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Hamburg, 26 October 2017. At Cremon 1, the Hamburg project development company QUEST Investment Partners is constructing a new property with approximately 2,500 m² of space for offices and restaurants.

The area, which has been undeveloped since the 1960s, is located at the former harbour gate, where the development of the Port of Hamburg began in 1188. In consultation with the City of Hamburg and the Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments, and with the help of the architects gmp von Gerkan, Marg und Partner, the original state of the former harbour entrance to Hamburg’s inland port is to be restored. Cremon 1 is being developed as a counterpart to the Haus der Seefahrt on the opposite side. The height, proportions and materials of the new, high-end property blend in with the Haus der Seefahrt to visually revive the former harbour gate and pay tribute to the importance of this place.

“The property offers a fantastic view of Speicherstadt, the Elbphilharmonie and of course the River Elbe. We are witnessing strong demand for spaces in Hamburg’s harbour periphery, which will continue to develop positively in the coming years,” says Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

The works will commence in mid-2018 and are scheduled for completion in 2020.

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.

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Hamburg, 04 October 2017. Opened three months ago, the Berlin branch of the project development company QUEST Investment Partners is starting its operative business in Berlin. The first acquisition was a commercial property at Brunnenstraße 128 with approx. 6,000 m² of rental space. In addition, the company will be able to announce a further transaction at the turn of the year. “We are very pleased to have successfully entered the Berlin market with two properties just three months after opening our branch,” explains Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST.

The office building on Brunnenstraße allows us to re-let a large part of the space at short notice. The seven-storey building from the 1990s boasts large ceilings and light-flooded office spaces. Thanks to generous but efficient layouts and great flexibility in terms of usage, modern work environments can be created with open-plan areas and individual office structures. “The quality of this location has increased greatly in recent years. We are modernising the façade as well as the entrance and common areas, thus generating the potential for a creative development of the rental space that suits the neighbourhood,” emphasizes Arne Siemens, Manager at QUEST in Berlin.

The consulting firm Cushman & Wakefield acted as broker in the acquisition of the building.

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.

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• Core high-street property with a rental space of approximately 12,000 square metres in Bremen
• Joint acquisition with QUEST Investment Partners for the fund “Warburg-HIH Perspektive Einzelhandel: Fokus Geschäftshäuser”
• Internationally recognised and creditworthy anchor tenants at “Bremer Carrée” with long-term leases
• First capital commitments shortly after the launch of the special AIF “Warburg-HIH Perspektive Einzelhandel: Fokus Geschäftshäuser”

Hamburg/Bremen, 21 July 2017. In a joint venture with the project development company QUEST Investment Partners, the fund „Warburg-HIH Perspektive Einzelhandel: Fokus Geschäftshäuser” has acquired a commercial building in Bremen. The “Bremer Quarrée” features a total rental space of approximately 12,000 square metres in a prime location on Obernstraße in the city centre. Approximately 6,700 square metres of this space, which are almost fully rented out, were acquired by the retail fund. About 5,300 square metres were acquired by QUEST Investment Partners. The seller of this property is Allianz Real Estate Germany GmbH.

The special open AIF “Warburg-HIH Perspektive Einzelhandel: Fokus Geschäftshäuser”, launched by Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate (Warburg-HIH Invest) in July 2017 with a planned investment volume of up to EUR 400 million, generated initial capital commitments within a short period of time and made a quick strategic start on the investment side with the acquisition of the “Bremer Quarrée”. “The ‘Bremer Carrée’ perfectly matches the criteria of the fund and offers our investors long-term yield stability,” explains Alexander Eggert, Managing Director at Warburg-HIH Invest, who is in charge of product, company and fund management.

The fund “Warburg-HIH Perspektive Einzelhandel: Fokus Geschäftshäuser” invests in fast-growing locations in Germany, including not only the top 7 cities but also major and medium-sized regional centres.
The investment strategy focuses on retail properties in the form of commercial buildings in highly frequented prime shopping locations in the city centre.

The retail fund aims to achieve a distribution yield of 3.5 to 4.5 percent p.a. (BVI).

