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The Graph in Berlin: QUEST Investment Partners rents out 6,300 m² to SEFE

The Graph in Berlin: QUEST Investment Partners rents out 6,300 m² to SEFE 1500 1500 QUEST Investment Partners

The Graph in Berlin: QUEST Investment Partners rents out 6,300 m² to SEFE

Hamburg, 18 April 2023. The investment and project development company QUEST Investment Partners has rented around 6,300 m² of the 7,800 m² of office space at The Graph property to the company SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH. Constructed in 1999, the building at Markgrafenstraße 62/63 is now fully let. It is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment and repositioning, with completion expected in summer 2023. With its contemporary and homogeneous façade concept, it lends a new architectural touch to the Zeitungsviertel district. On the inside, modern, transparent design and an attractive lobby create an urban New Work ambience.
The building belongs to the “Urban Office RE” portfolio. The portfolio is part of a real estate fund managed by Universal Investment for the Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK). QUEST Funds acts as investment and asset manager of the portfolio.

“We are delighted to see that SEFE has opted for the unique design of this building and thus for a new headquarters in the immediate vicinity of its current location,” says Kira Groth, Head of Leasing at QUEST Investment Partners.
“The move is a huge step for SEFE towards building its future as an integrated energy company. On our journey to a modern, future-oriented business, we need an office and a working environment that supports this ambition. Together with our partner QUEST, we create the working environment we need in order to continue to secure energy supply and drive the green energy transformation”, explains SEFE CEO Dr Egbert Laege.

The Graph is located in Berlin’s Zeitungsviertel (newspaper district), very close to Checkpoint Charlie. Its vibrant mix of old and new economy makes this neighbourhood popular with many companies, associations and ministries. The property is not far from Friedrichstraße and Gendarmenmarkt and enjoys excellent public transport links via the underground station Kochstraße.

CBRE acted as broker for the letting. QUEST Investment Partners was legally advised by Capstone Legal, Universal Investment by Pinsent Masons.

About QUEST Investment Partners
QUEST Investment Partners is an owner-operated real estate investment company. Its offices are located in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With a portfolio of around €3.4 billion in assets under management, the company which is a signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in selected locations of major German cities. QUEST Development develops and finances high-quality real estate projects both independently and in cooperation with co-investors. QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors, while the team at QUEST Property Management team handles around 550,000 m² of usable space in its own and third-party projects. QUEST Energy supplies CO2-free energy: the company installs and operates photovoltaic systems on the roofs and exterior surfaces of buildings.

About Bayerische Versorgungskammer
Bayerische Versorgungskammer is the competence and service center for occupational and communal pension schemes and Germany ́s largest pension group under public law. As a public authority of the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, it is the joint executive body of twelve liberal professions ́ and communal pension schemes. Bayerische V ersorgungskammer covers about 2. 5 million insured persons in total, with contributions of € 5. 5 billion and about € 4.1 billion pension payments annually. It currently has € 106.8 billion assets under management (market value) and about 1,490 employees. Bayerische Versorgungskammer has been a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2011. It became a member of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) in March 2020 and joined the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance in May 2021.

About Universal Investment
The Universal Investment Group is one of Europe’s leading fund service platforms and Super ManCos with around EUR 972 billion in assets under administration, about 2,000 fund and investment mandates and a workforce of more than 1,700 at locations in Frankfurt am Main, Luxembourg, Dublin, London, Paris, Hamburg and Krakow. Founded in 1968, the company is an independent platform for asset managers as well as institutional investors offering structuring and administration solutions as well as risk management for Securities, Real Estate and Alternative Investments. The companies EFA, UI labs, UI Enlyte and CAPinside complement the group’s innovative service offering. Universal Investment is a signatory of the UN Principles of Responsible Investment. (as of March 2023)

O2 Telefónica rents 7,000 m2 as single tenant at Hamburg’s Tichelhaus property

O2 Telefónica rents 7,000 m2 as single tenant at Hamburg’s Tichelhaus property 800 533 QUEST Investment Partners

