User data is highly valuable for smart buildings to create the best user experience possible and to help achieve ESG goals. The possibilities are endless and their only limit is related to privacy settings. Recently, Property Forum was invited to visit Drees & Sommer’s new net energy-plus HQ building in Stuttgart and to learn about the latest trends in building technology and sustainable development.

CTP has completed the takeover and delisting offer for Deutsche Industrie REIT-AG (DIR), which provides immediate scale in Europe’s largest economy. Germany now represents about 15% of CTP’s portfolio and becomes its third-largest market by gross asset value after the Czech Republic (42%) and Romania (21%).

Griffin Real Estate and Madison International Realty announced a joint venture for their two first investments together in Germany. With Griffin’s development partner, Panattoni, the firms will develop two build-to-suit properties, with footprint area of over 7,000 sqm and 9,100 sqm respectively, that have been leased to Amazon on a 15-year lease with combined investment volume over €80 million.

VGP and Allianz Real Estate, acting on behalf of several Allianz Group companies, announced a successful eighth closing with its 50:50 joint venture, VGP European Logistics. The transaction comprised of four logistic buildings, including two buildings in a new VGP park and another two newly completed logistic buildings which were developed in parks previously transferred to the Joint Venture. The four buildings are located in Germany (three) and in the Czech Republic (one).

Radosław T. Krochta, CEO & President of the Management Board of Polish industrial/logistics developer MLP Group S.A., is answering questions about the group’s expansion on the German market, changing requirements of warehouse space tenants and the long-term impact of the pandemic on the sector.

Argo Properties N.V., a Dutch company active in the German residential private rented sector, completed an initial public offering in which Cordia International participated as a part of its international expansion strategy.

German-focused investor Aggregate Holdings S.A. confirmed that it may be considering a potential acquisition of a stake in CA Immo, which may also include launching a partial takeover offer for shares in CA Immo in accordance with the provisions of the Austrian Takeover Act.

For Germany-based real estate investor and developer Trei Real Estate, 2020 was a successful year thanks to the fact its portfolio mostly includes assets that were hardly affected by the pandemic. Pepijn Morshuis, CEO of Trei Real Estate talked to Property Forum about the experiences gained during 2020, changing financing conditions and the company’s plans for 2021.

Trei Real Estate GmbH has taken out an unsecured loan in a volume of €42 million from the German bank Helaba. It involves an innovative financing structure that Trei employed in similar form for the first time when taking out a loan from the same lender in late 2019. The successful model includes corporate finance elements, on the one hand, and the characteristics of a mortgage loan, on the other hand. The loan has a four-year maturity. Trei intends to use the borrowed capital to finance its growth trajectory.

Germany and Central Eastern Europe (CEE) reported investment turnover growth across commercial real estate in H1 2020, despite the effects of COVID-19 in Q2, according to the latest Savills European Investment Spotlight.