“The ‘Bremer Carrée’, a striking five-storey retail property, is situated in the most highly frequented location of the entire city centre of Bremen. Its location at the corner and its free-standing character make the building highly visible and recognisable. The anchor tenants of this commercial building are the respective market-leading retail concepts H&M, with its Bremen flagship store, and Rossmann,” says Hans-Joachim Lehmann, Managing Director at Warburg-HIH Invest, who is responsible for transaction management in Germany.

QUEST Investment Partners sees considerable potential in the approximately 2,900 square metres of currently unlet retail space. “With a new concept, we want to give positive momentum to Bremen’s city centre. New labels can help raise the profile and strength of the entire location and building,” says Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

With around 550,000 inhabitants, Bremen is the tenth largest city in Germany. According to population forecasts, it is set to experience above-average growth of a further three percent by 2030. The hanseatic city is the major centre of the metropolitan region of Bremen/Oldenburg.

The building sections acquired by Warburg-HIH Invest at the address “Hanseatenhof 2, 4, 6″ were built in 1988 and modernised in 2014. The commercial building comprises approximately 6,700 square meters of rental space, of which around 76 percent are allocated to retailers and 24 percent to offices. A refurbishment is envisaged for the adjacent building section of 5,300 square metres, which was acquired by QUEST Investment Partners. In addition, the City of Bremen is planning a major district development and a number of new leases are to be signed in the pedestrian zone. These developments will further enhance the value of the location in the long term.

Warburg-HIH Invest was advised by the law firm Ashurst on legal and tax matters and by CP Hamburg on the technical purchase examination. The seller was advised on the transaction by JLL and CMS Stuttgart.

“The ‘Bremer Carrée’ perfectly matches the criteria of the fund and offers our investors long-term yield stability.”
Alexander Eggert, Managing Director for product, company and fund management at Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate

“The ‘Bremer Carrée’, a striking five-storey retail property, is situated in the most highly frequented location of the entire city centre of Bremen. Its location at the corner and its free-standing character make the building highly visible and recognisable.

The anchor tenants of this commercial building are the respective market-leading retail concepts H&M, with its Bremen flagship store, and Rossmann.”
Hans-Joachim Lehmann, Managing Director for transaction management in Germany at Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate.

“With a new concept, we want to give positive momentum to Bremen’s city centre. New labels can help raise the profile and strength of the entire location and building.”
Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners

About Warburg-HIH Invest

As a real estate investment manager, Warburg-HIH Invest Real Estate (Warburg-HIH Invest) offers the entire spectrum of national and international real estate investments for institutional investors. It is one of the leading managers of special real estate AIF in Germany. With real estate assets of around EUR 6.3 billion, it boasts a comprehensive track record in the planning and implementation of customised investment solutions. As a high-quality provider, Warburg-HIH Invest realises products and services with an added value. These high standards match the requirements of its shareholders HIH Real Estate and the private bank M.M.Warburg & Co., which was founded in 1798.

Further information can be found online: www.warburg-hih.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 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.

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Hamburg, 18 July 2017. The Hamburg-based real estate project development company QUEST Investment Partners has acquired the office and commercial building at Willy-Brandt-Straße 69. The central location near Rödingsmarkt is situated in the periphery of Hamburg’s harbour – an area that connects the city centre with HafenCity. The property overlooks the Elbphilharmonie and the buildings of the Cremon peninsula and is flanked by the historical Nikolaifleet at the back.

The rental space of approximately 4,687 m² is fully let, the main tenant being Holcim AG. Due to the continuing decrease of the vacancy rate, the pressure on rental prices within Wallring is steadily rising. This is why Willy-Brandt-Straße 69 is yet another place that boasts tremendous potential. “We are convinced that the positive development of the harbour periphery between the city centre and Speicherstadt will continue in the coming years and that we will be able to leverage the potential of this property in the long term,” states J. Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

With the most recently acquired office building, the portfolio of QUEST Investment Partners now includes three properties along Hamburg’s Willy-Brandt-Straße.

