The professional organization for the real estate sector, the Union Professionnelle du Secteur Immobilier (UPSI) / Beroepsvereniging van de Vastgoedsector (BVS), includes the leading Belgian Companies operating in real estate related industries such as real estate development, land parcelling and real estate investment. For more than 50 years, UPSI-BVS has represented an important market segment through its members. Together, the real estate developers annually build thousands of new housing units and develop tens of thousands of m2 of offices and shopping centers. REITs ( SICAFI / BEVAKS) play an important role in the field of real estate investment. It is estimated that the activities of all UPSI-BVS members affect more than 10% of the gross national product of Belgium, taking into account the impact upstream and downstream. The members endorse a strictly-observed code of conduct. UPSI-BVS offers its members professional advice, mainly in the legal and economic fields. Several working groups have been created for this purpose: ° the working group for legal and European matters ° the working group for tax and economic matters ° the working group for investment matters ° the working group for technical matters ° the working group for land parcellers and home builders A number of subgroups study various other issues and offer members further advice on more specific technical, legal and financial problems; federal as well as regional. Moreover UPSI-BVS is active in the working committees of UEPC (European Union of Developers and House Builders). UPSI-BVS regularly organizes information meetings and study sessions on current issues. UPSI-BVS organizes federal and regional business lunches several times a year, with well-known guest speakers.