Last week, we were able to attend the second Real Estate Forum 2024 organized by Feldhoff & Cie. in Düsseldorf. Emanuel Homann (Executive Partner) took part on behalf of Homann Architects and was able to gain a detailed insight into current topics.
One of the key topics was the marketing situation for real estate in Düsseldorf. Andreas Slupik from Cushman & Wakefield explained that rental activity is at a higher level than before the pandemic and that users are paying more attention to the quality of properties. This aspect benefits us at Homann Architects, as we maintain a high level of quality through internal control mechanisms. The positive market trend is particularly evident in the area of properties up to 1000 sqm and gives us hope for a promising development of the market overall.
The question of when the financial benefits of investing in ESG become apparent was the second focus of the forum. For Sarah Verheyen from Hamborner Reit AG, the challenge lay in the financial viability of ESG projects and the question of who ultimately bears the costs here. The majority of ESG topics in the construction industry deal with the “E”. But why is this the case? One reason could be that recognized numerical standards have been developed for this, which enable processing and integration into internal company processes. This creates an external presentation that can be marketed and converted into monetary added value.
Today, no one can answer the question of how to measure the (positive) social impact of a building. However, this does not mean that social issues are not part of the design process or planning. For this reason, a purely financial and therefore one-sided view of the topic is inadequate, as it ignores important aspects.
“ESG is nothing new for us as a family business. We have always built for people.”
Emanuel Homann
Sustainability should not be seen as a hurdle, but as part of the process. So if you think sustainably, you plan sustainably and consequently construct sustainable buildings – but that has “always” been the case….
