Analysis of German real estate funds: selection criteria for investment opportunities perspective

Abstract: This study is focused on real estate funds formed in Germany and has two major purposes: first to investigate the liquidity crisis and followed change of the legal framework for German real estate funds and secondly to demonstrate the impact on investment selection criteria of German real estate investment companies . By both quantitative and qualitative methods the thesis approaches those two different purposes. The quantitative part provides theoretical background about the construct of open-end and closed-end real estate funds and about the triggers and effects of the liquidity crisis. The qualitative part consists of an online survey that was sent to German real estate investment companies in which respondents indicated their preferred criteria for real estate investment opportunities. Furthermore telephone interviews on this topic were conducted with four German real estate investment experts. In the end the findings from the survey and the interviews are applied to a case study about a trophy asset in Luxembourg, in order to analyze if this property meets the investment criteria of German real estate funds. The survey and the conducted interviews indicate that German real estate investment companies have adapted to the risk-averse investment behaviour of investors and preferably make safe haven investments in terms of the investment style, the location of the real estate asset and the characteristics of the property itself and its tenants. The case study as well confirms this result.