O2 Telefónica rents 7,000 m2 as single tenant at Hamburg’s Tichelhaus property

Hamburg, 14 February 2023. Right at the start of construction, the investment and project development company QUEST Investment Partners has rented the entire office space of the Tichelhaus property, which spans almost 7,000 m2, to the telecommunications company o2 Telefónica. O2 Telefónica offers mobile and fixed network services for private and business customers. With around 47 million mobile telephone lines and 2.3 million broadband lines, the company is one of the leading integrated telecommunications providers in Germany. The demolition of the old building is currently underway in this prestigious location at Willy- Brandt-Strasse 69. Plans are for the new nine-story building to be ready for occupancy at the end of 2024.
QUEST Investment Partners focuses on constructing the building in a sustainable manner with a low carbon footprint in the long term. Among other things, the bricks come from near Hamburg, ensuring that transport routes are short and optimised in terms of emissions. A photovoltaic system on the roof will be supplying environmentally friendly energy in the future. Pre-certified as LEED Gold, the Tichelhaus property will comprise a total of 8,400 m2 upon completion. In addition to office premises, the project will include eight flats with a view of the historic Nikolaifleet canal as well as a space for restaurants.

“We see a trend among larger companies to return to office spaces in the city centre that are smaller, but centrally located and innovative. The Tichelhaus property stood out in several ways: with its location in the heart of the city centre, great accessibility, state-of-the-art workspaces and creative areas, as well as a sustainable and energy-efficient concept including its own photovoltaic system on the roof. Not to mention its stylish architecture,” says Kira Groth, Head of Leasing at QUEST Investment Partners.

“As o2 Telefónica, with the new building we have found an attractive, central location that is well connected to the Hamburg public transport network and at the same time meets our requirements in terms of sustainability. Here we can implement a workplace concept that promotes creative exchange and communication among our employees and also acts as a pull factor for new talents,” says Markus Rolle, CFO of o2 Telefónica.

The Tichelhaus property showcases Hamburg’s building culture
The word “Tichel” means “brick” in the Low German dialect. For the façade, QUEST Investment Partners chose traditional handmade clinker bricks from the Rusch brickworks in the Altes Land region. Each brick is unique and is fired in a traditional Hoffmann kiln. The result is a vivid and eye-catching brick façade with a unique appearance that translates Hamburg’s historic building culture into modern times.

The elegant and expressive proposal submitted by the architects at Christ & Gantenbein won the international competition. The architectural firm Schaub & Partner will take over the realisation of the project.

BNP Paribas Real Estate acted as broker.

Über QUEST Investment Partners
QUEST Investment Partners is an owner-operated real estate investment company. Its offices are located in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With a portfolio of around €3.4 billion in assets under management, the company which is a signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in selected locations of major German cities. QUEST Development develops and finances high-quality real estate projects both independently and in cooperation with co-investors. QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors. The QUEST Property Management team handles around 550,000 m2 of usable space in its own and third-party projects. QUEST Energy supplies CO2-free energy: the company installs and operates photovoltaic systems on the roofs and exterior surfaces of buildings.

The Tichelhaus property with its elegant brick façade

Copyright: beyond visual arts

QUEST Funds reports full occupancy at Neuer Wall 54 – repositioning completed

QUEST Funds reports full occupancy at Neuer Wall 54 – repositioning completed 150 150 QUEST Investment Partners


QUEST Funds reports full occupancy at Neuer Wall 54 – repositioning completed

Hamburg, 6 December 2022. Investment and asset manager QUEST Funds has successfully completed the repositioning of the 5,560 m2 LIV office and retail building on Neuer Wall in Hamburg. The project included a modernisation of the façade and interior, and reletting of previously vacant parts of the office spaces. 65 per cent or 3,614 m2 of the property is used as offices. The last 800 m2 on the 3rd floor have now been claimed by a recruitment agency and a provider of virtual reception services. Among the new tenants who have already moved into the building in recent months are Greenfield Capital, Heartstocks, Smartenergy, as well as the teams of recruiters jobvalley, Lionment and Z1 Management. On each floor, generous window fronts ensure light-flooded rooms, while light colours and warm wood notes of the interior design create a welcoming and comfortable working atmosphere.

