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A.R.B.J Rajapaksha
A.R.B.J Rajapaksha
May 08 2026
91Industry, government and investor voices converge at Port City Sales Gallery to launch a long-term roadmap for Sri Lankan real estate
Sri Lanka's most influential voices in property, investment, policy and urban development convened at the Port City Sales Gallery on Monday, 5th May 2026, for Driving Growth Through Real Estate: 10 Year Plan – a high-level forum conceptualised and hosted by the Research Intelligence Unit (RIUNIT). The half-day forum, held from 2:30 PM to 7:00 PM, marked the first in a planned series of sessions under RIUNIT's ambitious 10-year real estate roadmap for the country.
The event drew a packed room of industry stakeholders, local and international investors, developers, business leaders, bankers and diplomats, all gathered to address one central question: How can Sri Lanka position itself as an international real estate investment destination?
Setting the stage
Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Roshan Madawela, Founder and CEO of the Research Intelligence Unit, who shared key insights from RIUNIT's ongoing research on why Sri Lanka is well positioned to emerge as a leading international real estate investment destination. Drawing on data, market trends and comparative analysis, Mr. Madawela framed the day's discussions around the country's potential to capture a meaningful share of the estimated USD 1 trillion in global institutional real estate investment expected in 2026. He added that;
“Real estate has proved itself as the asset class of choice, especially during times of volatility and contemporary times are again leading to a surge in international real estate investor interest, including in emerging markets. The challenge of positioning Sri Lanka as a viable investment destination has to be balanced with a more people centric approach to the overall housing issues faced by Sri Lanka, including affordability. The success of a nation cannot be measured by the height of its skyscrapers alone.”
The economic indicators that international investors look for
The first panel examined the macro-economic indicators that international real estate investors scrutinise when evaluating an emerging market like Sri Lanka. Following Mr. Madawela's opening presentation, the discussion brought together leaders representing some of the country's largest developers and industry bodies including Namal Pieris – Managing Director, ICC, Premalal Brahmanage – Co-Founder & Group Chairman, Prime Group and Amaya Herath – Executive Director, Home Lands Group of Companies. Amaya touched on the need to better synergise between real estate and other sectors like logistics where there is currently a surge in demand in Sri Lanka. Mr. Premalal emphasized the need to better leverage the islands natural blessings as a premium visitor destination while Mr, Namal also mentioned that in the current geopolitical environment, several sectors in Sri Lanka may benefit, but still the country needs to take a firm non-aligned stance.
The Colombo Port City: an emerging magnet for real estate developers
The second panel turned the spotlight on Colombo Port City and its potential to attract a meaningful share of global real estate investment. The session opened with a presentation by Dhanya Gunawardana, Head of Branding & Communications at the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, who outlined how Port City is being positioned on the international investment map. The session was moderated by Nilesh De Silva, Chartered Architect, Managing Partner at Kahawita De Silva & Associates (Pvt) Ltd, and a member of RIUNIT's Advisory Board, with audience questions rounding off the session and hosted Minoli Wickramasinghe – Chairperson / CEO, Capital TRUST Properties (Pvt) Ltd, Hiroshini Fernando – CEO / Executive Director, RIL Properties PLC and Sheanath de Soyza: Director of the International Chamber of Commerce, a prominent property investor and member of RIUNIT's Advisory Board. This session touched on the critical factors that will be needed to establish a high level of confidence in the Port City as well as the feasibility for commercial real estate developments to enter and meet the demand for office space.
Photo Caption : Panelists seated left to right: Romali Tudawe (CEO & Director, Tudawe Brothers), Priyanka Samaraweera (Executive Director, Investment Promotion & Research, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka), Reza Magdon-Ismail (Director / CEO, Crystal Property Group (Pvt) Ltd,)- Moderated by Dr. Anil Priyanka Baddevithana (Senior Consultant, RIUNIT)
A people-centric approach to real estate
The final panel of the afternoon explored a people-first approach to the sector, addressing national policy, affordability, the role of banking and finance, social housing and synergy with other industries. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Anil Priyanka Baddevithana, Senior Consultant at RIUNIT, and Reza Magdon-Ismail – Director / CEO, Crystal Property Group (Pvt) Ltd, Priyanka Samaraweera – Executive Director, Investment Promotion & Research, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and Romali Tudawe – CEO & Director, Tudawe Brothers. The panelists covered a broad range of related topics including insightful remarks by Reza on the synergy that can be achieved with tourism whilst Priyanka shared insights on the incentive that can be used to encourage investment in the affordable segment. Romali further shared her vision of how the suburbs could be developed with mid-rise residential developments that would be ideally to address the current urban challenges.
The event was sponsored by the International Construction Consortium (ICC), Prime Group and Home Lands Group, the three industry leaders that together account for close to 41% of upcoming residential apartment units in Colombo, alongside the Colombo Port City Economic Commission and CHEC Port City. Their backing, RIUNIT noted, reflects a shared industry consensus that a long-term, structured plan is essential to unlocking the next phase of growth. Fitsair and Basilur Tea also supported RIUNIT to host this event.
A conversation that continues
The afternoon closed with a networking reception over drinks and refreshments, where the conversations on stage spilled into informal exchanges between developers, financiers, regulators, architects and overseas investors. Attendees broadly agreed that the forum had set a constructive tone for what RIUNIT envisions as a sustained, multi-year dialogue, with further stakeholder and investor sessions to follow under the 10-year roadmap. Looking ahead, RIUNIT will publish detailed findings from the forum's discussions that are expected to outline the need for government stewardship of the sector as well as renewed efforts to place Sri Lanka firmly on the international investor radar.
Photo Caption: Delegates attending the event represented multifarious stakeholders including developers, investors and policymakers whilst foreign investors and the international diplomatic community listened keenly, with many more also joining online from many parts of the world.
About RIUNIT
The Research Intelligence Unit (RIUNIT) is Sri Lanka's leading research and advisory firm and the only organization that has a dedicated real estate research team demonstrating a 23 year track record covering 100’s of successful residential, commercial, warehouse and retail developments in Sri Lanka and across Asia. The company prides itself on being fiercely independent.
Caption-
Panelists seated left to right: Namal Pieris (Managing Director, ICC), Premalal Brahmanage (Co-founder & Group Chairman, Prime Group), Amaya Herath (Executive Director, Home Lands Group of Companies) - Moderated by: Roshan Madawela, Founder and CEO of RIUNIT.