The financing for this transaction was provided by pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG. The Hamburg-based investment team at Angermann acted as a broker for the acquisition of the building from the DWI Group.

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.

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Hamburg, 27 June 2017. The Hamburg-based project development and investment company Quest Investment Partners opened a new office in Berlin in mid-June 2017. The office on Friedrichstraße will be headed by Arne Siemens, who most recently served as project leader at Art-Investment Real Estate, overseeing the 30,000 m² shopping and office project on Alter Wall in Hamburg.

“Berlin’s rental market for office properties is developing in very dynamic ways. We anticipate opportunities for further projects and aim to develop high-end commercial properties in prime locations, just as we do in Hamburg,” states Jan Rouven Künzel, Managing Partner at Quest Investment Partners.

Arne Siemens has long-standing experience in project management. At Art-Invest Real Estate GmbH, he was in charge of numerous sales and acquisitions in addition to managing real estate development projects in Hamburg and Berlin. Arne Siemens studied international project management with a focus on real estate projects and started his career at ECE Projektmanagement GmbH in transaction management. Aged 30, he is responsible for new business, project development and management in Berlin, where he will be supported by a further employee.

Quest Investment Partners was founded in 2016 and has since developed seven projects in Hamburg, some of which are already being re-sold.

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.

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Hamburg, 11 May 2017. QUEST Investment Partners has sold the Elbhof in Hamburg, which it acquired only recently. After the existing tenant Serviceplan signed a new ten-year lease for the space measuring 7,150 m² in December 2016, the QUEST team was recently able to secure its exit from this investment. The buyer is a foreign family office that was advised by ALBRECHT GEBRÜDER & Co. in its acquisition. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

In September this year, the tenant is scheduled to move into the previously vacant space in the rear section of the building, the former warehouse of approx. 3,000 m². QUEST will carry out the project management required for this and will hand over the property in turnkey condition. The handover of the property to the buyer is planned for the end of the third quarter of 2017.

“We are pleased to have been able to fully lease the property so soon after purchase and to have already found a buyer who recognises the potential of this downtown location on the harbour front between the city centre and HafenCity as much as we do. Over the coming months, the Elbhof will be refurbished and returned to the outstanding Kontorhaus it once was. In this unique atmosphere, the advertising agency Serviceplan will be using the entire building for the Serviceplan concept “Haus der Kommunikation” (House of Communication). This illustrates the versatility of the building and ensures a stable long-term cash flow for the buyer. We have hence implemented our strategy of developing a stable long-term core product at the end of every project,” says Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company with offices in Hamburg. 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.

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Hamburg, 16 February 2017. QUEST Investment Partners has concluded a new rental agreement for the Elbhof property at Steinhöft 9 in Hamburg, which it recently acquired. The tenant is the Serviceplan Group in Hamburg. Instead of the previous partial rental space of 55 percent, the new ten-year lease now comprises the entire office space available at Elbhof, amounting to some 7,150 m².

With its concept “Haus der Kommunikation” (House of Communication), the Serviceplan Group secures its expansion at the existing location and will be able to consolidate even more core functions in Hamburg. In September this year, the company plans to move into the currently vacant space in the rear section of the building, the former warehouse of approx. 3,000 m².
“We are pleased to have been able to rent out the vacant spaces at Elbhof just after acquiring it and to support our existing tenant in their expansion. In doing so, we were able to secure a long-term cash flow for our project in a very short period of time, thus fulfilling our business plan and confirming our investment strategy. In these excellent locations in Hamburg, there continues to be considerable demand for high-end office spaces,” explains Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.
Thomas Wallek, Director at Haus der Kommunikation, highlights: “We are very happy about this decision and are pleased about the new ten-year lease, which will allow us to grow in the long term and thus secure the location for the future. The Elbhof is a listed building with a very distinctive charm – right in the heart of Hamburg, between the harbour and the city centre, and with the Elbphilharmonie as its prominent neighbour. Against this backdrop, the Elbhof offers us a tasteful location that has its finger on the pulse of time and provides enough space and air to successfully pursue our vision of turning brands into ‘best brands’.”