The Danish furniture store Illums Bolighus was already the tenant of the entire retail space when the building was purchased. The property in a premium location in the middle of Hamburg’s city centre is part of the “Urban Office RE”, a real estate fund managed by Universal Investment for the Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK). QUEST Funds acts as investment and asset manager of the portfolio.

“The exceptional ambience of this exclusive shopping street attracts not only luxury brands but also office users. In the competition for the best talent, the flexibility, fit-out and micro-location of an office space play an increasingly important role,” explains Roland Holschuh, Managing Partner of QUEST Funds. The property is located in the heart of Hamburg’s city centre, in the close vicinity of Hamburg Town Hall, the Jungfernstieg and the Inner Alster lake. With its proximity to the central train station, the location is well-connected to local and long-distance public transport.

About QUEST Investment Partners
QUEST Investment Partners is an owner-operated real estate investment company. Its offices are located in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With a portfolio of around €3.4 billion in assets under management, the company which is a signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in selected locations of major German cities. QUEST Development develops and finances high-quality real estate projects both independently and in cooperation with co-investors. QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors. The QUEST Property Management team handles around 550,000 m2 of usable space in its own and third- party projects. For further information please visit www.quest-investment.com

About Bayerische Versorgungskammer
Bayerische Versorgungskammer is the competence and service center for occupational and communal pension schemes and Germany ́s largest pension group under public law. As a public authority of the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, it is the joint executive body of twelve liberal professions ́ and communal pension schemes. Bayerische Versorgungskammer covers about 2.5 million insured persons in total, with contributions of € 5.4 billion and about € 3.9 billion pension payments annually. It currently has € 107.3 billion assets under management (market value) and more than 1,460 employees. Bayerische Versorgungskammer has been a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2011. It became a member of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) in March 2020 and joined the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance in May 2021.

About Universal Investment
The Universal Investment Group is one of Europe’s leading fund service platforms and Super ManCos with around EUR 900 billion in assets under administration, about 7,000 fund and investment mandates and a workforce of more than 1,400 at locations in Frankfurt am Main, Luxembourg, Dublin, London, Paris, Stockholm, Hamburg and Krakow. Founded in 1968, the company is an independent platform for asset managers as well as institutional investors offering structuring and administration solutions as well as risk management for Securities, Real Estate and Alternative Investments. The companies EF A, UI labs, UI Enlyte and CAPinside complement the group’s innovative service offering. Universal Investment is a signatory of the UN Principles of Responsible Investment. (as of October 2022)

Completely modernised and fully let: The LIV on Neuer Wall

Copyright: beyond visual arts GmbH

QUEST Funds increases assets under management by 25 percent in 2021

QUEST Funds increases assets under management by 25 percent in 2021 150 150 QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Funds increases assets under management by 25 percent in 2021

Frankfurt, Hamburg, 8 February 2022 Successful results for QUEST Funds in 2021: the real estate company acting as investment, asset and fund manager, took over office properties worth almost half a billion euros for renowned institutional investors. All the properties in question are office properties in Germany’s top four cities — Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. The investments were made for two different regulated special funds. In the same period, the company sold office and commercial properties from managed funds with a combined area of more than 32,000 m2 in Brussels and Hamburg for a total of approximately 150 million euros. The assets under management of the 13 funds currently managed amounted to 1.5 billion euros at the end of the year, corresponding to an increase of 25 percent compared with the previous year.

