Under the radiant sky of Berlin, the long-awaited traditional asparagus dinner of the Berlin Press Conference took place. Mayor Kai Wegner emphasized in his speech the critical importance of an independent press for democracy.

The festive event, which revived after a pandemic-induced hiatus, attracted numerous prominent guests, including senators, diplomats, and leading figures from Berlin’s business community. Alongside the city’s government chief, distinguished guests such as Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev and Darius Pawlos, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, were present to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the EU’s eastern expansion. It was a special honor to welcome four former mayors of the city: Walter Momper, Klaus Wowereit, Michael Müller, and Franziska Giffey.

Thomas Klein, Chairman of the Berlin Press Conference, seized the opportunity to warn about the increasing threat to press freedom. In his poignant address, he emphasized, “Independence and freedom of journalism are under pressure like never before. Verbal attacks are just the tip of the iceberg. During hate demonstrations against Israel, police now have to establish media protection areas to prevent physical attacks on journalists. I can only sound the alarm. Those who cut down the branches of democracy shouldn’t be surprised when the whole tree eventually falls.”

The asparagus dinner of the Berlin Press Conference was not merely a festive occasion but also an opportunity to reflect on and defend the indispensable role of press freedom in our society.

The latest report from the German Commercial Real Estate Financing Index (Difi) indicates a positive trend in the financing of commercial properties. In the first quarter of this year, the index saw a significant increase. The Difi, published quarterly by JLL and the Hamburg Institute of International Economics, examines the financing conditions for office, retail, logistics, and residential properties, as well as the situation in refinancing markets and provides outlooks for the next six months.

The improved forecasts for the coming months are particularly related to the expected interest rate cuts by central banks, notably the European Central Bank (ECB). Herbert Dzial, CEO of HD Group and experienced real estate expert with over 30 years of experience in the German market, sees his expectations confirmed: “The announced interest rate cuts are an important stimulus for developers. Especially in the residential sector, there is a significant demand that we approach with confidence. The expected interest rate developments will further boost this market. But also the commercial real estate market, which is already on a solid consolidation path, will benefit. The demand for modern office spaces meeting ESG standards will continue to rise, supported by the reinforced trend of employees returning to the office.”

Since the trough at the end of 2022, the Difi has shown a steady increase again, particularly compared to the last quarter of 2023 with an increase of 25.5 points. The residential segment saw the strongest increase by 40.3 points to 12.1 points and is the only category in positive territory. Hotels and logistics also saw increases of 27.4 and 18.7 points, respectively, although they still stand at minus 5.2 and minus 17.2 points. There was also a significant increase in the retail sector by 28.4 points, leading to a new level of minus 17.2 points. The office sector recorded an increase of 12.6 points and remains significantly negative at minus 48.3.

The HD Group achieves another milestone by investing in the emerging serviced apartment concept Stay KooooK by the SV Hotel Group in Bremen. The new Stay KooooK Bremen City will be prominently located on Obernstrasse, where the HD Group acts as the developer and owner. Renowned for quality and innovation, the HD Group brings its expertise in nationwide property and location development to this venture.

Known as Stay KooooK Bremen City, the project follows the successful Stay KooooK brand concept, offering modern serviced apartments and the characteristic co-living area “The Flat” within a contemporary new building. Situated in the picturesque Old Town of Bremen, just a short walk from the Cathedral and the Bremen Town Musicians, the location promises an unforgettable experience for guests and residents alike.

Denny Wolff, Managing Partner of 2rooms consulting Ltd., supports the HD Group as a consultant and intermediary. Regarding the site concept, he states, “The latest project is ideally located in the vibrant Old Town. In addition to a communal kitchen with a large dining table, The Flat provides areas for working, relaxing, socializing, or binge-watching series. Our knowledgeable hosts ensure that all guests feel at home and provide insider tips for city life.”

Construction for the new development project is expected to commence in 2024. Arlett Hoff, Director Development at SV Hotel, expresses excitement about the portfolio expansion: “We are delighted about the opening of Stay KooooK Bremen City. Alongside the Stay KooooK Hamburg currently under construction, this project complements our Northern Germany cluster and serves as an ideal addition to our Moxy in Bremen Überseestadt.”

The HD Group views this project as a promising investment opportunity and highlights the collaboration with SV Hotel as a strong partner in the hotel and apartment industry. Founder and owner Herbert Dzial explains, “HD is investing in a Stay KooooK in Bremen because we are convinced of SV Hotel’s strong leadership and creditworthiness, as well as their ability to shape the future of the industry. We are open to further investment opportunities.”

Stay KooooK Bremen City not only promises high-quality accommodation for guests but also enriches the Bremen hotel and apartment landscape as well as the local economy.

About Stay KooooK: Stay KooooK is a modern serviced apartment brand by the SV Hotel Group. With a unique concept offering high-quality apartments and communal spaces, Stay KooooK provides flexible and comfortable accommodation for short and long-term stays in attractive cities.

