Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), the highly specialised partner for investments in commercial real estate, has found two well-known new tenants for the Nassau-Carree retail park centrally located in Idstein near Frankfurt: Rossmann, Germany's second largest drugstore chain, will move into 700 square metres of retail space in the second quarter of 2023, and Germany's largest organic market chain Denns will move into a further 600 square metres in the third quarter.

The Nassau-Carree consists of six buildings with a total of 14,000 square metres of space and is centrally located in Idstein in the Taunus region. With the leasing to Rossmann and Denns, the retail park at Limburger Strasse 38-40 is fully let.

Only in April, Deichmann extended its lease for another five years and in the course of this implemented a new shop concept with an open industrial ceiling, repainted and modernised the store. Montano Real Estate had already leased the former post office parcel station in Nassau-Carree, directly on Limburger Straße, to the local hairdresser Latika Barbershop at the end of 2022.

"Since last year's purchase, we have been intensively involved with the further development of Nassau-Carree and its existing tenants," says Julius Falcinelli, Head of Asset Management at Montano. "In the course of the operational further development of the Nassau Quarter, we wanted to make the retail park even more attractive for customers and residents. With the existing tenant Rewe and the two new tenants Rossmann and Denns, the Nassau-Carree will in future offer the particularly attractive trio of supermarket, drugstore and organic market, thus ensuring even more customer gravitation, which will also benefit the other existing tenants. We are currently examining, among other things, the electrification of the parking spaces in conjunction with further solar systems on the existing roofs in order to convert the buildings to be future-proof and in line with the latest ESG standards."

Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), one of the leading independent investment specialists in the German commercial real estate market, was able to close the past financial year 2022 with a positive result thanks to an expansion of its business segments and transaction successes in all asset classes relevant to the company.

"2022 was a real challenge for all market participants: geopolitical crises, a sharp rise in inflation and - particularly relevant for our industry - a significant increase in interest rates. I am proud of our team that we were nevertheless able to close the year so successfully and with results that were down on the previous year, but still positive," said Montano founder and Managing Partner Ramin Rabeian. "Despite the difficult market situation, we successfully closed deals last year in all asset classes we actively manage. These successes show that we have established ourselves as a reputable partner in the German commercial real estate market over the past ten years."

There were several highlights for Montano in the past fiscal year:

• Successful launch of a multi-investor special fund in the Public Sector segment: in spring 2022, we launched the Montano Public Sector Fund for German institutional investors. The first transactions for the fund were the purchases of the office properties SAS11 in Frankfurt and Chess House in Stuttgart. Further transactions are planned for this fund in 2023.

• First purchase in the high double-digit million range on Montano's own balance sheet: Another transaction highlight was the acquisition of the Duisburg Central Office (DCO) building in Quartier 1. It was purchased temporarily on Montano's balance sheet in spring 2022 as the company's first own property as part of its warehousing strategy and then placed with institutional investors.

• Expansion of the partnership with Carlyle Group in the Logistics segment: As part of the partnership agreed in September 2021, Montano and the global investment manager Carlyle jointly acquired a total of seven logistics properties last year. These were distribution properties in prime urban locations in Germany. Montano is responsible for investment and asset management in this partnership. The volume of the joint portfolio of Carlyle and Montano thus grows to 25 properties or now more than 300 million euros. The value of the total portfolio is to be increased to 500 million euros through further acquisitions.

• Asset Management and Transaction Advisory: Montano acted as transaction advisor and asset manager for Gold Tree in the acquisition of the approximately 40,000 sqm Technoforum in Wolfsburg, which is leased to Volkswagen Immobilien on a long-term basis, and the Business Campus Mainz, as well as in the sale of Gold Tree Group's Oyster portfolio to HIH Invest.

• Significant increase in value through active asset management: With the sale of the KÖ3 office building in Eschborn to CONREN Land, Montano was once again able to demonstrate that active asset management has a positive effect on the increase in value of the respective property, thus convincing potential buyers even in turbulent times. The KÖ Campus is particularly impressive due to its diversified tenant structure, its modern design and the potential for further dedicated ESG measures.

Assets under management increase by 16 percent to 1.8 billion euros with transaction volume of 500 million euros

Montano increased the value of its assets under management to 1.8 billion euros in fiscal 2022. This corresponds to an increase of 250 million euros or a good 16 percent compared with 2021 (1.55 billion euros). Managed leasable space increased by 190,000 sqm to a total of approximately 800,000 sqm

"2022 was another exciting year in our now ten-year history. We expanded our business model to include the conception and sale of our own investment products, launched our first own multi-investor fund, the Montano Public Sector Fund, and increased the size of our team by eight employees," said Sebastian Schöberl, another Montano founder and Managing Partner.

