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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

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

Allianz and QUEST Investment Partners acquire Focus Teleport office complex in Berlin through new joint venture

Allianz and QUEST Investment Partners acquire Focus Teleport office complex in Berlin through new joint venture 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

Allianz and QUEST Investment Partners acquire Focus Teleport office complex in Berlin through new joint venture

Munich, 16 July 2019. Allianz and QUEST Investment Partners have formed a new 50:50 joint venture to acquire Focus Teleport, a fully leased office complex in central Berlin which will be upgraded over time in line with Allianz Real Estate’s manage to core strategy.

In what is the second such partnership between them, Allianz Real Estate and real estate project development and investment company QUEST Investment Partners have acquired the building on behalf of several Allianz insurance companies. In July last year the two came together to purchase Überseehaus, an 11,300 sqm office and commercial building in Hamburg.

Focus Teleport, located in Berlin’s Alt-Moabit office hub next to the river Spree, covers nearly 30,000 sqm in space. The complex comprises nine partially interconnected buildings with tenants including leading technology and media firms as well as public sector entities.

The Berlin office market has continued to expand in line with the city’s central role in the German and European economy. Berlin was ranked 4th in Allianz Real Estate’s inaugural Cities That Work office sector investment report in 2018 in terms of core strategies and 9th for value-add investments.

“We are delighted to be expanding our exposure to the attractive and dynamic Berlin office sector through this manage to core opportunity,” said Annette Kroeger, CEO of Allianz Real Estate for North & Central Europe. “We believe the market represents excellent, long-term value on a selected basis, with Focus Teleport an example of an in-demand asset with strong growth prospects.”

“Focus Teleport represents a truly exciting opportunity to add significant value through strategic redevelopment, with substantial upside potential. We are delighted to be working with Allianz Real Estate again and look forward to further expanding our joint partnership-oriented investment strategy,” added Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner of QUEST Investment Partners.

Allianz Real Estate and QUEST Investment Partners were advised by Jebens Mensching PartG mbB, Propertunities and Hansa Partner Rommel & Meyer, while Cushman & Wakefield acted as broker.

Allianz enquiries:

Allianz Real Estate
Phillip Lee
+49 89 3800 8234
Phillip.Lee@allianz.com

Citigate Dewe Rogerson (UK)
Oliver Parry / Hugh Fasken / Emma Maynard
+44 (0) 20 7025 6400
AllCDRUKAllianzRealEstate@citigatedewerogerson.com

Pressekontakt QUEST Investment Partners
Stefanie Rother
+49 160 972 88 057
rother@quest-investment.com

About Allianz

The Allianz Group is one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers with more than 92 million retail and corporate customers. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Allianz is one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 673 billion euros on behalf of its insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage more than 1.4 trillion euros of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, we hold the leading position for insurers in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2018, over 142,000 employees in more than 80 countries achieved total revenues of 131 billion euros and an operating profit of 11.5 billion euros for the group.

About Allianz Real Estate

Allianz Real Estate is the dedicated real estate investment manager within the Allianz Group and has grown to become the world’s largest investor in real estate. The firm develops and executes worldwide tailored portfolio and investment strategies on behalf of a range of global liability driven investors, including Allianz companies, creating value for clients through direct as well as indirect investments and real estate loans. Headquartered in Munich and Paris, the operational management of investments and assets is performed out of 19 offices in key gateway cities across 5 regions (West Europe, North & Central Europe, Switzerland, USA and Asia Pacific). As at 31 December 2018, Allianz Real Estate held 63.5 billion euros assets under management. For more information, please visit: http://www.allianz-realestate.com

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.

These assessments are, as always, subject to the disclaimer provided below.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements
This document includes forward-looking statements, such as prospects or expectations, that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance figures, or events may differ significantly from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Deviations may arise due to changes in factors including, but not limited to, the following: (i) the general economic and competitive situation in the Allianz Group’s core business and core markets, (ii) the performance of financial markets (in particular market volatility, liquidity, and credit events), (iii) the frequency and severity of insured loss events, including those resulting from natural catastrophes, and the development of loss expenses, (iv) mortality and morbidity levels and trends, (v) persistency levels, (vi) particularly in the banking business, the extent of credit defaults, (vii) interest rate levels, (viii) currency exchange rates, most notably the EUR/USD exchange rate, (ix) changes in laws and regulations, including tax regulations, (x) the impact of acquisitions including and related integration issues and reorganization measures, and (xi) the general competitive conditions that, in each individual case, apply at a local, regional, national, and/or global level. Many of these changes can be exacerbated by terrorist activities.

