German Mittelstand Lacks Real Estate Expertise

75% of the German Mittelstand lack real estate expertise.

A dramatic acknowledgement and sign of missing opportunities.


After interviewing 80 leading Mittelstand companies - the backbone of Germany's economy - about their state of Corporate Real Estate Management (CREM), CBRE uncovered several concerning trends:

1️⃣ CREM teams are chronically understaffed
2️⃣ Real estate strategies exist, but lack execution
3️⃣ Companies struggle with right-sizing their office portfolios
4️⃣ Few prioritize reducing property ownership ratios
5️⃣ ESG compliance and digitalization are recognized as important but remain challenging to implement

This limited attention isn’t unusual, but a critical strategic mistake. Done right, CREM becomes an enabler of your business strategy and doesn’t only contribute financially, but help create competitive advantages and ensure workplace satisfaction.

In transformative times for Germany’s hidden champions a crucial requirement.



BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V.

Sources: CBRE

#Mittelstand #CorporateRealEstate #CREM #BusinessStrategy #GermanIndustry