Plans for the current 2023 financial year include the expansion of the Public Sector portfolio and the Social Infrastructure investment line, the launch of further theme funds and the expansion of existing individual mandates. In addition, Montano plans to make acquisitions of Core Plus or Value Add properties in the Food Retail segment, as well as investments in non-ESG and stranded office properties with the aim of repositioning them in an environmentally friendly way. In this context, the company also intends to make greater use of its equity capital.

Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), one of the leading independent investment managers in the German commercial real estate market, has completed the purchase of two additional properties in Schkeuditz near Leipzig as part of its partnership with global investment manager Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG), which has been ongoing since fall 2021. The two independent logistics buildings with 13,000sqm and 6,000sqm of space are conveniently located not far from Leipzig/Halle Airport. Asset management was also taken over for a logistics property in Obertshausen near Frankfurt, also as part of the Carlyle partnership.

As part of the partnership, Montano and Carlyle have already acquired a total of seven properties in the current year and taken over active asset management. This brings the volume of the joint Carlyle and Montano portfolio to 25 properties. The properties are acquired through Carlyle Europe Realty (CER), Carlyle's pan-European real estate platform. The value of the total portfolio is expected to increase to €500 million through further acquisitions.

As part of the partnership, Carlyle is investing in logistics properties close to cities. Montano will provide active asset management for all properties with the aim of generating added value and corresponding excess returns through an active management and leasing strategy as well as renovations and selective repositioning.

The seller of the properties in Schkeuditz near Leipzig is JASIKA Holding GmbH, the property was brokered by Lütgen Breiholdt Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG. The property in Obertshausen near Frankfurt, which was newly taken over into Montano's asset management, has around 13,000 sqm and is conveniently located in the Frankfurt metropolitan region with good connections to Frankfurt, Offenbach and Hanau. Both properties are suitable for third-party use and have solar panels on the roof.

"We have already been very active in logistics properties in the current year and intend to continue to grow significantly here with the aim of expanding the partnership's total portfolio to EUR 500 million. Online retail is booming and trends such as same-day delivery or free shipping and returns are fuelling demand for logistics properties close to cities. Investments in such properties therefore remain exciting, especially as the market continues to grow significantly," explains Sebastian Schöberl, co-founder and Managing Partner of Montano Real Estate.

Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), one of the leading independent investment managers in the German commercial real estate market, has handed over a property in Bonn to the Federal Network Agency on schedule after being modernised to the latest standards on behalf of the tenant. The property leased to the Federal Real Estate Agency („Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben“) is House 7 at Tulpenfeld in Bonn, which is located in front of the former Federal Press Conference building and is used by the Federal Network Agency. The lease was extended ahead of schedule in the course of the modernisation. Montano has managed the Tulpenfeld complex for Gold Tree Group since its purchase in 2014.

As part of the modernisation of the listed building, which took just under a year, the entire usable area of approx. 7,000 sqm was completely renovated and equipped with energy-saving LED lighting, among other things, taking into account ESG standards. All rooms were refurnished to a high standard and the conference rooms were equipped with state-of-the-art media technology. In addition to measures to ensure accessibility, monitored lock and gatekeeper systems were installed in the entrance areas, taking into account the user's security concept.

The project, managed by GP Ingenieurgesellschaft from Cologne (responsible project control) and Kastien Architekten from Düsseldorf (object planning), was implemented within the cost, schedule and quality specifications agreed upon in the rental contract with BIMA, despite all market adversities.

"I am very pleased about the positive completion of this project, because on the one hand it proves our ambition to make existing properties fit for the future by enabling them to operate more sustainably," says Sebastian Schöberl, co-founder and Managing Partner of Montano Real Estate. "On the other hand, the completion on time and on budget is a fine testament to our quality as an asset manager. The project also pays tribute to our many years of experience in the field of real estate leased to government users."

Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), one of the leading independent investment managers in the German commercial real estate market, can acquire another promising property for the multi-investor special fund "Montano Public Sector Fund I", which was launched in spring, with the purchase of the two connected office buildings "Chess House" in Stuttgart's Feuerbach district. The seller is SH.I.R. Real Estate Germany. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

The property is located at Heilbronner Straße 314 in Stuttgart's high-demand Feuerbach submarket. The two parts of the building together have 9,000 sqm of rental space, extends over six or seven floors and also have a three-storey underground car park with almost 100 parking spaces. The state of Baden-Württemberg has been the tenant of the two buildings since April 2021. They are located north of Stuttgart's city centre and are easily accessible by public and private transport. As an integral part of the investment criteria, a concrete plan was already drafted during the due diligence process to sustainably transform the property through various measures.

