Integrated Real Estate Development Leadership

End-to-end real estate development — from vision to completion

Development strategy, capital structuring, entitlements, design management, construction oversight, leasing, operations, and asset disposition—all coordinated through a single experienced partner.

 

Backed by more than 30 years of industry experience and an extensive portfolio of award-winning developments.

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Office Developments

Hotel Developments

Retail Developments

Residential Developments

Why Is Real Estate Development So Complex?

A successful real estate development requires far more than architectural design or construction expertise.

It is the coordination of development strategy, finance, legal, engineering, entitlements, and commercial strategy throughout the entire development lifecycle.

From acquisition to project completion, every phase progresses simultaneously. Legal, technical, financial, and regulatory decisions continually influence one another. A delay in any one area can affect the entire project.

Successfully managing this complexity requires experience, sound judgment, and the ability to coordinate every stakeholder toward a common objective.

01
Strategy & Site Selection
Determining what to build, where to build it, and how the project will create long-term value. Decisions made at this stage influence every subsequent phase of the development.
02
Legal & Entitlements
Land acquisition, zoning, permitting, municipal approvals, and contractual structuring are often the most time-consuming elements of a development and require careful coordination from the outset.
03
Capital & Financing
Debt and equity financing, investor structuring, lender negotiations, and financial modeling—aligned with the project's development schedule and investment objectives.
04
Design & Construction Management
Selecting architects, engineers, and contractors while overseeing quality, budget, schedule, and execution throughout the construction process.
05
Leasing & Exit Strategy
Leasing strategy, tenant negotiations, operational planning, asset stabilization, and disposition planning ultimately determine the long-term value and financial success of the investment.
SZI Holding manages every phase of the development process—from the initial concept through successful project delivery.

Development Services

01
Strategy & site selection
Development strategy, project programming, feasibility analysis, and land acquisition.
02
Legal & Entitlement Coordination
Permitting, zoning, municipal negotiations, regulatory coordination, and contractual structuring.
03
Capital & Financing
Financial modeling, lender negotiations, capital structuring, and investor coordination.
04
Design & Construction Management
Selection and management of architects, engineers, contractors, and construction oversight from groundbreaking through project completion.
05
Leasing, Operations & Exit
Leasing strategy, tenant negotiations, operational coordination, asset stabilization, and asset disposition.
06
Public Relations & Communications
Media relations, industry publications, project marketing, and investor communications.

ABOUT

István Szilágyi

M.Sc. · MRICS · Founder & Managing Director

Education
Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), 1992 Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), The Netherlands, 1992 Thesis Research
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), London, Since 2013 Member (MRICS) – Planning & Development

István Szilágyi is a real estate development executive with more than 30 years of experience delivering complex commercial real estate projects throughout Hungary and Central Europe.

 

His expertise spans the entire development lifecycle, including development strategy, site acquisition, capital structuring, entitlements, design management, construction oversight, leasing, operations, and asset disposition. Throughout his career, he has led office, hotel, retail, mixed-use, and infrastructure developments from initial concept through successful project delivery.

 

He earned his Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and completed his thesis research at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

In 2013, he became a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), specializing in Planning & Development.

 

Prior to founding SZI Holding, he built extensive experience across both the public and private sectors. He spent more than three years as a transportation engineer at Főmterv, followed by twelve years leading retail expansion, site acquisition, and development projects for Tesco Hungary. He then served for nine years in senior executive roles at Carion Group, where he managed large-scale commercial and mixed-use real estate developments.

 

These experiences established the multidisciplinary approach that defines his work today—integrating strategic planning, site selection, municipal and regulatory coordination, capital structuring, design management, construction management, leasing strategy, operations, and asset disposition into a single, coordinated development process.

 

In 2008, he founded SZI Holding Ltd., where he has served as Founder, Managing Director, and Project Director ever since.

 

Today, he advises institutional investors, developers, lenders, and property owners on complex real estate developments while continuing to lead projects from acquisition through successful delivery.