The Berlin-based HD Group is expanding its portfolio and developing a seven-story residential and commercial building in a prime location in downtown Bremen. The property, spanning over 1,200 square meters, will feature a forward-thinking usage concept comprising micro-living, co-working, and retail spaces. The gross floor area is projected to be approximately 7,679 square meters, with planned rental space of around 6,038 square meters. The proposed usage concept aims to maximize floor space utilization, providing ideal conditions for efficient and optimal floor plans.

The HD Group plans to demolish the existing structure for the project, replacing it with a new building featuring six full floors and an additional penthouse level.

Situated in the highly-trafficked Obernstraße 45-47, in the heart of the city center, the project boasts high visibility and excellent accessibility.

Bremen is a sought-after office location, and the housing situation is tense, with an estimated demand for approximately 36,000 residential units by 2030. In response, the HD Group is taking a pioneering role by developing a mixed-use project in the city center that addresses these pressing needs.

Herbert Dzial, Managing Director of the HD Group, emphasizes the company’s commitment to intelligent and sustainable conversions. “Here in Bremen, we align with the city’s goals and deliver urgently needed inner-city residential, commercial, and office spaces at this central location. I am confident that this high-street mixed-use development will establish itself as a sustainable asset class.”

With a population of 565,000, Bremen is the eleventh largest city in Germany and a key industrial hub, home to 1,400 companies and 74,000 employees. Renowned companies such as BLG Logistic Group, Nordsee GmbH, and Daimler AG operate large facilities in the area. Additionally, Bremen boasts a strong academic presence with eight local universities and over 35,000 students. The retail sector in Bremen, with a turnover of €3.8 billion, benefits significantly from the city’s growing tourism industry, which saw 2.0 million overnight stays.

The Berlin real estate company HD Gruppe has sold the health quater in Magdeburg Sudenburg as part of a forward deal to an institutional fund managed by INP Invest GmbH.

The parties involved agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The transaction was accompanied by the consulting company DIMP – DIE IMMOBILIEN PARTNER Hamburg.

The health quarter in the south of Magdeburg is picking up on the current trend towards outpatient and semi-inpatient forms of care. On an area of ​​6,000 square meters, a new building is to be realized with the types of use service living, day care and two dementia living groups. The planning envisages the creation of 92 residential units on a usable rental area of ​​5,500 square meters, 68 of which are for assisted living and 24 apartments for dementia.

The tenants and operators are the Berlin care service provider RENAFAN GmbH for assisted living and day care and Komfort Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH from Potsdam for the dementia apartments. The leases have a term of 20 years with an option to extend for a further 10 years.

The building permit is available. The realization of the building project has started. The completion of the new building in the south of Magdeburg is planned for the end of the first half of 2022.

“We are pleased to have found an institutional buyer for the health district in Magdeburg Sudenburg in the INP Group,” said Herbert Dzial, Managing Director and founder of the HD Group. “The Magdeburg project has a lot of potential and will make an important contribution to the accommodation and care of older people in the region in particular. The HD Group will continue to focus on the asset class of health care real estate in the future. ”

The area of ​​healthcare real estate is becoming more and more important, especially forms of assisted living that enable older people to lead their lives independently for as long as possible, but with support when necessary. In addition to traditional care facilities, there are assisted or service living, care shared apartments, senior citizens’ residences, multigenerational houses and various co-housing concepts.

 

About the HD Group:

The HD Group, based in Berlin, has many years of successful expertise in the area of ​​project development for residential, commercial and retail properties in Germany. Under the umbrella of the holding company, the HD Group offers a wide range of services, from project development to project management, investment management and property management.

www.hd-gruppe.de

About the INP group:

The INP Group is an independent group of companies and has been active as a product provider and asset manager since it was founded in 2005 and has been active in the field of social real estate since 2013 with its own capital management company INP Invest GmbH.

www.inp-gruppe.de

About DIMP:

DIMP Hamburg is an established, international consulting and brokerage company in the real estate industry. DIMP focuses on transaction advice in the areas of Health Care & Social Investment, Residential Investment and Commercial Investment.

www.dimp-hamburg.de

Health district for Magdeburg Sudenburg: HD Group develops health care property in Magdeburg, the leasing is to RENAFAN GmbH

The Berlin HD Group is developing a health district in the Sudenburg district of Magdeburg that implements the current trend towards outpatient and semi-inpatient forms of care. The area consists of several rounding-off plots on which a new building with the types of use service living, day care and two dementia living groups are to be realized. A total of 92 residential units will be built on 5,500 square meters of usable rental space and 7,200 square meters of gross floor area, including 68 apartments for assisted living and 24 apartments for dementia.

The building application process is currently in progress, the preliminary building permit is already available.

The project development has already been rented out in full. The main tenant is the Berlin care service provider RENAFAN GmbH. The Potsdam company Komfort GmbH was tied as a tenant for the dementia apartments. The leases have already been concluded for 20 years with the option of a further 2×5 years.