"The Chess House is another very interesting property in an attractive location and has a long-term tenant with a strong credit rating in the state of Baden-Württemberg - this is precisely what we are targeting with our Public Sector Fund: commercially used administrative buildings in the best locations in the most important metropolises and economic centres. The strategy of acquiring flexible building structures in good locations with rent default-proof tenants and enforceable indexed leases makes our fund so interesting for investors, especially in times of crisis," says Ramin Rabeian, co-founder and Managing Partner of Montano Real Estate.

The economic launch of the "Montano Public Sector Fund I" only took place in April 2022 and significant equity commitments were already raised at the start. This means that the fund currently has a total investment volume in the three-digit million euro range. The fund is expected to invest a total of 500 million euros. The "Montano Public Sector Fund I" focuses on core properties with government or government-related users. The attractiveness of this asset class is due, among other things, to the fact that government-related users are always tenants with very good credit ratings who are interested in long-term leases due to the high barriers to relocation. Indexed leases also offer protection against the current high inflation. The "Montano Public Sector Fund I" qualifies according to Art. 8 of the Disclosure Regulation and thus takes into account the increasing relevance of the sustainability issue for the public sector.

Legal advisors were McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP. Technical advice was provided by Drees & Sommer. The seller, SH.I.R. Real Estate Germany, was legally advised by Andersen GmbH Rechtsberatung Steuerberatung. Colliers Stuttgart and E&G Real Estate acted as brokers in the transaction.

Media Broadcast GmbH has leased around 2,000 square metres of office space in Eschborn near Frankfurt. The space is located in the KÖ-Campus building complex in Eschborn's South Industrial Estate. The company, Germany's largest service provider in the broadcasting and media industry and part of freenet AG, will move into the new space at Kölner Straße 12 in the first quarter of 2023. The landlord of the space is Montano Real Estate GmbH. The lease agreement was concluded for a term of ten years. Colliers acted as advisor to the tenant.

Marc Nickel, Head of Office Letting Frankfurt at Colliers, comments: "We are very pleased with this successful deal. With their proximity to Frankfurt, the KÖ Campus buildings offer the ideal office location not far from the metropolis. The complex has recently been extensively modernised and combines the latest structural standards with a high quality of stay thanks to green spaces and excellent transport connections. The lively interest in the space confirms the attractiveness of the location."

Julius Falcinelli, Head of Asset Management at Montano, added: "A lot has happened since we purchased the KÖ Campus in 2018. With okadis, Atomy Europe, Pactra International Germany and now Media Broadcast, we were able to attract well-known companies to the building and fully let the Kö12 building within just one and a half years, with average contract terms of more than eight years. The 'New Work Concept', which was implemented in the marketing suite on the 6th floor, was so well received by prospective tenants that almost all new tenant improvements are also based on this concept. In the future, the Kö10 and Kö12 buildings are to be certified according to the latest ESG standard BREEAM 'very good', among other things by electrifying the underground and outdoor parking spaces, thus also bringing them up to contemporary ecological standards."

The Eschborn South commercial area is located directly on the western city boundary of Frankfurt. Thanks to good motorway and public transport connections, Frankfurt city centre and the airport can be reached within a 10-minute drive. With the lease by Media Broadcast, the building at Kölner Straße 12 is fully let.

Among other things, Media Broadcast is a network operator for freenet TV and DAB+, but also has 5G campus networks in its portfolio. In recent months, the company has received several awards as an attractive employer, not least because of the 4-day week for all employees.

Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), one of the leading independent investment specialists in the German commercial real estate market, looks back on a successful first half-year. In addition to the launch of the "Montano Public Sector Fund I" and a significant expansion of the Carlyle mandate, further flagship projects were concluded. The transaction volume in the first half of 2022 was around 280 million euros and fully in line with planning. The value of assets under management reached 1.63 billion euros (31 December 2021: 1.55 billion euros). In the first six months of 2022, twelve leases for a total of 11,500 sqm were also concluded.

"In the first half of 2022, as previously announced, we expanded our business model to include our own investment products, acquired our first property on our own balance sheet and launched our Public Sector Fund. And all this in a thoroughly challenging market environment! We are very proud of this team achievement," says Montano founder and Managing Partner Ramin Rabeian. Founding partner Sebastian Schöberl adds: "We also have a lot planned for the second half of the year. In addition to the expansion of our Public Sector portfolio and existing partnerships, we are increasingly focusing on acquisitions of Core Plus or Value Add properties in the food retail segment as well as investments in non-ESG-compliant and stranded office properties with the aim of repositioning them in an ecofriendly way. Although national players are currently reluctant to invest here, the momentum of foreign investors will prevail as the market offers a multitude of opportunities."