 

He is a regular participant at leading international real estate conferences and industry events, including MIPIM, RICS, Portfolio Property Investment Forum, and HOTCO.

Project portfolio - Selected Development Projects

Over the past three decades, István Szilágyi has held senior leadership roles in numerous commercial real estate and infrastructure developments throughout Hungary and internationally.

His experience includes office buildings, hotels, retail and mixed-use developments, large-scale urban regeneration projects, and transportation infrastructure.

1992–1995
Road Designer & Traffic Engineer
Budapest Transportation Infrastructure Projects
TRoad design and traffic engineering for major infrastructure projects in Budapest, including:
M5 Motorway – Budapest Urban Approach Section Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) plans
Transportation planning and traffic engineering for commercial developments Parking demand and utilization studies throughout Budapest
1995–2007
Senior Acquisition & Development Manager – Tesco Global Stores, Hungary
Tesco’s Retail Expansion Program in Hungary
Led the planning and development of one of Hungary's largest retail expansion programs, including dozens of retail centers and the full scope of supporting infrastructure, such as major highway interchanges, access roads, public utility networks, and off-site infrastructure improvements throughout Hungary.
Major project locations included:
Budapest, Budaörs, Debrecen, Miskolc, Nyíregyháza, Eger, Kaposvár, Veszprém, Siófok, Békéscsaba
and numerous additional locations nationwide.
2007–2009
Project director
40-hectare commercial development – Bucharest-Cernica, Romania
Directed the development of a large-scale commercial real estate project within an international investment environment, coordinating planning, development strategy, permitting, and multidisciplinary project teams.
2007–2009
Project director
Napfény Park Retail Center – Szeged, Hungary
FManaged the complete development process of an 11-hectare retail development, from initial concept and planning through project delivery.
2010–2014
Co-Managing Director & Project Director
Agora Mixed-Use Development - Váci Road / Róbert Károly Boulevard, Budapest
Led the preparation and strategic planning of a major mixed-use urban development located at one of Budapest's most prominent commercial intersections.
2016–2023
Projekt director
Hotel Dorothea - Autograph Collection® by Marriott - Budapest, Hungary
Directed the development of a 216-key upscale premium hotel through the restoration and adaptive reuse of a landmark historic building complex in the heart of Budapest.
Portfolio Property Awards 2023 – Hotel Development of the Year
2020–2025
Managing Director and Project Director
Dürer Park Office Campus - Budapest, Hungary
Led the development of an approximately 85,000-square-meter Class A, LEED Gold certified office campus, including extensive public infrastructure improvements, landscaped park areas, and supporting infrastructure.
Portfolio Property Awards
2020 – Concept of the Year
2025 – Office Development of the Year (Nominee)
Additional Experience
Beyond the projects presented above, István Szilágyi has advised and led numerous real estate development and investment assignments across Hungary and internationally.

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION - Featured in Leading Industry Publications

A selection of industry and media coverage highlighting projects led by István Szilágyi and SZI Holding.

Octogon Dürer Park Office Campus Takes Shape Along Ajtósi Dürer Avenue Read article →
Index A HUF 100 Billion Investment Transforms the Dürer Garden Read article →
Magyar Építők Dürer Park's Second Office Building Reaches Structural Completion Read article →
Magyar Építők The Iconic Dürer Garden Begins Its Transformation Read article →
Építész Fórum Historic Architecture Meets Contemporary Design in the Heart of Budapest Read article →
Magyar Építők Topping-Out Ceremony Held for Hotel Dorothea Read article →
Octogon Hotel Dorothea — Three Historic Buildings, One Luxury Destination Read article →
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Company name SZI Holding Development & Advisory Ltd. Hungarian legal entity: SZI Holding Ingatlanfejlesztő és Tanácsadó Kft.
Office 1126 Budapest, Bartha utca 8., Hungary