Outlook for 2022 – sights set on closed-ended and open-ended funds for institutional investors
QUEST Funds continues to consider the market for real estate investments as attractive. “In view of the continuing demand for high-quality properties and the current inflation trend, we expect a positive market environment going forward. Covid has not slowed down our transaction or leasing activities for office buildings”, says Roland Holschuh, Managing Partner at QUEST Funds. The company plans to launch ESG- compliant closed-ended special funds for selected investments as well as open-ended special funds for diversified allocations in Germany’s top 4 cities.
Roland Holschuh: “There is a shortage of premium properties on the market. However, with our partnering company QUEST Development, we enjoy excellent access to suitable newly built or modernised properties. We thus know the properties and their potential very well. ESG aspects for our funds can therefore already be considered in the conception phase.”

The combined assets under management of QUEST Development and QUEST Funds amount to 3.4 billion euros. The Development division reported assets under management of 1.9 billion euros at the end of the year.

About QUEST Investment Partners
QUEST Investment Partners is an owner-operated real estate investment company. Its offices are located in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With a portfolio of around €3.4 billion in assets under management, the company focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in selected locations of major German cities. QUEST Development develops and finances high-quality real estate projects both independently and in cooperation with co- investors. The sister company QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors. QUEST is also engaged in property management through its majority share in Albrecht Gebrüder & Co.

Roland Holschuh, geschäftsführender Gesellschafter von QUEST Funds
Copyright: Sebastian Vollmert

QUEST Investment Partners sells Berlin property to a BVK fund

QUEST Investment Partners sells Berlin property to a BVK fund 150 150 QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners sells Berlin property to a BVK fund

  • Office property The Graph with 7,484 m2 of rental space extends BVK fund
  • QUEST Funds to act as asset manager, Universal-Investment as fund manager
  • With its modern façade, The Graph adds a distinctive touch to Berlin’s Zeitungsviertel district

Hamburg/Berlin, 22 December 2021. The investment and project development company QUEST Investment Partners has sold the Berlin office property The Graph, built in 1999, to a fund of Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK). The building at Markgrafenstraße 62/63 comprises 7,484 m2 of rental space and 42 underground parking spaces. It is located in Berlin’s Zeitungsviertel district, in the immediate vicinity of Checkpoint Charlie. With The Graph, the “Urban Office RE” portfolio now consists of five properties, amounting to a total of around 32,400 m2. The portfolio is part of a fund managed by Universal-Investment for Bayerische Versorgungskammer, with QUEST Funds acting as the initiator and asset manager. In April 2021, QUEST Funds and Universal-Investment had taken over the initial portfolio comprising 25,000 m2 with four inner-city office buildings in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich.

“We are planning an innovative and uniform façade for the property, which was only built in 1999 and is characterised by its excellent construction quality”, says Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners. In addition to a striking façade, the nine-storey building is also to receive a representative two-storey lobby as part of the refurbishment plan. QUEST Investment Partners had acquired the property in December 2020 and will carry out the refurbishment as general contractor after the sale.

“We are pleased to add another property with strong upside potential and a unique location to the fund managed for BVK”, says Roland Holschuh, Managing Partner at QUEST Funds GmbH, which acts as investment and asset manager.

The buyer received legal advice from Pinsent Masons, tax advice from EY Tax, technical advice from x. project and commercial advice from EY Real Estate. Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer provided tax advice to the seller during the transaction; Jebens Mensching acted as legal advisor.

About QUEST Investment Partners
QUEST Investment Partners is an owner-operated real estate investment company founded in 2016. Its offices are located in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With a portfolio of around €3.4 billion in assets under management, the company focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in selected locations of major German cities. QUEST Development develops and finances high-quality real estate projects both independently and in cooperation with co-investors. The sister company QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors. QUEST is also engaged in property management through its majority share in Albrecht Gebrüder & Co.