Successful launch of the "Montano Public Sector Fund I" and already first successful transaction

With the launch of the multi-investor special fund "Montano Public Sector Fund I" at the beginning of March 2022, Montano is hitting a segment perfectly suited to the current market situation. The fund exclusively acquires core properties in the office property sector with government or government-related users. Investors benefit from the excellent creditworthiness of this tenant group and the inflation protection provided by indexed leases. Both factors are considered very attractive in the current turbulent times. Already at the time of the launch, equity commitments in a significant amount were raised, enabling a total investment volume in the three-digit million euro range. In total, the fund volume is expected to grow to 500 million euros.

Shortly after the fund's launch, Montano was able to conclude the first transaction for the "Montano Public Sector Fund I" with the acquisition of a modern core office building in Frankfurt am Main. The seller on behalf of a family office was the Cells Group, the main tenant is the City of Frankfurt.

Significant expansion of the logistics partnership with Carlyle and already six new acquisitions in 2022

In the first half of the year, the partnership concluded in autumn 2021 with the globally active investment manager Carlyle was significantly expanded with the acquisition of a total of six new properties. Together, Carlyle and Montano are investing in logistics properties with a focus on distribution properties in prime city locations in Germany. With the transactions of the first half of 2022, the volume of the joint portfolio of Carlyle and Montano grows to 24 properties or around 300 million euros. The properties are being acquired for the pan-European real estate fund Carlyle Europe Realty (CER). The value of the total portfolio is to be increased to 500 million euros through further acquisitions.

Further transactions with renowned partners and first property acquisition on own balance sheet

Other major transactions included the acquisition of the building complex "Präsident-Kennedy-Platz 1/1A" in Bremen for an individual mandate of a German professional pension fund at the beginning of February 2022. At the beginning of March 2022, Montano was able to purchase the Duisburg Central Office in Quartier 1 as its first property on Montano's own balance sheet. The seller was Aurelis Real Estate, the transaction volume was in the high double-digit million euro range. Montano also acted as transaction advisor for the sale of Gold Tree's Oyster portfolio to HIH Invest. The sale took place as part of an asset deal via a structured process for HIH's local retail special fund "Perspektive Einzelhandel: Fokus Nahversorgung". Montano had been responsible for asset management here since the purchase in 2016.

Following the publication of the first Montano annual report at the end of February 2022, the first Montano sustainability report will also be published shortly.

Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), one of the leading independent investment managers in the German commercial real estate market, has acquired a modern core office building in Frankfurt/Main, the first transaction for the multi-investor special Public Sector Fund launched in April 2022. The object is sold by the Cells Group on behalf of a family office. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Built in 2002, the modern 5-storey office building has a lettable area of more than 8,000 sqm and 40 parking spaces and is currently fully let to a total of eight tenants. More than 80 percent of the rental income are generated by public sector tenants and government-related companies. The main tenant is the City of Frankfurt. The property is located at Salvador-Allende-Strasse 11 in the Frankfurt-Bockenheim district and is characterised by its proximity to Frankfurt city center and easy access by public and private transport.

"We are very pleased to announce this attractive transaction so soon after the launch of our Public Sector Fund. The target group of government-related tenants offers a high degree of security, because especially in turbulent times like these, a strong credit rating is an even greater asset," says Ramin Rabeian, co-founder and Managing Partner of Montano Real Estate. "For many years, we have had good experience with properties leased to government-related users and expect to announce more promising transactions for our fund soon."

The economic launch of the "Montano Public Sector Fund I" took place in April 2022 and significant equity commitments were already raised at the start. The fund currently has a total investment volume in the three-digit million euro range and is expected to invest a total of 500 million euros. The "Montano Public Sector Fund I" focuses on core properties in the office and special real estate sector with government or government-related users. One of the reasons why this asset class is so attractive is that government-related tenants have very good credit ratings and are interested in long-term leases due to high relocation hurdles. According to studies , the rental market with public sector tenants has turned out to be very robust even during the Corona crisis. The "Montano Public Sector Fund I" qualifies under Art. 8 of the Disclosure Ordinance, thus taking into account the increasing relevance of the sustainability issue for the public sector.

The buyer was advised in the off-market transaction by Black Olive, legal advisors were McDermott Will & Emery, technical advice was provided by ChandlerKBS. The seller was advised by HFK Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB.

