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QUEST Investment Partners acquires “Fritz” building in Ludwigsvorstadt, its first property in Munich
QUEST Investment Partners acquires “Fritz” building in Ludwigsvorstadt, its first property in Munich 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners acquires “Fritz” building in Ludwigsvorstadt, its first property in Munich

Hamburg, 12 March 2020. After Hamburg, Berlin and Frankfurt, the project developers at QUEST Investment Partners have now also expanded into the Bavarian capital. Working with CSMM architects, they are revitalising an office and commercial building from 1973 situated at Schillerstraße 23a in Munich’s up-and-coming Ludwigsvorstadt district. The Fritz property is to undergo complete refurbishment, with only the shell of the building remaining. Two new full floors will be added – the building permit has already been obtained -, as well as a roof terrace with a view over the city. Balconies, bay windows and a glass extension with terrace areas will fill the future courtyard with new life and light. The new façade with its large window fronts will allow for light-flooded rooms and lend the building at the street corner a distinctive appearance. Spread across eight floors, some 4,500 m2 of office space will provide state-of-the-art technology and rooms three metres high for flexible use.
The revitalisation of the Fritz building – named after the street’s namesake Friedrich Schiller – will begin in mid-2020, letting activities start these days. An added benefit for tenants and guests: there are 18 underground parking and outdoor parking spaces.

“We are delighted with our first property in Munich and remain convinced that the area around Schillerstraße will develop very positively,” says Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners. The pedestrian zone in this bustling and international neighbourhood with its numerous hotels, residential buildings, retailers and grocery stores is to be extended to connect the central station with Stachus and Marienplatz. The southern part of Schillerstraße, which already features microflats and apartment blocks, will be significantly upgraded by the planned campus for Earth and Environmental Sciences of Ludwig Maximilian University.

QUEST Investment Partners acquired the multi tenant property in early 2019. In the transaction, Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG acted as financing bank, Cushman & Wakefield LLP as intermediary broker, Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer as tax adviser and Greenberg Traurig Germany, LLP as legal adviser.

About QUEST Investment Partners
Founded in 2016, QUEST Investment Partners is an investment and project development company with offices in Hamburg, Berlin 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.

www.quest-investment.com

FRITZ will be a distinctive, light-flooded building in Munich’s up-and-coming Ludwigsvorstadt district.
Visualisation of the property: beyond visual arts

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QUEST Funds takes over 1.2 billion euro fund portfolio
QUEST Funds takes over 1.2 billion euro fund portfolio 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Funds takes over 1.2 billion euro fund portfolio

  • Portfolio includes 15 funds with properties in Germany and the Benelux countries
  • Strengthening of management expertise in the existing business
  • Assets under management rise to 2.5 billion euros for QUEST Investment Partners

Frankfurt/Hamburg, 05 March 2020. As of April 1, 2020, the investment manager QUEST Funds is taking over the real estate fund portfolio managed by the North German investment company NORDCAPITAL. The portfolio includes 15 funds with office properties in Germany and the Benelux countries, comprising some 265,000 m2 of space and an investment volume of 1.2 billion euros. All asset managers in charge of the real estate funds will transfer to QUEST Funds. “We are pleased that the employees joining us will bring on board proven expertise in portfolio and active asset management. At QUEST Funds we are bringing together the whole real estate fund expertise of the Erck Rickmers Group in order to grow the institutional business under one roof and with a wealth of know-how,” explains Roland Holschuh, Managing Partner at QUEST Funds.

From project developer of premium office properties to asset manager
With the establishment of QUEST Funds and the upcoming takeover of the real estate fund portfolio, QUEST Investment Partners is developing in dynamic ways: from a pure developer to a real estate group with its own asset and fund management, implementing individual investment strategies with institutional investors. Examples for this are the joint ventures for the acquisition of the Hamburg Überseehaus, the Focus Teleport property in Berlin and the project development at Baseler Straße 46-48 in Frankfurt.