ABOUT UNIVERSAL-INVESTMENT
The Universal-Investment Group is one of Europe’s leading fund service platforms and Super ManCos with around EUR 733 billion in assets under administration, about 2,000 mutual and special fund mandates and a workforce of more than 1,000 at locations in Frankfurt am Main, Luxembourg, Dublin and Krakow. Founded in 1968, the company is an independent platform for asset managers as well as institutional investors offering structuring and administration solutions as well as risk management for Securities, Real Estate and Alternative Investments. The companies UI Labs, UI Enlyte and CAPinside complement the group’s innovative service offering. Universal-Investment is a signatory of the UN Principles of Responsible Investment. (as of 30 November 2021)

More information available at: www.universal-investment.com

About the Bayerische Versorgungskammer:
The Bayerische Versorgungskammer is the competence and service center for occupational and communal pension schemes and Germany ́s largest pension group under public law. As a public authority of the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior, it is the joint executive body of twelve liberal professions ́ and communal pension schemes. The Bayerische Versorgungskammer covers about 2.4 million insured persons in total, with contributions of € 5.2 billion and about € 3.8 billion pension payments annually. It currently has € 97.2 billion assets under management (market value) and more than 1,420 employees. The Bayerische Versorgungskammer has been a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2011. It became a member of the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) in March 2020 and joined the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance in May 2021.

The Graph at Markgrafenstraße 62 in Berlin
Copyright: Hans Glave

QUEST Investment Partners sells mixed-use property in Berlin Mitte to private investor

QUEST Investment Partners sells mixed-use property in Berlin Mitte to private investor 150 150 QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners sells mixed-use property in Berlin Mitte to private investor

Hamburg, 09 November 2021. The investment and project development company QUEST Investment Partners has sold the mixed-use property “Echt Wedding” at Müllerstraße 151 in Berlin’s Mitte district as part of a share deal to a private investor. The property comprises over 7,000 m² of rental space and dates back to around 1900. It was acquired by QUEST in the spring of 2020. The six-storey property features a prestigious red brick façade with white bay windows and balconies. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

“This well-preserved multi-tenant building is located on the main shopping street in Berlin Wedding – a neighbourhood in the district of Berlin Mitte – and offers great upside potential”, says Luis Walther-Kraft, Head of Transactions & Partnering at QUEST Investment Partners.

Its popular location next to Leopoldplatz offers excellent local public transport connections as well as an abundance of cafés and restaurants.

Angermann carried out the off-market transaction. QUEST was advised on legal matters by Clifford Chance and on tax matters by Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer.

Über QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is an owner-operated real estate investment company founded in 2016. Its offices are located in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With a portfolio of around €3.4 billion in assets under management, the company focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in selected locations of major German cities. QUEST Development develops and finances high-quality real estate projects both independently and in cooperation with co-investors. The sister company QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors. QUEST is also engaged in property management through its majority share in Albrecht Gebrüder & Co. For further information please visit www.quest-investment.com

QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building in prime location in Munich

QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building in prime location in Munich 150 150 QUEST Investment Partners


QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building in prime location in Munich

Hamburg, 29 October 2021. The investment and project development company QUEST Investment Partners has acquired an office and commercial building with around 3,400 m2 of rental space on one of Munich’s most popular boulevards. The property at Leopoldstraße 7 in Munich was sold as part of an asset deal. The seller is Catella Real Estate AG, acting on behalf of the open-ended real estate fund Catella MAX. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The property was built in 1982 and is located on the border of the districts of Maxvorstadt and Schwabing. On the ground floor, it accommodates the Italian restaurant Bar Giornale, which is well-known throughout the city.

“We are delighted to have acquired this trophy asset with a view of the Siegestor gate in the fashionable Schwabing district. The property allows for a complete redevelopment, including the addition of new storeys and the redesign of the façade. With our refurbishment, we will once again demonstrate how we can carry buildings into the future with innovative concepts”, says Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

The property in the immediate vicinity of the Siegestor gate has received a positive building notification to increase the rental space to about 4,000 m2 and to modernise the building. In a competition for ideas, the Munich architects at Allmann Sattler Wappner came out as winners. Their design envisages the dismantling of the current roof and storage floors of the detached corner building and the construction of two new stacked floors with flat roofs and terrace areas on the 5th and 6th floors.