Montano Real Estate GmbH (Montano), an independent investment specialist for German commercial real estate, has acquired the Duisburg Central Office (DCO) in Quartier 1 as a forward deal from Aurelis Real Estate. The transaction volume is in the high double-digit million euro range.

Aurelis plans to complete the building by the fourth quarter of 2022. By then, a five-storey property with a lettable area of around 11,400 square meters and around 50 own underground parking spaces will be built. The property is already fully let on a long-term lease to the financial services provider Consors Finanz, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Bank.

"We are very pleased to have been able to acquire this high-calibre property as our first own property on the Montano balance sheet. Increasing our own investment portfolio and directly participating in promising investments is a step into a new dimension for us," said Montano founder and Managing Partner Ramin Rabeian.

The DCO is located in the immediate vicinity of Duisburg's main railway station and the city centre and has good public transport and motorway connections. The A-shaped building is divided into a western and an eastern section, which are connected to each other via a glass-scaled access core. The entrance area is characterised by a generous glass construction, while the two parts of the building are distinguished by floor-to-ceiling windows and a complete clinker facade. The office spaces are predominantly designed as open-plan offices and, in addition to cavity floors, offer an efficient ventilation system and heated/cooling ceiling sails. The property is aiming for the DGNB sustainability certificate with at least a gold rating.

The transaction was brokered by BNP Paribas Real Estate GmbH. McDermott Will & Emery Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater LLP provided legal support and ChandlerKBS and Tauw carried out the technical audit. Münchener Hypothekenbank is supporting the property with long-term financing.

"Duisburg has developed into a B location where large-volume investments are possible. The cooperation with the city works very well, the demand from companies for rental space is high and investors are now also interested in high-quality, well-let office buildings," sums up Michael Buchholz, Head of Aurelis Region West.

Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), one of the leading independent investment managers in the German commercial real estate market, has successfully launched a multi-investor special fund together with IntReal as service KVG. This further implements the announced expansion of the service portfolio with own investment products. In a first closing, the "Montano Public Sector Fund I" was able to acquire significant equity commitments and thus already has a total investment volume in the three-digit million euro range at its start. The fund is to invest a total of 500 million euros.

The "Public Sector Fonds I" focuses on core properties in the area of office and special real estate with government or government-related users. The attractiveness of this asset class is due, among other things, to the fact that government-related users are always tenants with very good credit ratings who are interested in long-term leases due to high barriers to relocation. Several studies show that the rental market with public sector tenants has proven to be very robust, even during the Corona crisis.

Montano already has many years of experience and a very good network in the area of properties let to government users. When selecting investment properties, Montano pursues ecological characteristics. The fulfilment of corresponding criteria is already evaluated by Montano in the acquisition process and taken into account in the fund's investment decision. This takes into account the increasing relevance of the sustainability issue for the public sector. In addition, the fund qualifies under Art. 8 of the EU-Disclosure Regulation.

"I am very pleased about the trust that institutional investors have placed in us. It is the basis for us to announce the first closing of our Public Sector Fund today," says Ramin Rabeian, co-founder and Managing Partner of Montano Real Estate. "This is the next logical step in the expansion of Montano's range of services. More are to follow this year. In this respect, I am already confident that we will achieve the ambitious growth targets we have set ourselves for this year."

IntReal International Real Estate Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft acts as the fund's service KVG and BNP Paribas Securities Services acts as the depositary bank.

Note: The risk and return of a fund investment depend on the investment strategy and the market development of the individual asset components of the fund.

BLB Immobilien GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of Norddeutsche Landesbank (NORD/LB), has sold the "Präsident-Kennedy-Platz 1/1A" building complex in Bremen. It was acquired by Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano") from Munich for a German professional pension fund. Montano is one of the leading independent investment specialists in the German commercial real estate market. The property is let long-term to the logistics service provider BLG Logistics. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Udo Buskamp, Managing Director of BLB Immobilien, looks at the sale „with one laughing and one crying eye". "These are outstanding buildings in a prime location, developed by us and let to an ideal partner in BLG LOGISTICS. You don't like to part with that." On the other hand, one has to look ahead: Such properties are in demand and the proceeds enable new investments. "We have four new projects in the pipeline, three of them in Hanover and one in Braunschweig, and thus challenging tasks for the company and our colleagues in the coming years."

"We are delighted to have been able to acquire this unique property for a client," says Montano founder and managing partner Ramin Rabeian. "The successful transaction once again underlines the good reputation we have now earned as an independent investment partner for institutional investors on the German commercial real estate market. Flagship projects like this one in Bremen help us to achieve our ambitious growth targets."