Since its foundation in 2016, QUEST Investment Partners has invested over 1.4 billion euros in 28 properties with an area of almost 217,000 m². Following the takeover of the real estate fund portfolio, total assets under management will amount to 2.5 billion euros.

About QUEST Investment Partners
Founded in 2016, QUEST Investment Partners is an investment and project development company with offices in Hamburg, Berlin 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.

www.quest-investment.com

Westgate II, a fund property, is an Amsterdam office building with over 26,000 m² of office space; The sole tenant is PricewaterhouseCoopers. The lease runs until at least 2029.

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QUEST Investment Partners continues on growth course. Two experienced project developers to set up new office in Frankfurt
QUEST Investment Partners continues on growth course. Two experienced project developers to set up new office in Frankfurt 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners continues on growth course. Two experienced project developers to set up new office in Frankfurt

Hamburg, 18 February 2020. In addition to their existing offices in Hamburg and Berlin, real estate project developers QUEST Investment Partners have now opened a branch in Frankfurt am Main. Martin Schwientek (43) and Simon Speidel (45) are in charge of the new office in the German metropolis. Both were previously with the real estate service firm Jones Lang LaSalle SE (JLL), where they worked on a range of major projects together. They have excellent connections and broad knowledge of the real estate market in the Rhine-Main area. The first projects Schwientek and Speidel will oversee are the development project on Baseler Straße 46-48 / Gutleutstraße 80-82, with roughly 25,000 m2, and the revitalisation of the Hotel Hohenzollern building at Düsseldorfer Straße 1–7, where the new QUEST office is based. Both properties are located in the up-and-coming area around Frankfurt’s central station.

“Thanks to the stable demand for centrally located office spaces, we believe that attractive locations in Frankfurt’s city centre will continue to harbour great potential going forward. We aim to expand our portfolio there,” explains Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

Martin Schwientek and Simon Speidel to set up the new Frankfurt am Main branch

Martin Schwientek is an architect, graduate engineer and qualified real estate economist. He was at JLL in Frankfurt for the past six years, most recently as Director Project & Development Services, after working for various architectural offices in the beginning of his career and as an external consultant for development projects for four years.
Graduate civil engineer Simon Speidel, like Schwientek, previously worked for JLL in Frankfurt for nine years, where he most recently held the position of Director Project & Development Services. Prior to that, he lived and worked in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for eight years, where he was a Senior Project Manager for Tilke & Partners LLC for four years, overseeing a range of development projects and setting up the Doha/Qatar office.

Since its foundation in 2016, QUEST Investment Partners has invested over 1.4 billion euros in 28 properties with a total surface area of almost 217,000 m2.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company with offices in Hamburg, Berlin and Frankfurt. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial and residential properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities The QUEST team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects and continuously aims at increasing the real estate values of its shareholders and investors. QUEST’s shareholders are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers who is invested in real estate, equity investments and shipping.

www.quest-investment.com

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Hamburg: QUEST Investment Partners plans prominent new building
Hamburg: QUEST Investment Partners plans prominent new building 2400 1599 Quest Investment Partners


Hamburg: QUEST Investment Partners plans prominent new building

  • Christ & Gantenbein from Basel wins architectural contest
  • New development on Willy-Brandt-Str. 69 provides office, residential and
    restaurant spaces
  • Dismantling of Cremon bridge to benefit Hopfenmarkt and create new vistas

Hamburg, 12 February 2020. It is a superbly located site in the very heart of Hamburg. In April 2019, QUEST Investment Partners, the real estate project development company from Hamburg, launched an international architectural contest for the new development of the Fleet site at Willy-Brandt-Straße 69. A winner has now been selected: With an attractive eight-storey brick building, the architectural office Christ & Gantenbein from Basel stood out against six other participants. “We encouraged the participating offices to create a lively, yet striking and elegant piece of architecture. The building is situated in a prominent location and can therefore be very expressive,” explains Theja Geyer, managing partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

