(MENAFN- The Rio Times) Brazil's homebuilder Tenda just posted a cleaner, stronger quarter-useful shorthand for anyone trying to understand how affordable housing really works here.

The company builds low-cost apartment blocks through a long-running national program that helps first-time buyers access mortgages (Minha Casa, Minha Vida, or MCMV).

That core engine did the heavy lifting: third-quarter consolidated profit rose 46.6% to R$111.7 million ($21 million), on revenue up 24.5% to about R$1.1 billion ($204 million).

Adjusted EBITDA was R$187 million ($35 million) with a steady 16.5% margin. Within that, the apartments unit earned R$146.4 million ($27 million), while the newer prefab-house brand, Alea, lost R$34.8 million ($6 million).

For readers outside Brazil, the backdrop matters. MCMV is a scaled, rules-based program that supports demand without turning builders into state contractors. It works when companies keep costs in line and families can qualify for loans.


Tenda Q3 2025 Profit Jumps 46.6%; Adjusted EBITDA Margin At 16.5%
Those conditions improved this year-lower inflation, better jobs, faster wage growth-so Tenda generated R$157.1 million ($29 million) in operating cash and cut net debt to R$200.9 million ($37 million), down 53.5% from a year earlier.

Why the apparent contradiction-profits up, yet sales down 20.7% to roughly R$1.2 billion ($222 million)?

Last year's third quarter was flattered by“Pode Entrar,” a São Paulo initiative that bought units in bulk; remove that distortion and underlying sales would have grown about 20.5% year over year.

Launches (14 projects) totaled R$1.56 billion ($289 million) in potential sales value, shy of a R$2 billion ($370 million) internal goal after some slips into the next quarter.

The story behind the story is Alea. Think factory-made wood-frame panels assembled on site for small and mid-sized cities. The idea promises speed and price discipline, but execution is still catching up.

Margins were negative (adjusted gross margin of minus 3.8%) as the company shifts from scattered subcontractors to in-house crews, narrows its geographic footprint, and retrains teams. Management is aiming for cash breakeven by 2027.

Brazil's affordable-housing demand looks supported by real-economy gains and targeted incentives, and private operators that focus on cost, cash, and delivery are positioned to expand access without slipping into politically driven excess.

The next quarter's launch cadence-and whether Alea's build-out hits its milestones-will show if this market-led approach can scale sustainably.

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