No duty to update
The Allianz Group assumes no obligation to update any information or forward-looking statement contained herein, save for any information we are required to disclose by law.

Other
The figures regarding the net assets, financial position and results of operations have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards. Information is based on preliminary figures. Final results for fiscal year 2018 will be released on March 8, 2019 (publication of the Annual Report).

This is a translation of the German Quarterly and Full Year Earnings Release of the Allianz Group. In case of any divergences, the German original is binding.

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QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building at Rödingsmarkt

QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building at Rödingsmarkt 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners acquires office and commercial building at Rödingsmarkt

Hamburg, 02 July 2019. With Rödingsmarkt 39 in Hamburg, the project developers at QUEST Investment Partners have acquired a further office building in the “Hafenspange” area between the harbour and HafenCity. In this six-storey building with an area of around 5,200 m², the ground floor is used as retail space while some 1,300 m² are used as storage space in the basement. 96 per cent of the space is predominantly let on a short-term basis. The property further includes 30 car parking spaces.

QUEST Investment Partners acquired the building dating from the 1950s from a community of heirs as part of an asset deal. “We are pleased to have acquired another property in the “Hafenspange” area, at Rödingsmarkt 39. We are convinced that there will be more interesting development opportunities here in the medium term,” says Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

With the ongoing development of HafenCity, the attractiveness of the area around the Cremon peninsula is increasing. The centrally located Rödingsmarkt is just a short walk from the city centre and HafenCity and is excellently connected to the public transport systems with its underground station. The area also offers a variety of cafés and restaurants within walking distance.

Angermann acted as broker for the transaction, SNP Schlawien as legal advisor.

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

QUEST Investment Partners acquires Emmler Lofts in Berlin from Fortis Group

QUEST Investment Partners acquires Emmler Lofts in Berlin from Fortis Group 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners acquires Emmler Lofts in Berlin from Fortis Group

Berlin/Hamburg, 20. May 2019. The project developers of QUEST Investment Partners have acquired Emmler Lofts in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. The property was sold by FORTIS Real Estate Investment GmbH, whose exclusive consultant was Catella Property GmbH. It has been agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The office and retail property with a rental area of around 5,000 m2 is located at 25-26 Kottbusser Damm.

QUEST Investment Partners is planning to focus on the structure’s existing period elements in its architectural repositioning of Emmler Lofts, and intends to hold the property for the longer term. The building, built in 1906 as a furniture factory, boasts high ceilings and a spacious support grid in addition to other characterful architectural features. For example, the historic plaster stuccowork and ornate steel entrances to tenant areas, not to mention the pedestal heads adorned with sculptures along the façade, will be restored. The property’s historical context is highlighted by its core tenant Woolworth: The retailer opened its first branch in Berlin in this building in 1928, and has been here ever since. The former factory building currently has an occupancy rate of approximately 88%.

The property is located in the upwardly mobile “Kreuzkölln” neighbourhood close to Hasenheide Park. In addition to excellent public transport access, the micro-location offers a number of modern restaurant concepts, an urban streetscape and the youngest demographic within Berlin.

The buyer QUEST Investment was advised on this share deal by Colliers and the law firm SNP Schlawiner.

About CATELLA
Catella is one of the leading specialists for property investment and fund management, with operations in 15 countries. The Group has assets under management of around EUR 19 billion. Catella is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm in the Mid Cap segment. More information at catella.com.

