An invitation that does not happen by accident

There are events you attend, and events you are invited to. The WM Forum 2026, organised by TBC Wealth Management, falls firmly into the second category. FFI had the privilege of being present at this high-level private convention, bringing together in Tbilisi the most influential players in investment, real estate and wealth management across Georgia and the Caucasus–Central Asia region.

The theme of this edition left no room for ambiguity: “Georgia: A Gateway to Global Investment & Real Estate.” A programme that captured in a few words what we have been arguing to our clients for years.

TBC Bank and Archi: two pillars of the Georgian market, one shared vision

The event was chaired by George Tkhelidze, CEO of TBC Bank, Georgia's leading financial institution. Ilia Tsulaia, co-founder and chairman of the board of Archi Group — the country's largest residential developer with over 18% market share — was also in attendance.

Having these two central figures of the Georgian market in the same room, surrounded by the region's most active institutional investors, analysts and wealth managers, signals something important about the nature of this gathering. This was not a public conference. It was a working session among serious operators, conducted in a demanding and substantive format.

The exchanges we had throughout the day — during the formal sessions and on the margins of the presentations — reinforced and confirmed a significant portion of the market analysis we regularly share with our clients on the trajectory of the Georgian real estate market.

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What the forum revealed about the Georgian real estate market

The real estate research presentations at the WM Forum 2026, drawing on data from TBC Capital and the National Agency of Public Registry, confirmed trends we have been tracking closely.

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National market: sustained growth, continued momentum

The Georgian residential market has posted average annual volume growth of 20% since 2019, rising from $820 million to $2.497 billion in 2025, with a further 8% increase in Q1 2026 alone. Tbilisi accounts for 68% of the national market, Batumi for 21%. The market is stabilising after the 2022 peak, but continues to advance: transactions are expected to grow 7.1% and prices 5.6% across the full year 2026.

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Tbilisi — Price per square metre (Q1 2026)

These figures illustrate the upmarket shift in Tbilisi — no longer a standardised-product destination but a segmented market with real, documented premium demand.

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Batumi: still the most undervalued coastal market internationally

In Batumi, the average price per square metre has grown 9% annually since 2019, reaching $1,433 in Q1 2026. The international comparison is striking.

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Coastal market comparison — city centre price vs gross rental yield

The message is clear: acquisition prices remain well below international equivalents, yet rental yields already rank among the highest in the global panel. This gap is precisely what draws informed investors before the inevitable convergence closes it.

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TBC Bank: far more than a local bank

For our clients investing in Georgia who need a reliable banking partner, TBC Bank's presentation at the forum provided useful context.

TBC Bank Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index. The bank holds 37% market share in loans and deposits in Georgia, and 42% in payment acquiring. Total assets stand at $16.5 billion, with a market capitalisation of $3.4 billion. Its average return on equity between 2016 and 2025 was 23%. BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity International and other major global institutional asset managers are among its shareholders. This is not the profile of a niche regional bank. It is the profile of a financial institution fully integrated into international standards.

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TBC Bank Group — key figures

TBC Wealth Management, the bank's dedicated private banking arm, manages $1.8 billion in assets under management with average annual growth of 26% over three years, serving clients from more than 70 nationalities. It is recognised annually by Euromoney, The Banker and Global Finance as Georgia's best private bank. In 2026, Euromoney also distinguished it as the best private bank in Central and Eastern Europe for upper private banking.

What this profile means concretely for our clients: when FFI recommends TBC Bank as a banking partner for a real estate acquisition in Georgia, we are recommending an institution whose solidity, reputation and operational capabilities are validated by the world's most demanding institutional investors.

For investors looking to go beyond a standard bank account, TBC Wealth Management also offers local senior bonds in multiple currencies with typical yields of 7.5 to 8.5% in dollars, diversified credit funds with historical returns of 8.5 to 9% in dollars, and flexible term deposits in Georgian lari at around 9 to 10%. Yield levels that Western bond markets can no longer provide.

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What this type of event delivers concretely for our clients

FFI's presence at the WM Forum 2026 is not incidental. It reflects the depth of positioning we have built in this market, and the quality of relationships we maintain with the players who shape it.

Being invited to this type of event means accessing the freshest data, the most rigorous analysis, and the decision-makers who influence the market before their decisions reach the public domain. It is a source of intelligence and positioning that cannot be improvised, and it translates directly into the quality of the recommendations we make to our clients.

When we select a real estate project in Tbilisi or Batumi, we do not do it by browsing listing platforms or reading promotional brochures. We do it with the market knowledge that relationships like those we have developed with Archi Group and TBC Bank make possible. That difference is precisely what matters when investing in a foreign market.

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In summary

The WM Forum 2026 confirmed what we have been telling our clients for several years: Georgia is a serious, well-documented market, tracked by leading institutions, with real estate fundamentals that remain among the most attractive available to an international investor in 2026. This is no longer a niche conviction. It is now a conviction shared by BlackRock, Vanguard, Eagle Hills, Archi Group, and the most demanding wealth managers in the region.

For FFI, being present at this type of event is the most concrete demonstration of what we bring to our clients: a genuine presence in the market, access to the right counterparts, and a market reading that goes well beyond what any surface-level research can provide.

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Looking to invest in Georgia with institutional-grade support?

We are on the ground in this market, we know its key players, and we guide our clients from analysis through to acquisition.

Schedule a call with our team: https://calendly.com/adrienboucher/visio30min