Winning design boasts high aesthetic value and successful spatial integration
“The architects at Christ & Gantenbein submitted an impressive proposal, which is compelling not only in terms of urban planning, but also in terms of its layout and design details.” This was the verdict of the jury, consisting of Chief Planning Director Franz-Josef Höing, representatives of the city and the political parties, the Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments as well as freelance architects. The building comprises more than 7,500 square metres of usable floor space. The plans envisage flexible office spaces, and the ground floor with its large windows could accommodate a café – the perfect place to sip a coffee by the canal. A benefit for Hamburg’s citizens: New apartments are to be built, with loggias overlooking the historical Nikolaifleet. The red brick façade echoes Hamburg’s old building tradition, yet interpreting it in a contemporary way. This creates a visual bridge between the adjacent historical and modern urban architecture of Hamburg. “The building responds to the highly diverse urban dimensions in a subtle way, without appearing too dominant in the overall context,” is how the jury explained its decision.

“The new development of this site is a historic opportunity. Our design transcends the fragmented nature of the current situation and acts as a bridge between the traditional Fleet houses and the modern buildings along Willy-Brandt-Straße,” explain the architects from Christ & Gantenbein. And what is more: “The red brick anchors the building in the surrounding development and associates it with related buildings, such as the one of the Patriotic Society of Hamburg.”

City wants to revive Hopfenmarkt and dismantle Cremon bridge
The City of Hamburg has a clear objective for the district around Willy-Brandt-Straße: It wants to upgrade and revive the area in a sustainable way. The Hopfenmarkt in front of St. Nikolai Church is thus to become a popular urban leisure area again. The square received its name in the 14th century. It was here that brewers bought their hops. Later on, the Hopfenmarkt became Hamburg’s wholesale food market and served a key function for the city for centuries.
In order to open up new vistas of historical buildings such as St. Nikolai Memorial, the Cremon pedestrian bridge is to be dismantled. Instead, an additional traffic light is to improve the pedestrian and bicycle traffic across Willy-Brandt-Straße in a north-south direction.

The current building dates back to 1956, its main tenant being the manufacturer of building materials Holcim GmbH. The building application is scheduled for submission in autumn 2020, with construction work on the project commencing in summer 2022 at the earliest.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company with offices in Hamburg and Berlin. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial and residential properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities. The QUEST team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects and continuously aims at increasing the real estate values of its shareholders and investors. QUEST’s shareholders are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers who is invested in real estate, equity investments and shipping.

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QUEST Investment Partners establishes its own investment Company
QUEST Investment Partners establishes its own investment Company 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners establishes its own investment Company

– QUEST Funds targets institutional investors
– Focus on commercial properties in major German cities
– Roland Holschuh assumes leadership as Managing Partner

Hamburg, 29 January 2020. Real estate company Quest Investment Partners has founded a company for investment business with institutional investors: the new QUEST Funds GmbH is headquartered in Frankfurt and Hamburg. Managing Partner is Roland Holschuh FRICS (45) who will be responsible for the expansion of real estate investments and for the day-to-day management.

QUEST Funds is an investment manager that focuses on core plus and value-add commercial properties with specific emphasis on Germany. The investment partners of the new company will include institutional investors such as insurance providers, pension funds, foundations and family offices. Together with QUEST Funds, they can make tailored real estate investments as funds, club deals or individual investments. The investments focus on office properties with potential for value creation in central locations in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich.

As board member of Commerz Real AG and Managing Director of Commerz Real Investment KVG, Roland Holschuh was last responsible for asset management of all real estate investment vehicles of the Commerz Real Group with a volume of approximately 14 billion euros. Prior to joining Commerz Real, he restructured the combined real estate portfolio of Commerzbank and Dresdner Bank during their integration in his role as Global Head of Corporate Real Estate Management.