About QUEST Investment Partners
Based in Hamburg, QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company concentrating on investments in commercial and residential real estate offering upside potential in selected locations in Hamburg and Berlin. In the case of retail developments, QUEST focuses on top inner-city locations in all German metropolitan areas. Its team counts on long-standing experience in the development of high-quality real estate projects. QUEST’s aim as project developer and real estate manager is to continuously enhance the real estate value of its shareholders and investors. The company’s shareholders include Managing Partners Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel, as well as the investment holding belonging to Hamburg-based entrepreneur Erck Rickmers – who invests in the areas of equity participations, real estate, and shipping. www.quest-investment.com

Unilever is sole tenant of new building project Neue Burg in Hamburg

Unilever is sole tenant of new building project Neue Burg in Hamburg 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

Unilever is sole tenant of new building project Neue Burg in Hamburg

Hamburg, 26 March 2019. The project developers at QUEST Investment Partners have signed a multi-year lease with Unilever for the “Neue Burg” building in Hamburg’s Nikolai district. The consumer goods group will be taking over the entire area of around 6,500 m² for its German headquarters, making it the sole tenant of the nine-storey office building scheduled for completion in mid-2020. The building shell is currently under construction. Works on the façade and the interior are scheduled to begin in the middle of the year.

Planned by the architects Stölken Schmidt, the Neue Burg is being built on Hamburg’s historic nucleus. “Thanks to the slender, towering vertical lines and analogies in the choice of materials for the façade, the new building will fit perfectly into the surroundings of the adjacent memorial, St. Nikolai Church. We are pleased that Unilever Deutschland has made a long-term decision in favour of our project development and the Hamburg location,” says Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners. The project developers had acquired the site Neue Burg 1 from HIH Projektentwicklung GmbH.

Neue Burg 1 is located in Hamburg’s Nikolai district, the largest inner-city European Business Improvement District (BID) with a project volume of EUR 9.3 million. It runs from the Chamber of Commerce to Rödingsmarkt and from Alter Wall to Willy-Brandt-Straße. Within the time frame of the BID from August 2014 to July 2019, various measures have been and will be implemented to convert the site back into an attractive retail and office location in downtown Hamburg.

Cushman & Wakefield LLP (Germany) acted as brokers and the law firm Jebens Mensching PartG mbB as legal advisors.

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.

Competo acquires two office buildings from QUEST Investment Partners for new special fund

Competo acquires two office buildings from QUEST Investment Partners for new special fund 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

Competo acquires two office buildings from QUEST Investment Partners for new special fund

Hamburg, 30 January 2019. Munich-based investment and asset management specialist Competo Capital Partners GmbH has acquired two office properties at Cremon in Hamburg from QUEST Investment Partners in an asset deal. Competo will incorporate both buildings into its new open-ended real estate special AIF “JHS Competo Immobilien Deutschland”. It launched the fund at the end of 2018 as an individual mandate for the Joachim Herz Foundation from Hamburg, working with International Real Estate Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (INTREAL) as a Service-KVG (capital investment company). The fund makes targeted investments in the office and residential segments in top locations of Germany’s major metropolitan regions.

The existing building “Cremon 3” has been comprehensively refurbished and comprises some 4,500 m² of rental space on seven floors. It is fully let to the crafts group Philip Mecklenburg and Enfore AG. The adjacent property “Cremon 1” is a new nine-storey building with around 2,500 m² of residential, retail and office space. It is scheduled for completion by mid-2020. A contract has already been signed for the entire office space measuring 1,400 m². Here, too, the tenant is the craft group Philip Mecklenburg.

The new construction plans for “Cremon 1” were conceived by the renowned architectural office gmp von Gerkan, Marg und Partner. QUEST Investment Partners closely coordinated the plans with the City of Hamburg and the Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments, as the construction of the nine-storey property directly opposite the “Haus der Seefahrt” building will emphasise the original entrance to Hamburg’s former inland port. In 1188, the development of the Port of Hamburg began in this historic place at Nikolaifleet. The site has been undeveloped since the 1960s.

Angermann Real Estate Advisory AG acted as broker during the letting and the subsequent transaction process. Legal counsel was provided to the seller by the law firm Jebens Mensching LLP and to the buyer by GSK Stockmann.

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 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 portfolio 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 the Joachim Herz Foundation

The Joachim Herz Foundation in Hamburg, Germany, promotes education, science, and research in economics and the natural sciences as well as the personal development of teens and young adults. It was founded in the summer of 2008.
The assets of the Joachim Herz Foundation amount to 1.3 billion euros. Around 16 million euros are available each year for the charitable work of the foundation.

