Our expertise is in complex development projects for the retail sector
We emphasize cooperation, transparency and personal relationships
With passion for our work and commitment to our shared goals, we develop properties designed for the future
Development boutique with experience, expertise and a passion for complex projects
HLG Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG is a commercial real estate developer specialising in properties for the retail sector. We have been doing what we do for some 20 years, with commitment to our work and a passion for results. Every project presents a unique challenge and opportunity for us – and this is the way we manage them. Standardisation and economies of scale? No, that’s not our way. Just as in a fine high street boutique, customers come to us for quality, for individuality, and for the personal attention of our senior managers. Through our many years of experience and our total commitment built upon a love for what we do, we can turn even the most complex projects into success stories.
From on-site property visits and due diligence to property acquisition, financing, project development and revitalisation, all the way through the complete, beginning-to-end project management and property sale, we cover the entire value chain.
When deciding upon a property, the location and its future prospects are absolutely crucial. The quality and investment potential of the property depend on many different factors. Therefore, before we select projects and carry them out, we investigate every detail. We closely examine the applicable property laws and regulations, recent court decisions, needs and requirements specific to the target property, and trends such as consumer behaviour, which is changing ever more rapidly as a result of digitalisation. In our location surveys and due diligence, we work closely with experts from such leading industry names as real estate consultancy bulwiengesa, Germany’s largest market research provider GfK, and retail consultancy Dr. Lademann & Partner.
In acquiring properties, our focus is on retail uses such as specialty stores, retail warehouses, hybrid shopping centres, high-street retail, supermarkets and discounters which offer investor potential through restructuring, re-leasing or modernisation. We undertake the development of these projects not only as service provider but also as project investor, deploying our capital through joint ventures with selected partners.
In arranging financing for our development projects, we work closely with major partner institutions such as Hamburg Commercial Bank and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) as well as with smaller local financial institutions. With our many years of experience, we know how to work with lenders and how to bring loan negotiations to a successful conclusion. And through our excellent relationships and the trust we have built over the years among various financing sources, we are able to seek out the best possible conditions.
Because of Germany’s highly restrictive building laws for new development projects and the lack of undeveloped land, particularly in inner cities, revitalisation projects have become increasingly important over recent years, and these are now an area of particular focus for us. Many of the country’s existing retail properties have become antiquated over the years and no longer meet the needs and requirements of today’s tenants and shoppers. Through revitalisation, we bring these properties into the new age, developing them into attractive gathering places not only for shopping but also for leisure activities and social interaction.
For us, that does not mean that we simply impose a cookie-cutter concept on a location. Instead, we carefully tailor our concept, taking into account the opportunity for synergies with the surroundings, and closely coordinating with all of the involved parties and local officials. For instance, as real estate becomes ever tighter in Germany, we are finding opportunities to create value through mixed uses, optimally combining retail with other property usages such as office and residential. For us, it is a matter of course with every project we undertake that the communication with property owners, with existing tenants, with authorities and city officials, and with local residents must be transparent and built upon trust. This trust and openness is equally important to us in our coordination with project partners, such as architectural, engineering and construction firms, so that our projects can be realised as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We develop strategies for the procurement of construction approval under Germany’s stringent building laws and city planning rules, coordinating the preparation of expert reports, development plans and building application documents. In addition, we undertake or assist in negotiations with authorities and coordinate the required approvals from city committees and officials as well as from other relevant public entities. We also manage, on behalf of investors, the awarding of contracts to construction companies.
As an important part of our project development work, we also proactively manage the property’s marketing. Having specialised in retail for more than 20 years, we have superb contacts and a comprehensive network among Germany’s most desirable tenants. We know what these tenants expect and require in today’s market in order to implement the newest retail concepts. Through cooperative dialogue not only with investors but also with existing and newly signed tenants, whose individual wishes we incorporate as early as possible, we develop forward-looking concepts with a balanced mix of tenants and tenant types. We keep a close and constant eye on new trends and changes in shopping behaviour.
near Berlin
Herford
Detmold
Bremen
Darmstadt
Berlin
We are looking for:
We may, in individual situations, consider project opportunities outside this scope.
acquired properties
projects completed to date
of developed space
projects currently under development
of total development investment
PRESS RELEASE
New opening at Kaufpark Eiche: redos and HLG win DECATHLON as new anchor tenant
28.12.2017 – DECATHLON, the French manufacturer and retailer of sporting goods, has opened a new branch at Kaufpark Eiche in Ahrensfelde near Berlin.
PRESS RELEASE
Kaufpark Eiche reopens after extensive refurbishment
28.09.2017 – An accessible centre where the whole family can shop and spend time – this is the new Kaufpark Eiche.
PRESS RELEASE
Kaufpark Eiche continues to grow: New tenants include H&M, Douglas Parfümerie, Hunkemöller, Decathlon and dm-drogerie markt
11.04.2017 – The shopping centre Kaufpark Eiche in Ahrensfelde near Berlin keeps growing and gains several new tenants: In addition to H&M, Douglas Parfümerie and the clothing stores Jeans Fritz, Colloseum and Olymp&Hades, the mall welcomes the sporting goods retailer Decathlon and the drugstore chain dm-drogerie markt.
Dirk Brockmann
As Managing Partner of HLG, Dirk Brockmann is responsible for leasing, project management and contract management activities. He brings a distinguished track record of more than 25 years in retail property development.
From 2001 until 2008, Mr. Brockmann served as Managing Director of HLG Projektmanagement GmbH. His other past professional experience includes work at ECE Projektmanagement and at DIVA-Immobilen Management.
Christian Diesen
As Managing Partner of HLG, Christian Diesen is currently responsible for the company’s property acquisition, project development, construction approval procurement and public relations activities. He brings more than 20 years of proven experience in the development and construction of retail properties.
Mr. Diesen previously worked at HLG Projektmanagement GmbH from 2001 to 2008 and at Heinz Lohmann GmbH from 1997 to 2001, as well as at AXA Versicherung and at real, part of the Metro Group and one of Germany’s largest supermarket chains.
