Business Champions of 2024: InteRo: a perfect mix of work ethics, grittiness, and honesty

InteRo Property Development, owned by the Canadian Topolinski family, is deeply committed to delivering exceptional real estate projects. BR spoke with Ashton Topolinski, Partner and Head of Marketing & Branding at InteRo Property Development, to discuss the company’s philosophy and strategy in real estate development.

By Anda Sebesi

InteRo Property Development has ongoing investment projects with a total value above EUR 1.4 billion. How do you explain the extraordinary development of your company?

Leadership has been a key driver of InteRo Property Development’s significant growth over the past 5 years. As a family-owned real estate business, our operations are guided by top-tier leadership. My partners—Michael Topolinski III, Michael Topolinski IV, Tyler Topolinski—and I share three essential leadership qualities: work ethic, resilience, and honesty. These traits empower us to build and lead strong teams, enabling us to deliver exceptional value and ensure the company operates at the highest standards consistently.

How important are ESG and sustainability aspects for InteRo Property Development today?

As Partner, Head of Marketing and Branding, and Sustainability Lead, I lead the company’s ESG Strategy. When I returned to Bucharest from Toronto in 2020, I was eager to explore ways we could positively impact Romania. It quickly became clear that reducing emissions and developing sustainable projects were key opportunities. I delved into internationally recognised sustainability certifications, consulted with top green architects across Europe, and developed InteRo’s ESG Action Plan, aligned with Romania’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2030. All of InteRo’s projects are sustainable, with SkyLight Residence and Pajurei 3 Residence currently on track to achieve BREEAM Excellent Certification. We remain committed to investing in green buildings, contributing positively to both the environment and the community.

To what extent do digitalization and the transition to a green economy influence the real estate sector?

Digitalization and the transition to a green economy are shaping the Bucharest real estate sector by fostering a more connected online community and pushing developers to prioritise sustainable projects. Clients are at the forefront of these innovative changes, as they are exposed to more opportunities through multiple online channels—whether to invest in or move into a new apartment. Digital marketing plays a vital role in this transformation, allowing clients to learn about us as developers—our teams, experience, and projects—through informative and engaging brand awareness campaigns.

Moreover, our clients benefit from healthier lifestyles when they purchase apartments that adhere to a holistic sustainability assessment framework. This framework measures sustainable value across multiple categories and validates performance through third-party certification. The categories assessed before, during, and after construction include energy, water, transport, pollution, construction materials, health and wellbeing, and more. Our partnership with BuildGreen has been instrumental, as their expertise provides invaluable feedback, helping us become more energy-efficient at every stage of the assessment process.

What will be the main opportunities and challenges in the real estate sector in 2025?

From our perspective, building client trust is the most significant opportunity. At the end of the day, our clients are our top priority, and despite the turmoil on Bucharest’s real estate market this year, we remain steadfast in our ethics and purposeful execution. We are committed to our mission of creating sustainable communities through efficient and innovative design and purposeful execution, improving the quality of life for our residents. Looking ahead, the real estate sector in 2025 faces several challenges. These include ongoing delays in permitting, resulting in a reduction of approved building permits; financial hardships for some clients following the collapse of a major developer, which has led to a widespread decline in trust towards developers; and an unstable election period causing uncertainty on the market and potentially affecting foreign policy and investment.