For more information please visit www.quest-funds.com

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners works in the fields of real estate project development and investment, with offices in Hamburg, Berlin and Frankfurt. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial and residential properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities. The QUEST team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects and continuously aims at increasing the real estate values of its shareholders and investors. QUEST’s shareholders are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers who is invested in real estate, equity investments and shipping.

www.quest-investment.com

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Hamburg: QUEST Investment Partners sells future HSBA headquarters to Real I.S.
Hamburg: QUEST Investment Partners sells future HSBA headquarters to Real I.S. 2400 1599 Quest Investment Partners

Hamburg: QUEST Investment Partners sells future HSBA headquarters to Real I.S.

Hamburg, 08 October 2019. Hamburg real estate project development company QUEST Investment Partners has sold the nine-storey commercial property at Willy-Brandt-Str. 75 in Hamburg to a fund of the Real I.S. Group as part of a forward deal. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The building comprises 7,770 m² of rental space and has been undergoing substantial refurbishment since July 2019. The Hamburg School of Business Administration (HSBA) is the new and sole tenant of the centrally located property.

QUEST Investment Partners acquired the property with its former tenant Hamburg Süd in late 2016. After a nine-month conversion period, the international business school HSBA plans to open the doors of the new building to its approximately 1,000 students in time for the 2020 summer semester.

The property is currently being extended and converted to meet the needs of the university. Construction work is mainly focused on the inside of the building, whereas the façade remains largely unchanged. All floors are being gutted and fitted with new technology. The original construction was built by renowned Kontorhaus architect Georg Radel (1860-1948) at the beginning of the 20th century. At the end of the 1990s, the Hamburger Sparkasse savings bank had the building constructed in its current form, integrating the former Kontorhaus-style office building into the design.

Rödingsmarkt, one of the most important connecting roads between Hamburg city centre and HafenCity, as well as the historic Deichstraße street on the Nikolaifleet canal, with its old timber-framed houses, are in the immediate vicinity.

QUEST Investment Partners received tax advice from Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer and legal counsel from SNP Schlawien. BNP Paribas Real Estate acted as broker.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company with offices in Hamburg and Berlin. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial and residential properties with upside potential in top locations in Hamburg and Berlin. In retail developments the focus is on good inner-city locations in German metropolitan regions. The QUEST team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects and continuously aims at increasing the real estate values of its shareholders and investors. QUEST’s shareholders are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers who is invested in real estate, equity investments and shipping. www.quest-investment.com

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QUEST Investment Partners and Competo acquire office complex in downtown Frankfurt from Peakside Capital
QUEST Investment Partners and Competo acquire office complex in downtown Frankfurt from Peakside Capital 2400 1599 Quest Investment Partners


QUEST Investment Partners und Competo erwerben Bürokomplex in Frankfurter City von Peakside Capital

Hamburg/Munich, 30 September 2019. The real estate project developer QUEST Investment Partners and the Munich-based investment specialist Competo Capital Partners have formed a 50:50 joint venture, acquiring an office complex at Baseler Straße 46-48 / Gutleutstraße 80-82 in Frankfurt am Main from Peakside Capital. The three buildings from 1957 and 1994 offer a combined rental space of almost 13,000 m². The plot measures some 4,700 m² and includes 129 car parking spaces.

Baseler Straße 46–48, one of the last development sites in Frankfurt’s Bahnhofsviertel (area around the central station), is situated between the trade fair grounds, the central station and the city centre. Thanks to its central location, the building ensemble offers outstanding local transport connections. A large variety of shops and restaurants can also be found within walking distance.

“Our joint venture is ready to significantly upgrade Frankfurt’s Bahnhofsviertel through attractive design measures and the corresponding investment. We welcome the cooperation with Competo and are delighted to have a reliable partner at our side for this exciting project,” explains Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

“The potential of this property in Frankfurt’s dynamic Bahnhofsviertel convinced us right from the start,” says Boris Schran, Managing Partner and co-founder of Peakside Capital. The company only acquired the office complex in 2018. “We have now taken advantage of the strong market phase to sell it.”