The building is located in the immediate vicinity of Munich’s universities, major attractions, the English Garden and culinary highlights. Munich’s city centre can be reached on foot.

Cushman & Wakefield conducted the structured bidding process on behalf of the seller. QUEST received legal advice from Jebens Mensching, tax advice from Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer and technical advice from Bohnzirlewagen. The sellers received legal and tax advice from DLA Piper and technical advice from Arcadis.

Über QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is an owner-operated real estate investment company founded in 2016. Its offices are located in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With a portfolio of around €3.4 billion in assets under management, the company focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in selected locations of major German cities. QUEST Development develops and finances high- quality real estate projects both independently and in cooperation with co-investors. The sister company QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors. QUEST is also engaged in property management through its majority share in Albrecht Gebrüder & Co.

QUEST Investment Partners acquires centrally located office property in Hamburg

QUEST Investment Partners acquires centrally located office property in Hamburg 150 150 QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners acquires centrally located office property in Hamburg

Hamburg, 27 October 2021. The investment and project development company QUEST Investment Partners has acquired the office and commercial building at Steindamm 72-86 in an off market transaction. The building comprises 14,100 m2 of rental space and 144 car parking spaces. The seller is a joint venture between the London-based investment manager Tristan Capital Partners and the German real estate company Investa Real Estate. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Built in 1973, the eleven-storey property received a complete refurbishment and an energy efficiency upgrade in 2014 and 2019. It is located in Hamburg’s St. Georg district, next to the 12,750 m2 office building Steindamm 94, which is also part of the QUEST portfolio.

“We are very convinced by the central location of this building within the public transportation network. Furthermore, we see this fully let office-asset as a strategic, long-term investment, which will profit from a significant increase of the neighborhood”, explains Luis Walther-Kraft, Head of Transactions & Partnering at QUEST Investment Partners. The main tenants at Steindamm 72-86 are the City of Hamburg and EOS.

Thanks to its central location, the building offers optimal public transport connections: Hamburg’s central station can be reached on foot in just a few minutes, and bus and underground stations are right around the corner.

BNP Paribas Real Estate carried out the transaction process. QUEST received legal advice from Capstone Legal and Huth Dietrich Hahn, tax advice from Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer, and technical advice from Bohnzirlewagen. Poellath provided legal and tax advice to the sellers.

Über QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is an owner-operated real estate investment company founded in 2016. Its offices are located in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. With a portfolio of around €3.4 billion in assets under management, the company focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in selected locations of major German cities. QUEST Development develops and finances high- quality real estate projects both independently and in cooperation with co-investors. The sister company QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors. QUEST is also engaged in property management through its majority share in Albrecht Gebrüder & Co.

QUEST Investment Partners acquires iconic Deutsche Bahn building in Frankfurt for a German pension fund

QUEST Investment Partners acquires iconic Deutsche Bahn building in Frankfurt for a German pension fund 150 150 QUEST Investment Partners


QUEST Investment Partners acquires iconic Deutsche Bahn building in Frankfurt for a German pension fund

Frankfurt, 06 July 2021. The investment and project development company QUEST Investment Partners has acquired the former Deutsche Bahn headquarters at Stephensonstrasse 1 in Frankfurt’s Europaviertel district for a fund of funds of an occupational pension scheme. QUEST Funds acts as initiator and asset manager in this off-market transaction. The acquisition is carried out via a newly established institutional AIF, which is managed by INTREAL as the AIFM. The property, which comprises 51,000 m2 of rental space and is considered an architectural icon of Brutalism, is now to be repositioned. It has only recently been declared a listed monument.

The current owner is the closed-end retail fund Hesse Newman Real Estate No. 3, managed by QUEST Funds. Constructed in 1993, the property will be transferred to the new AIF under a leasehold agreement. QUEST will be modernising the distinctive property and re-letting the spaces on behalf of the AIF. The rental agreement with Deutsche Bahn, which had been using the building for almost 30 years, expired at the end of March 2021.