QUEST sells Kallmorgen Tower in Hamburg to BNP Paribas REIM

QUEST sells Kallmorgen Tower in Hamburg to BNP Paribas REIM 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST sells Kallmorgen Tower in Hamburg to BNP Paribas REIM

Hamburg, 28 January 2019. The real estate project developer QUEST Investment Partners has sold Kallmorgen Tower to BNP Paribas REIM, acting on behalf of Next Estate Income Fund III (NEIF III). Architect Werner Kallmorgen designed the 17-storey office building for IBM in 1968, inspired by a Hollerith punch card. In the last two years the listed building was gutted and completely renovated. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Spaces, the main tenant, started operations at the beginning of the year. On an area of around 7,000 m², the leading international co-working provider offers creative professionals, start-ups, project teams and freelancers modern and light-flooded workstations along with culinary services. The office sizes range from 15 m² to 450 m². In addition, the conference area on the 16th floor also boasts spectacular views of Hamburg and the Elbphilharmonie.

“The exciting thing about this building is that it was already considered pioneering in the 1960s. In housing these state-of-the-art office concepts, it continues to reflect this today. Kallmorgen designed a modern classic, an architectural style icon,” says Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

Jebens Mensching acted in an advisory capacity during the sale of the building.
A documentation with fascinating analogue photographs of the various phases of modernisation can be found here: http://www.kallmorgen-tower.de

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

Plans for new luxury hotel near Lake Alster

Plans for new luxury hotel near Lake Alster 150 150 Quest Investment Partners


Plans for new luxury hotel near Lake Alster

Source: Abendblatt.de
Image: Marcelo Hernandez
Article: Ulrich Gaßdorf

The project developers at Quest focus on properties and plots of land in the city centre, one of which is located right next to Hamburg’s “Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten”.

Hamburg. The inconspicuous brick building is located on Große Theaterstraße – only a few metres from the Binnenalster and in the direct vicinity of Hamburg’s “Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten”. Theja Geyer and Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partners at Quest, have a vision for this prime location: a luxury boutique hotel with around 100 rooms.

The existing building is to be demolished and by 2021 this site will become home to a new seven-storey building with a white façade and French balconies. “The location is perfectly suited for a hotel. In addition, the property is not a listed building, which means that demolition is possible. We are already talking to possible operators. There is great interest,” said Künzel in an interview with “Hamburger Abendblatt”. The aim is to design an individual hotel that meets the highest standards and is an unparalleled feature of Hamburg’s city centre.

It’s all about the location
The two Quest managers are at their office on Hohe Bleichen. This is where business partners are welcomed into generous, light-flooded rooms. The two project developers founded the company in June 2016 together with lawyer Detlef Broszehl and ship owner Erck Rickmers, who is also chairman of the advisory board. They have since been on a shopping spree. The city centre and the old town are their hunting ground. One of the properties is the building on Große Theaterstraße: “For us, it’s always about the location. We specialise in refurbishing or extending existing buildings, or even listed buildings. But, of course, we are also open to new construction projects,” states Künzel.

These roads are under construction
Currently this is the case at “Neue Burg” right next to St. Nikolai memorial. The building pit has already been excavated. Based on the plans of Hamburg architects Stölken Schmidt, an office building is to be created here by 2020. The property will comprise 6,500 square metres of gross floor area, including retail and restaurant facilities on the ground floor. In addition, Quest is also developing the “Cremon 1” site: “The site is located in the heart of Hamburg’s old town, close to the former harbour gate. In 1188, the development of the Port of Hamburg began in this historic place,” says Künzel. The new building was designed by the renowned Hamburg architects gmp Architekten Gerkan, Marg und Partner. Overlooking Nikolaifleet, offices as well as ten high-end rental apartments are to be built here by 2020. The adjacent office building from the 70s is also part of the project and has already been modernised.

Driving along Baumwall in the direction of Landungsbrücken, a striking building at the street corner opposite the underground station catches your eye. We are talking about “Überseehaus”. Built in the early 1980s, it was acquired by Quest and Allianz last year: “We are modernising this building, creating a prestigious entrance area. We want to redesign the attic and optimise the use of space,” states Künzel.