Colliers Frankfurt acted in an advisory capacity for the seller during the transaction. QUEST Investment Partners and Competo Capital Partners received legal counsel from SNP Schlawien and GSK Stockmann, both from Munich. Tax advice was provided by Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer from Hamburg. Peakside was advised by Baker McKenzie on legal matters and by Hauck-Schuchardt on tax matters.

About Competo Capital Partners

Competo Capital Partners is an owner-operated and independent real estate company based in Munich. Our core competencies are focused on custom-tailored-investments in German project developments with equity and mezzanine loans as well as long-term investments in existing properties. In this context Competo supports a small and select number of institutional investors, almost exclusively from foundations and family offices.

In project developments, Competo Capital Partners participates with equity and mezzanine loans in selected real estate project developments by experienced developers in Germany in the office, residential, logistics and retail segments. On average, the investment portfolio consists of 15 equity investments with an investment volume of around 900 million euros and 10 mezzanine investments with an investment volume of about one billion euros. This amounts to a combined investment volume of around 1.9 billion euros.

In the segment of existing properties, Competo acts as an investment and asset manager and currently manages a portfolio of 12 office properties with an investment volume of around 800 million euros in Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart and Ulm.

Competo hence manages a total investment volume of 2.7 billion euros in the real estate sector.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company with offices in Hamburg and Berlin. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial and residential properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities. In retail developments the focus is on good inner-city locations in German metropolitan regions. The QUEST team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects and continuously aims at increasing the real estate values of its shareholders and investors. QUEST’s shareholders are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers who is invested in real estate, equity investments and shipping.

About Peakside

Peakside Capital Advisors AG is an owner-operated investment manager specialised in European real estate investments. The company manages real estate assets of over one billion euros for institutional investors. Depending on the investors’ requirements, Peakside pursues differentiated investment strategies in commercial and residential real estate, ranging from core to value-add/opportunistic strategies. The investment spectrum includes investments in individual properties, portfolios, project developments and entire real estate companies. Peakside employs more than 30 staff at its offices in Frankfurt, Warsaw, Prague, Zug and Luxembourg.

https://www.peakside.com

Competo Capital Partners GmbH
Susanne Himmel
+49 (0)89 5432866-21
Himmel@competo-cp.de

Peakside Capital Advisors AG
Jürgen Herres
+49 (0) 69 2648677 240
jh@feldhoff-cie.de

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QUEST Investment Partners sells Ansgari Haus in Bremen to La Française
QUEST Investment Partners sells Ansgari Haus in Bremen to La Française 2500 1666 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners sells Ansgari Haus in Bremen to La Française

Hamburg, 05 September 2019. Hamburg-based real estate developer QUEST Investment Partners has sold the fully let Ansgari Haus property in Bremen to the French investor La Française Real Estate Partners International. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The main tenants of the five-storey property on Obernstraße are the co-working space provider Spaces, occupying 3,200 m² on five floors including a roof terrace, as well as the high-end womenswear store AppelrathCüpper, operating 2,400 m² of sales space on three floors.

In July 2017, QUEST Investment Partners acquired the part of the Bremer Carrée complex that had been vacant for years and renamed it “Ansgari Haus”. In the meantime, all alteration works have been completed. With the modernisation and re-letting of Ansgari Haus, QUEST Investment Partners is making a positive impact on Bremen’s city centre. The ground floor and first floor façade of the building was completely removed and replaced with a post-and-beam structure with larger Delogcolor® glass windowpanes. The inside of the building was gutted and redesigned for Spaces and an optician. AppelrathCüpper took over the space in an improved shell state to finalise the refurbishment, which is currently nearing completion. The fashion group will open its doors to the public in autumn 2019.

“We believe Bremen is a relevant ‘class B location’ in Germany that is showing positive development. The thriving port activities attract businesses and people from Germany and beyond, which boosts the local economy and drives up the demand for office spaces and services. Bremen’s appealing city centre, which attracts a large and ever-growing number of tourists, was another convincing factor for us,” says Jens Göttler, Managing Director for Germany at La Française Real Estate Partners International.

Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners, is equally convinced: “Ansgari Haus is located in one of the most highly frequented areas of Bremen — with its two prominent main tenants, it will provide new momentum and enliven the city centre.”

QUEST Investment Partners was advised on tax matters by Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer. Legal advice was provided by Jebens Mensching PartG mbB. Jones Lang LaSalle supported the sales process. Norton Rose Fulbright LLP acted as legal advisers to La Française.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company with offices in Hamburg and Berlin. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial and residential properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities. In retail developments the focus is on good inner-city locations in German metropolitan regions. The QUEST team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects and continuously aims at increasing the real estate values of its shareholders and investors. QUEST’s shareholders are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers who is invested in real estate, equity investments and shipping.

www.quest-investment.com

About La Française Global Real Estate Investment Managers

The real estate activities of La Française Group were consolidated under the brand La Française Global Real Estate Investment Managers (GREIM). This holding company consists of La Française REM, La Française Real Estate Partners and La Française Real Estate Partners International.

La Française REM is the leading French provider of collective real estate investments by capitalisation (data by IEIF, 31 December 2018). La Française REM specialises in third-party investment and asset management and operates on all French real estate markets. In addition, it has developed a platform for real estate mandates that offers tailored solutions for institutional investors. Within La Française Real Estate Partners, these range from core/core-plus to value-added and opportunistic investment strategies.

La Française Real Estate Partners International offers comprehensive investment management services for direct and indirect investments in real estate to a diverse international client base in continental Europe, Great Britain and Asia. La Française Real Estate Partners International has offices in London, Frankfurt and Seoul. The platform is a recognised specialist for core and core-plus real estate investment strategies in Europe.

La Française GREIM manages over 19 billion euros (as of 31 December 2018) and offers a full range of bespoke real estate solutions for investors around the globe.

Press Contact La Française
Jens Goettler
+ 49 69 2972 438 10
jgoetteler@la-francaise.com

Ralf Droz
+49 69 97 57 43 73
rdroz@la-francaise.com

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QUEST Investment Partners sells Neue Burg to Aviva
QUEST Investment Partners sells Neue Burg to Aviva 2500 1666 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners sells Neue Burg to Aviva

Hamburg, 01 August 2019. The Hamburg real estate project development company QUEST Investment Partners has sold “Neue Burg 1”, a new construction project that is still ongoing in Hamburg’s Nikolai district, to Aviva Investors Real Assets. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price. After completion by mid-2020, the consumer goods company Unilever will establish its German headquarters in the nine-storey building.

The elegant, cube-shaped property with an eye-catching silhouette covers a rental space of around 6,500 m², of which 5,500 m² are office space. In addition to the prestigious two-storey foyer, the terraces on the 1st and 7th floors are an architectural highlight. Large windows allow for a smooth transition from the office to the outside areas. Another attractive feature is the central location and the redesign of the neighbourhood, which extends from Hamburg’s Chamber of Commerce to Rödingsmarkt and from Alter Wall to Willy-Brandt-Straße. With a project volume of 9.3 million euros, the Nikolai district has been the largest Business Improvement District (BID) in Europe over the past five years. Numerous building activities have upgraded the location in the last five years and more are to come at Alter Wall by autumn 2020.

“We welcome the measures of the BID, as they shift historical sites such as the Trostbrücke bridge, the building of the Patriotic Society, Neue Burg and St. Nikolai memorial back into the focus of the Hanseatic city,” says Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

QUEST Investment Partners was advised by Jebens Mensching PartG mbB, while Aviva Investors Real Assets was advised by Clifford Chance, Angermann Real Estate Advisory AG and Dress & Sommer.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company with offices in Hamburg and Berlin. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial and residential properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities. In retail developments the focus is on good inner-city locations in German metropolitan regions. The QUEST team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects and continuously aims at increasing the real estate values of its shareholders and investors. QUEST’s shareholders are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers who is invested in real estate, equity investments and shipping. www.quest-investment.com