The complex on Bremen's Präsident-Kennedy-Platz consists of a listed old building, the former American Consulate General, and a new building constructed in 2002 and comprises a total of around 8,000 sqm of office space and 64 car parking spaces. The four-storey old building, built in 1954 according to the plans of the American architectural firm SOM, Chicago, is considered the first significant example of post-war modernism. In 2005, the building was extensively renovated for the current tenant in terms of structural engineering and energy efficiency. The architectural firm Gruppe GME, Achim, received recognition for this as part of the 2010 Bremen Historic Preservation Award.

BLB Immobilien was advised in the sales process by NORD/FM, which also belongs to NORD/LB, and legally by the law firm GHB Ganten Hünecke Bienieck & Partner. Colliers International Hamburg acted as intermediary.

Montano Real Estate GmbH ("Montano", www.montano.eu), one of the leading independent investment specialists in the German commercial real estate market, has closed the financial year 2021 with a transaction volume of EUR 1.1 billion. This corresponds to a fourfold increase in volume compared to 2020 (EUR 275 million). One of the transaction highlights in the asset classes actively managed by Montano - office, retail, light industrial, logistics and public infrastructure - was the successful sale of the Munich landmark property "Uptown Munich", the city's tallest office building. Other successful transactions include the Easten property at the main railway station in Düsseldorf and the acquisition of an office property in North Rhine-Westphalia with a volume of EUR 70 million, which is the first transaction Montano has added to its own balance sheet.

In September 2021, Montano also agreed on a partnership with the global investment manager Carlyle to jointly invest in logistics properties with a focus on distribution properties in prime locations close to cities in Germany. As part of this partnership, Montano will be entrusted with the asset management of an existing portfolio of twelve logistics properties in Germany. Together, the portfolio is to be expanded to a value of EUR 500 million over the next few years.

In total, Montano was able to win new asset management mandates amounting to EUR 280 million in the past financial year. The value of assets under management at the end of the financial year was EUR 1.55 billion. In asset management, 35 leases for a total of 65,000 sqm were concluded last year.

"We were very successful in our core business in the past financial year and even exceeded our ambitious targets," said Montano founder and Managing Partner Ramin Rabeian. "To capitalise on this momentum, we have expanded our management and business model. A promising new pillar of our business in the future will be the conception and distribution of our own investment products. To this end, we want to acquire attractive core properties ourselves and offer them to institutional investors in Germany via regulated investment products."

With Thomas H. Pohlmann, Montano was able to gain a proven expert in the sale of regulated investment products in December 2021. Pohlmann strengthens the Montano management team around the two founders Ramin Rabeian and Sebastian Schöberl. He was previously Head of Institutional Sales & Investors Relations at BNP Paribas REIM and will be responsible for fund placement and equity capital raising at Montano.

Montano has not only strengthened its personnel but also its capital base in the past financial year. After TTL Beteiligungs- und Grundbesitz-AG ("TTL", ISIN DE0007501009) had already acquired a 30% stake in Montano in December 2020, the share was increased to 50% in May 2021. With TTL as a strong anchor investor and the funds raised through the capital increase, the company has a substantial basis for its ambitious growth targets.

The launch of two special real estate funds and the expansion of existing individual mandates are planned for the current financial year. Montano expects a transaction volume of over EUR 1 billion in 2022. The medium-term goal of increasing assets under management to EUR 6-8 billion by 2025 remains in place.

For the financial year 2021, Montano will also publish an annual report for the first time, thus taking into account the increased need of investors for more transparency. Publication is planned for February 2022.

Thomas H. Pohlmann joins the management team of the independent real estate investment and management company Montano Real Estate on 1 December 2021. Together with the founders and managing partners Ramin Rabeian and Sebastian Schöberl, he will expand the business with institutional investors. Previously, Pohlmann was Head of Institutional Sales & Investors Relations at BNP Paribas REIM and will be responsible for fund placement and equity raising at Montano.

The expansion of the management team is the next step in the development of Montano Real Estate GmbH. The company repositioned itself in the summer of 2021 and intends to offer more services to German institutional investors. Montano is thus pushing the conception and sale of its own investment products. For the coming year in particular, in addition to two special real estate funds, increased transactions with institutional investors are also planned.

Thomas H. Pohlmann has many years of experience in the distribution of regulated investment products, most recently as Head of Institutional Sales & Investors Relations at BNP Paribas REIM. Previous positions included Real I.S. AG, The Royal Bank of Scotland and BlackRock, where he managed the proprietary investments of savings and cooperative banks in addition to institutional investors such as insurance companies, pension funds and pension schemes.