Roland Holschuh, Managing Partner at QUEST Funds, explains: “We firmly believe in the long-term potential of this outstanding property. Its conservation is absolutely worthwhile, if only for sustainability and architectural reasons. We have structured this transaction in such a way as to combine the interests of first- time investors with those of the new institutional investor. While the new AIF secures a unique and stable long-term asset through the early entry, the existing retail fund receives an attractive and secure ground rent. ”

RAW – new plans for the listed architectural icon
The architect Stephan Böhm, son of the master architect of concrete buildings Gottfried Böhm, created one of the main works of Brutalism in Frankfurt. Six wings connected by pavilions and a central tower measuring 65 metres in height make up the striking building complex of concrete, steel and glass. With its distinctive supporting structure of exposed concrete, flexible room configurations and impressive vistas, it boasts a high level of architectural quality.

Brutally modern and timeless: inspired by the raw, exposed concrete, the building is now called “RAW”. Its repositioning aims to transform it into a multi-tenant property with a campus feel. The entrance hall is to serve as a communication and service hub, complemented by contemporary restaurants, co-working and conference spaces.

The buyer received legal and tax advice from Mayer Brown LLP and legal advice from Greenberg Traurig Germany LLP. Technical advice was provided by Drees & Sommer SE. The seller was advised on legal matters by REIUS Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB and on tax matters by Jebens Mensching PartG mbB.

 

About QUEST Investment Partners

Founded in 2016, QUEST Investment Partners is an investment and project development company with offices in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities and the Benelux countries. The team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects. While QUEST Development primarily develops projects, its sister company QUEST Funds is responsible for the fund business and makes individual investments together with institutional investors. The shareholders of QUEST Investment Partners are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers.

QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building in Berlin

QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building in Berlin 150 150 QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building in Berlin

Hamburg, 7. Juni 2021. The project developers at QUEST Investment Partners have acquired another property in Berlin Mitte, in the direct vicinity of the Zeitungsviertel, in an off-market transaction: the seven- storey office and commercial building dates back to 1996 and is located at Alte Jakobstraße 83/84. It comprises a rental area of approximately 5,350 m2, of which around 4,500 m2 can be used for customisable office spaces. The retail premises on the ground floor are let to the food retailer Netto under a long-term lease. The office spaces in the multi-tenant property are almost fully let, the main tenants being a publisher of comics and children’s magazines and an agency for digital marketing. The building’s own underground car park features 43 parking spaces. The seller is a private individual; the purchase price has not been disclosed.

“As is typical for our developments, we want to rebrand this project and significantly improve the quality of the office space, façade and lobby, as well as the unused courtyards and terraces”, explains Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners. Commenting on the market outlook for German office buildings, Künzel states: “We continue to see stable and even increasing demand for multi-tenant properties in central locations of major German cities. The coronavirus pandemic does not change that.”

A central location between the Zeitungsviertel and Kreuzberg
The building is within walking distance of the Spree Canal, between the Zeitungsviertel and the office location of many tech and start-up companies in Kreuzberg. It boasts excellent public transport links with the underground stations Spittelmarkt, Heinrich-Heine-Straße and Moritzplatz as well as various bus routes in the immediate vicinity.

Angermann Berlin acted as intermediary in the transaction. QUEST Investment Partners was advised on legal matters by SNP Schlawien and Huth Dietrich Hahn, on technical matters by Arup and on tax matters by Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer. Schwenke Schütz provided legal advice to the seller and GSP Steuerberatungsgesellschaft advised the seller on tax matters.

Über QUEST Investment Partners
Founded in 2016, QUEST Investment Partners is an investment and project development company with offices in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities and the Benelux countries. The team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects. QUEST Funds is in charge of the fund business of the real estate company and makes individual investments in cooperation with institutional investors. The shareholders of QUEST Investment Partners are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers.

Copyright: Angermann Investment Advisory AG