investment decisions.

Projected population and economic growth in Guayaquil and Quito, combined with urbanization trends, evolving user preferences, sustainability considerations and the need to diversify income streams, are reshaping how real estate projects are designed and structured in Ecuador, according to the firm.

Mixed-Use Development as a Structuring Discipline

Mixed-use developments emerged as a central theme of the launch, reflecting broader trends in how Ecuador's two largest cities are evolving. In Quito, municipal master plans through 2040 emphasize sustainable urban infill, densification and smart growth, with high-rise residential and office projects increasingly clustered around transit corridors, including nodes near the city's metro system. Average prices for new apartments in Quito have held around $1,500 per square meter, reflecting steady end-user-driven demand, while gross residential rental yields in central areas have ranged in the 5% to 6% range.

From an investment standpoint, the Colliers presentation stressed that the value of a mixed-use development does not depend simply on incorporating more components, but on how effectively those components interact. A well-configured mix can generate activity at different times of day, diversify income sources, strengthen absorption and improve a project's market positioning. At the same time, such developments require greater planning, coordination and execution discipline than single-use assets.

The Broader Ecuador Opportunity

Ecuador's real estate landscape is also benefiting from signs of recovery in tourism and continued credit activity across sectors including agriculture, manufacturing and real estate, according to the firm's overview of the country's 2026 economic environment. The country's dollarized economy and relatively affordable prices compared with Western markets have been cited as factors favorable to overseas investors.

With the Ecuador launch, Colliers CAAC said it is combining local market knowledge with regional reach and global capabilities to support real estate decisions grounded in market intelligence and analysis. The firm operates in approximately 70 countries globally and has described Latin America as one of its largest regional operations within that network.

The expansion positions Ecuador as a new node within a regional platform designed to serve owners, investors, developers and corporate occupiers across a geography that spans Central America, the Andean countries and the Caribbean.

Sources

Colliers | Colliers Officially Launches Operations in Ecuador and Strengthens Its Regional Presence