"With his network and experience in the distribution of investment products, Thomas H. Pohlmann perfectly complements our team. In addition, he has valuable knowledge about the specific needs of the different investor groups. I am very pleased that we were able to win him over to Montano Real Estate and our ambitious goals for the coming years," Sebastian Schöberl explains the expansion of the management team.

"We have already been working successfully with institutional investors from Germany for several years and are certain that with Thomas H. Pohlmann we will be able to approach institutional investors in a more targeted manner and thus tap into new target groups, especially for our new products," adds Ramin Rabeian.

Pohlmann will also join the management of TTL Investments in Germany GmbH, a subsidiary of TTL Beteiligungs- und Grundbesitz-AG ("TTL"). TTL, an investment company specialising in the German commercial real estate market, has held a stake in Montano since November 2020 and increased this to 50% in May 2021.

"I am looking forward to my upcoming tasks and the opportunity to accompany the planned growth course of Montano Real Estate with new products," says Thomas H. Pohlmann.

Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) and Montano Real Estate today announced the formation of a joint partnership to invest in logistics properties with a focus on distribution assets in prime urban locations in Germany.

Under the terms of the new partnership, Montano will take control of the asset management of Carlyle’s existing 12 distribution logistics properties across Germany, which were acquired by Carlyle through European Carlyle Europe Realty (CER), a €540 million pan-European real estate fund. Montano will work together with Carlyle to further grow the portfolio on behalf of discretionary fund managed by CER.

The partnership will predominantly focus on logistics assets in German cities with strong demographic and economic fundamentals. Carlyle and Montano will look to add value by implementing an active asset management and leasing strategy, including refurbishments and selective repositionings. The Partnership aims to grow the overall portfolio to EUR 500m over the coming years.

Ramin Rabeian, Managing Partner at Montano, said: “The distribution logistics sector continues to grow rapidly, and we are delighted to partner with a globally reputable investment group like Carlyle, to explore opportunities in market. We will look to add value through our sourcing and asset management capabilities and expect that our joint partnership with Carlyle will enable us to grow the portfolio quickly.”

Erik Orbach, Director on the Carlyle Europe Realty advisory team, said: “Germany represents one of Europe’s most established and attractive logistics markets with strong demand fundamentals and a shortage of high-quality modern logistics assets. Leveraging our extensive global and regional insights, and investing experience of the Carlyle Europe Realty team, we look forward to expanding our logistics footprint in Germany together with Montano.”

Carsten Quehl, Director on the Carlyle Europe Realty advisory team, said: “We are delighted to strengthen and expand our asset management capabilities in the German logistics segment, which is core to our investment strategy in Europe, by partnering with an experienced and recognised industry leader in Montano.”

The Munich-based investment specialists, who previously operated primarily as service providers under the name Montano Asset Management GmbH, are changing their name to Montano Real Estate GmbH. With immediate effect, they are expanding their range of services to include their own investment products. The company is pursuing an ambitious growth strategy.

The declared goal of the two Montano founders and managing partners Ramin Rabeian and Sebastian Schöberl is to increase the assets under management volume to 6-8 billion euros by 2025. In the first half of 2021, Montano already realised a transaction volume of around 800 million euros. Thus, the implementation of the growth strategy is well on track. TTL AG's stake in Montano at the end of 2020, which was increased in May from initially 30% to now 50%, provides additional tailwind.

"We look forward to acquiring attractive core properties ourselves in the future and incorporating them into our own investment products," says Ramin Rabeian. "As an independent local anchor for our international clients, we have been developing top properties in the German commercial real estate market for almost ten years. Now it's time to take it to the next level." Sebastian Schöberl adds: "We understand real estate and we understand investments. What could be more obvious than to translate these competences into our own products and thus offer ourselves as a partner to local institutional investors? With our own acquisition of real estate, we take much more risk ourselves and assume responsibility for significant value enhancement of sustainable investments."

Founded in 2013 by Ramin Rabeian and Sebastian Schöberl, Montano quickly advanced to become the leading independent real estate investment and management company in the German commercial real estate market. Extensive experience in asset management for institutional and international investors secured a steadily growing stream of renowned managed real estate projects. After more than forty successfully completed transactions and with over 1.6 billion euros in assets under management, Montano now also offers its own products for institutional investors. The company's goal is to pre-configure complex real estate projects in such a way that investors can realise lucrative increases in value significantly above the market level under clear framework conditions.