The two project developers have been working in the industry for 14 years. Most recently, when working at Art-Invest, they oversaw the revitalisation of the building complex of the former Vereins- und Westbank on Hamburg’s Alter Wall. But the real estate experts “wanted to do something of their own.” “We found the right partners in Erck Rickmers and Detlev Broszehl. We take care of the operative business,” says Geyer.

A new building is being constructed on the street Neue Burg. There, an office building with areas for retail and catering on the ground floor is to be built. The design is by the Hamburg office Stölen Schmidt Architekten.

A luxury boutique hotel (l.) is to be built on the Große Theaterstraße, right next door is the Vier Jahreszeiten.

20 employees are working for the project developers
Quest’s total investment currently amounts to around 660 million euros. Since its foundation, the company has acquired 19 properties in Hamburg. Kallmorgen Tower on Willy-Brandt-Straße, a listed building dating back to 1968, is one of them. The provider Spaces has since turned the high-rise building into the city’s largest co-working space. The portfolio also included the historical Kontorhaus building “Elbhof” on Steinhöft, which is being used as an office space. The properties usually change hands after revitalisation or construction is completed. The buyers include institutional investors such as pension funds or major private investors.

20 employees are currently working for the project developers who have also opened an office in Berlin: “Of course our heart is set on Hamburg and we are looking into further acquisition opportunities in central locations here. But the Berlin market is extremely interesting, as there are still some places that will develop positively in the coming years,” says Künzel. The properties in the German capital include the “Lenzhaus” on Kurfürstenstraße, which was built in the 1920s. It is reminiscent of American high-rise buildings from that era.

Geyer and Künzel focus their project development “exclusively on major German cities.” This is why they also operate in Frankfurt am Main, where they acquired the former “Hotel Hohenzollern” not far from the central station. The building from 1910 will be converted into an office building with retail and restaurant facilities. A new project is also due to be presented in Munich in the coming weeks.

© Hamburger Abendblatt 2019 – All rights reserved.

QUEST moves into new market segment with residential properties

QUEST moves into new market segment with residential properties 150 150 Quest Investment Partners

QUEST moves into new market segment with residential properties

  • Acquisition of two old buildings in Berlin-Charlottenburg with 59 units
  • Residential spaces from 64 to 286 m².

Hamburg, Berlin, 22 November 2018. The project development company QUEST Investment Partners is expanding its portfolio: in Berlin-Charlottenburg, the company made its first acquisition of two residential properties from the turn of the century, spanning some 7,900 m². Both of these buildings have been or will be refurbished to a high standard and cater to a wide range of requirements thanks to different apartment sizes. “We are delighted to have acquired these two residential properties, which allow us to tap into a further use class and offer an impressive building quality,” says Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

Mommsen & Wieland – Modern luxuries close to Kurfürstendamm
The interconnected building at Mommsenstraße 60 / Wielandstraße 15 in Berlin-Charlottenburg dates back to 1905 and features 24 units ranging from 64 to 286 m² across six floors. Over the past two years, this vacant old building with 4,480 m² of usable floor space was fully renovated to a high standard, with an additional loft conversion and the installation of new lifts. The property bearing the name Mommsen & Wieland embodies the latest luxuries: premium oak parquet flooring, high ornamented stucco ceilings, generous double wing doors and light-flooded rooms make for an elegant atmosphere. An architectural highlight is the refurbished historical lift car from the Gründerzeit era in the building section on Wielandstraße. The apartments will soon be sold on an individual basis.

Where old meets new – Leibnizstraße 43 / Niebuhrstraße 69
Similar to Mommsen & Wieland, the 35 apartments on Leibnizstraße will be completely refurbished and then sold individually. The development of the property, which dates back to 1900, is scheduled to begin next year. The apartments range from 85 to 230 m², on a total usable floor space of 3,500 m². Added to this are 170 m² of commercial space on the ground floor. Here, too, a charming blend of old and modern elements promises comfortable living in a popular residential area with many cafés, restaurants and boutiques. The maisonette apartments that are being developed feature exclusive roof terraces and exemplify the architectural dialogue between modernity and tradition.

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