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development, management and investment company with offices in Hamburg. 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.

About the Serviceplan Group

The Serviceplan Group is Europe’s largest owner-managed and partner-operated agency group with the widest range of services. Founded in 1970 as a traditional advertising agency, Serviceplan quickly developed the concept “Haus der Kommunikation” (“House of Communication”) – the only agency model in Germany to date that is completely integrated and unites all communication disciplines under one roof: be it brand strategists, creative, design, media or online specialists, dialogue or CRM experts, market researchers, PR consultants or sales professionals – at Serviceplan they all join forces, in more than 35 locations worldwide.

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Hamburg, 10 November 2016. Quest Investment Partners has embarked on a journey towards new beginnings.

About Quest Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development, management and investment company with offices in Hamburg. 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.

Hamburg, 08 November 2016. QUEST Investment Partners has acquired the listed “Elbhof” property on Steinhöft 9. It counts among Hamburg’s sought-after “Kontorhaus” buildings and is located in the rapidly evolving harbour periphery between the city centre and Speicherstadt – just like the last two investments of the newly founded project developer.

The building was constructed between 1904 and 1905 for AEG based on plans by the architect Walter Martens. The central location close to Baumwall in Hamburg’s Neustadt district is surrounded by water: To the front, a lock system separates Elbfleet from Alsterfleet. To the rear, the Elbhof is flanked by Herrengrabenfleet. Views of the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall and Speicherstadt are included.

With its structure of a front building, a courtyard wing and a warehouse on the canal, the Elbhof follows the traditional pattern of an old Hamburg merchant’s house. The building satisfies the most prestigious demands – featuring an opulent staircase and a façade with bronze sculptures by the sculptor Arthur Bock above the entrance portals, crowned with Hamburg’s coat of arms.

Another interesting aspect for the developer is the upcoming completion of the flood protection system for the Port of Hamburg in the immediate vicinity. Designed by the recently deceased star architect Zaha Hadid, it leads up to an impressive staircase right on the doorstep of the Elbhof. “Flood protection and recreational value do not have to be mutually exclusive” – this is what the architect wanted to prove with her design.

The building features some 7,770 m² of rental space; 55 percent of this space has been rented out to the Hamburg branch of the advertising agency Serviceplan on a long-term basis. The former warehouse, which is currently vacant, will be put to a new use by QUEST Investment Partners.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company situated in Hamburg. 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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Hamburg, 08 September 2016. QUEST Investment Partners, a recently founded project development company based in Hamburg, has acquired two office properties in the heart of Hamburg with a total rental space of around 15,000 square metres.

One of the properties is the former IBM high-rise with 17 storeys on Willy-Brandt-Straße 23. Designed by Werner Kallmorgen in 1960, this listed building is to be modernised, repositioned and rented out. The alteration works will take around one and a half years and are scheduled to start in spring 2017. The building features around 7,500 m² of rental space.
“This building is a modern classic. Like hardly any other building in Hamburg, its architecture reflects the spirit of post-war modernism inspired by the American metropolises. The black glass façade with its striking punch card pattern will soon be modernised – it is a true architectural icon from the 1960s with particularly unique qualities,” says Theja Geyer, Managing Partner at QUEST Investment Partners.

In addition, QUEST Investment Partners acquired a fully let office and commercial building on Willy-Brandt-Straße 75 from a joint venture between Castlelake and the Becken Group. At the beginning of the 20th century, the renowned Kontorhaus architect Georg Radel designed the original Kontorhaus on Rödingsmarkt, parts of which still exist today. In 1998, it was elaborately encased in an eight-storey office building for a Hamburg bank. The property features approximately 7,690 m² of rental space. Due to the high quality of this property and its efficient building structure, the ensemble is to be revitalised and converted into a modern office building after the tenant moves out. Its most salient characteristics are its timeless architecture and its excellent location on Rödingsmarkt.

About QUEST Investment Partners

QUEST Investment Partners is a real estate project development and investment company situated in Hamburg. 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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