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Warburg-HIH Invest Acquires Comprehensively Revitalised Office Building “ELEMENT B” in Berlin-Mitte from QUEST Investment Partners
Warburg-HIH Invest Acquires Comprehensively Revitalised Office Building “ELEMENT B” in Berlin-Mitte from QUEST Investment Partners 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

Warburg-HIH Invest Acquires Comprehensively Revitalised Office Building “ELEMENT B” in Berlin-Mitte from QUEST Investment Partners

Hamburg / Berlin, 31 July 2019 – Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate (Warburg-HIH Invest) just acquired the “ELEMENT B” office scheme in Berlin-Mitte for an institutional real estate fund it manages. Raised in 1992, the building offers a total of 6,126 square metres in lettable area plus 69 underground parking spots. At the moment, the property is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade by seller QUEST Investment Partners. It was agreed not to disclose the selling price.

  • Attractive downtown location
  • 6,126 square metres of lettable area
  • Well-diversified tenant mix

The property at Brunnenstrasse 128 is characterised by a well-diversified tenant structure with a comparatively long average remaining lease term of 8.2 years. Anchor tenant is the company Liefery, which is part of the Hermes Logistics Group. Other large units are occupied by the housing company degewo, which is owned by the State of Berlin, by the human rights organisation Terre des Femmes and by the Deutsche Welle broadcasting system. The tenant community also includes Lovoo GmbH, Number Four AG and a branch office of tecis Finanzdienstleistungen AG.

Due to its location directly on Brunnenstrasse, the “ELEMENT B” scheme has superb access to Berlin’s road and rail networks. The nearest underground stop lies within very easy walking distance. Important transport hubs with the option to change trains, including Alexanderplatz, the Berlin-Gesundbrunnen railway station and Berlin’s central railway station, are a short ride away via underground or tram while several bus stops are also located in the vicinity.

In conjunction with the modernisation and revitalisation measures undertaken by the seller, the façade was given an entirely new design, and was fully replaced on the ground floor. The alterations created a completely new entrance area, a new roof terrace and a glass pavilion with additional rental units in the inner courtyard. Moreover, the completed refurbishment permits multiple lettings of the floors and thus a much more flexible use of the building.

“The ‘ELEMENT B’ scheme combines the qualities of a revitalised modern office building with an excellent location in downtown Berlin. The building therefore meets the requirements profile of young creative media outfits from the IT sector or the new media industry above all while simultaneously appealing to classic office tenants such as established companies or organisations,” elaborated Hans-Joachim Lehmann, Managing Director of Warburg-HIH Invest. “Located in the vicinity are trendy neighbourhoods in Prenzlauer Berg, along Kastanienallee and around Hackescher Markt, making it safe to expect sustained tenant demand.”

“With the structural alterations undertaken while ensuring uninterrupted occupancy throughout, we managed to implement a high design quality and to create loft-like modern floor plan structures. Moreover, the tenant mix and the cooperation with the incumbent tenants before and during the construction phase reflect a successful asset management strategy,” Arne Siemens, Head of Branch Berlin of QUEST Investment Partners, was pleased to say.

About Warburg-HIH Invest
Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate (Warburg-HIH Invest) is an independent pan-European investment manager for real estate with currently 8.8 billion euros worth of assets under management. Over the past 15 years, the company has positioned itself as specialist for pan-European real estate investments. Around 150 institutional clients have entrusted their capital to Warburg-HIH Invest – for the acquisition of real estate and its addition to the requested fund solution.
More information can be found on the company’s website at: www.warburg-hih.com/en

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company with offices in Hamburg and Berlin. QUEST focuses on investments in commercial and residential properties with upside potential in top locations of major German cities. In retail developments the focus is on good inner-city locations in German metropolitan regions. The QUEST team has extensive experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects and continuously aims at increasing the real estate values of its shareholders and investors. QUEST’s shareholders are the managing directors Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel as well as the investment holding company of the Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers who is invested in real estate, equity investments and shipping.
www.quest-investment.com

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