Montano, one of the leading real estate asset and investment managers in the German commercial real estate market, acting for a professional pension fund, has acquired an office complex with a lettable area of around 9,800 square metres, directly adjoining Dusseldorf central railway station. MEAG, asset manager of Munich Re and ERGO, is acting on behalf of the vendor. Ramin Rabeian, Managing Partner of Montano Asset Management GmbH, explains: "Montano is specifically looking for attractive properties in the most important German markets. In furtherance of this strategy, we are pleased to announce the acquisition of the property in Dusseldorf. The building is in an excellent location, directly adjoining the central railway station, in an established Dusseldorf submarket that has a very low vacancy rate and has developed very positively."

The main tenant in the property, at Willi-Becker-Allee 10, is the City of Dusseldorf education authority. The building also houses the consulates of the USA and the United Kingdom. The accommodation is fully let on long-term leases. The office complex also includes around 230 parking spaces in the multi-storey car park of Dusseldorf central railway station, which are rented from Deutsche Bahn, among others.

CBRE facilitated the transaction on behalf of the vendor. Mayer Brown provided legal advice to the purchaser. The purchaser’s technical due diligence was carried out by Chandler KBS.

Montano was mandated with the management of Munich's landmark property “Uptown Munich” and, at 146 meters, the tallest office building in the city in 2017. Through an active asset management approach, all office leases were renewed or extended during this time.

With a long-term extension of the anchor lease contract, a significant increase in value was achieved, which has now been realized in a share deal transaction to DIC Asset AG. In preparation for the transaction, the Uptown Vision 2030 concept was initiated to increase the attractiveness of the Uptown site and has been implemented since the beginning of the year.

In addition to Montano, BNP Paribas, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (legal) as well as Drees & Sommer and TA Europe (technical) acted as consultants.

Montano Asset Management (Montano), partner and asset manager for institutional investors in the German commercial real estate market, has leased 1,800 square meters of office space in Hamburg's Airport Center office location to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg on a long-term basis. The tenant's lease at Flughafenstrasse 52 will commence after completion of the extensive conversion work, probably in the 4th quarter of 2021.

District Office Director Michael Werner-Boelz explained, "The future location of the Department for Foreigners' Affairs is a real step forward: the new premises at the Airport Center are bright and friendly. In addition, it is excellently connected to public transport with the Fuhlsbüttel Nord subway stop and is therefore easy to reach for our customers."

The property has been successively modernized and re-let since its purchase in 2019. In the future, in addition to additional modernization measures, the opening of a canteen is also planned.

Julius Falcinelli, Head of Asset Management at Montano, commented, "We are convinced that, in addition to modern office concepts and good accessibility, the feel-good factor on site plays an increasingly important role in the location decision. With our new tenant and its customers and clients, we are creating even more of a campus atmosphere at Airport Center." The lease was brokered by Savills.

Montano Asset Management (Montano), partner and asset manager for institutional investors in the German commercial real estate market, performed outstandingly in 2020 and, over the year, Montano realised seven property transactions, with a total volume of EUR 275 million. EUR 218 million of this was accounted for by disposals, of mainly retail properties, which included the Neucölln Carree in Berlin and the B8 Center in Dusseldorf.

As at 31 December, Montano had attained EUR 1.6 bn of assets under management. The 536,000 square metres of accommodation in these properties comprises 80% office and 20% retail space. All the real estate assets are situated in Germany. In the fourth quarter of 2020, Montano effected its first purchase for a German institutional investor. Further acquisitions for this investor are anticipated in the 1st quarter of 2021. This demonstrates that Montano is significantly expanding its investor base, which was formerly concentrated exclusively on investors from outside Germany.

Montano is planning a transaction volume in excess of EUR 600 million in 2021, particularly in the retail, office and logistics / light industrial asset classes. In portfolio management, during the year Montano succeeded in concluding or extending 39 leases, involving over 70,000 square metres of accommodation. Ramin Rabeian, Managing Partner of Montano, explains: “We are very pleased that TTL Beteiligungs- und Grundbesitz-AG acquired a 30% stake in Montano Asset Management GmbH in December 2020. The inflow of funds from the resultant increase in capital will be applied by Montano not only to expand the institutional management business but also to realise value-add and warehousing transactions.”

Montano Asset Management (Montano), the partner and asset manager for institutional investors in the German commercial real estate market, has appointed Alexander Remy as Fund Manager. He became responsible for firm’s fund management at the beginning of January, as part of a planned expansion of the business.

Previously, Remy was, as Vice President in the portfolio management of DWS Real Estate, in charge of a global institutional instruction with a fund volume of EUR 800 million. Prior to that, he spent several years in business development at Union Investment, and in the transaction business at LaSalle Investment Management.

Alexander Remy holds a B.Sc. in Urban Design, Planning and Management from University College London (UCL) and an MBA in Corporate Finance from the IE Business School, Madrid.