With the RENAFAN Group, which was recently named Operator of the Year 2020 at the AltenheimEXPO, the growing demand for barrier-free service living in a central location can now be met, among other things. At the same time, the tenants are offered needs-based, more intensive care if this becomes necessary without them having to leave their familiar surroundings. People with dementia can take advantage of the day care offer or receive individual care in assisted living, whereby the greatest possible independence is maintained and supported.

There is currently also sustained interest on the part of financing and end investors.

It was only in September 2019 that the HD Group sold the Sudenburg practice clinic, the largest medical care center in Saxony-Anhalt, to a special Captiva fund for healthcare properties. The practice clinic is located on the neighboring property of the newly emerging quarter.

As a professional and experienced real estate service provider, we have in-depth experience in the development of health and care properties, says Herbert Dzial, Managing Director of the HD Group. Our Magdeburg project will make an important contribution to the accommodation and care of older people in particular here in the region. We are pleased that we have already been able to win well-known care service providers as tenants for the health quarter.

The year 2022 is planned for the completion of the new building in the south of Magdeburg.

About the HD Group:

The HD Group, based in Berlin, has many years of successful expertise in the area of ​​project development for residential, commercial and retail properties in Germany. Under the umbrella of the holding company, the HD Group offers a wide range of services, from project development to project management, investment management and property management.

About the RENAFAN Group

The RENAFAN Group is one of the leading service providers in the areas of care for the elderly, intensive care and services for the disabled. Outpatient and inpatient care, innovative living and care options, intensive care and assistance for disabled people: our diversity makes us unique! We also provide employees with locations and working time models that are ideally suited to their living situation. We offer our service at more than 70 locations. Almost 7,500 people trust in our competence and reliability. The RENAFAN Group is characterized by uncompromising customer orientation and constant innovation. We have over 25 years of experience in individual service for people who need our support. Our maxim is: as much independence as possible – as much care as necessary. Our strengths are a comprehensive network, tailor-made care solutions, a wide range of offers, well-trained employees and integrative concepts.

Since May 1, 2019, the HD Group has been the management of the H.D. Immobilien Holding GmbH strengthened by Ralph Ziegler. In this position, Ziegler is responsible for the financing of the project companies, in particular through the expansion of investment solutions for private investor clubs, and complements corporate management in the acquisition of projects as well as in the implementation and marketing of existing project developments.

“Ralph Ziegler has many years of experience in the implementation of transactions and the support of investors and has recently focused on the acquisition of project developments with a district character. As a project developer, the HD Group sees attractive future business opportunities in hybrid forms of use, in micro living and in health and care properties, ”explains Herbert Dzial, founder and managing partner of the HD Group.

Ralph Ziegler has almost 25 years of professional experience in the real estate industry and was most recently a managing partner for Capital Bay Transaction Management GmbH. Prior to that, he held management positions for many years at the Deutsche Wohnen Group and at Warburg-HIH in transaction management and business development, where he successfully implemented investment solutions for wealthy private customers and institutional investors.

As a project developer and investor, the HD Group can look back on over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry. The focus is on the development and revitalization of residential and commercial properties. With in-depth specialist knowledge and a conscientious approach to urban society, urban space and the environment, the HD Group, together with specialized cooperation partners, responsibly devotes itself to each of its real estate developments.

The range of services extends from acquisition, market and location analysis, property planning and conception, through financing, purchase, rental in accordance with the concept, procurement of building permits, controlling, project calculation and management to asset management (strategic property management) and sales.

The HD Group has been able to increase the letting rate of the Burggalerie since the acquisition of the property by a good of 40 percent and now stands at over 90 percent. Large-scale leases with four anchor tenants for the shopping center were successfully concluded. For a Rossmann branch, Dirk Rossmann GmbH rented an area of ​​around 950 m². In addition, approximately 1,450 m² of retail space was leased to Woolworth and around 530 m² to TEDi. The future-proof concept for the shopping center was also convincing to the EKZ-based expert electrical retailer HERFAG Elektronik GmbH which concluded a new long-term lease for around 1,630 m².

Following the granting of the building permit, the revitalization measures for the inner-city shopping center began last autumn. The property now shines with a total rental space of around 6,435 m² in new splendor.

The medical care center is extensively revitalized both indoors and out. The works include painting in the common corridors, the staircases and elevators, the renewal of the signage and the laying of floor tiles indoors. The facade of the building will also shine in new splendor. In addition, an existing tenant was acquired, which will increase its rental space from approx. 280 m² to approx. 560 m². Likewise leases could be extended to a term of 10 years. The occupancy rate of the clinic is thus around 91 percent. When buying the property last summer, the level was 84 percent. According to the current state of planning, the facade painting is scheduled for May 2018. The practice clinic will also remain open for visitors and patients.

From 08.10. until 10.10.2018 this year’s real estate fair “Expo Real” took place. For the first time we decided to become part of the premium partnership at the Berlin Brandenburg stand. For our HD team the real estate fair was a great success. There were constructive discussions and we were able to revive old business relationships. Our current real estate projects were presented to the market and especially to our business partners. We are already looking forward to the coming year!