TOM 04 2024

Page 7 T O M
INTERVIEW April 2024
„Neighborhood developments
are not a trend topic, but a megatrend“
Exclusive interview with Julia Steinmetz (Apleona Real Estate Management)
Julia Steinmetz has been Managing
Director and now also
CEO of Apleona Real Estate
Management since 2022 and is
responsible for an even larger
area of responsibility following
last year‘s merger with
FM specialist Gegenbauer.
TOM editor-in-chief Thorsten
Müller recently conducted the
following interview with the
42-year-old.
TOM: Ms. Steinmetz, how did
the first quarter go at Apleona
Real Estate from your perspective?
Julia Steinmetz: Definitely
very positive. The merger with
Gegenbauer and its effects
naturally played a large part in
this. Our company has grown
considerably once again and
now employs around 44,000
people. A number of very good
employees have also joined us
in the area of property management.
In general, we achieve
very good scores in terms of
customer satisfaction. Customers
recommend us to others,
which has also led to us being
able to generate a major contract
in the residential asset class involving
around 6,700 residential
units.
We also have a new company,
fmsc, on board. The engineers at
fmsc specialize in strategic and
operational property management
consulting. We also have
a highly competent consulting
team that primarily deals with
the multifaceted issues of sustainability
and ESG. Apleona
Real Estate Management also
focuses on digitalization and the
strategic expansion of its range
of services. Recruitment and
employee development are becoming
increasingly important
for all companies - we are successfully
driving both forward.
Fortunately, we have very low
staff turnover in the company.
We always try to give our employees
new perspectives and
thus keep them in the company
for a long time.
TOM: The „neighborhood“
asset class has recently become
much more important
and will certainly continue to
do so. Apleona has also been
Julia Steinmetz (here at the MIPIM in Cannes). Photo: HI HEUTE
working intensively on this for
some time. How do you see the
medium-term future in this
respect?
Julia Steinmetz: Neighborhoods
are already seen as having
great potential to meet the
future challenges facing our
cities. Above all, a successful
neighborhood must focus on
the needs of its users. Quality of
stay, connectivity and the underlying
concept are particularly
important. But holistic management,
i.e. integrated neighborhood
management, is also becoming
increasingly important.
Together with the well-known
communications agency RUE-
CKERCONSULT, we conducted
a survey at the end of 2023
that revealed precisely these
tasks and objectives. A total of
94 representatives from companies
in the real estate sector
took part. The survey was supplemented
by interviews with
experts, including Dr. Thomas
Beyerle, Managing Director of
Catella Property Valuation, Jens
Hausmann, Managing Director
at Groß & Partner, Prof. Dr.
Marion Peyinghaus, Managing
Director of CCPMRE and Franka
Jung-Larsen, Head of Retail,
Center & Quartier Management
at Apleona Real Estate Management.
TOM: What are the most important
findings and results of
this survey for you then?
Julia Steinmetz: A large majority
of respondents share the
view that districts and district
developments are not a trend
topic, but rather a megatrend.
Urbanity, sustainability, the
15-minute city and the necessary
merging of complementary
uses and functions will lead to a
significant increase in neighborhood
projects - both in new and
existing buildings. However,
neighborhoods place special
demands on property management.
This was stated by almost
all survey participants. The focus
here is on interest management,
i.e. balancing the interests
of the various user groups. Other
special requirements include
networking between users and
the presence of the neighborhood
manager on site as a local
contact.
TOM: What makes the difference
between good and notso-good
neighborhood management?
Julia Steinmetz: Unfortunately,
brand management and the
associated emotional aspects
are often neglected in the management
of neighborhoods.
Traditional property management
alone is not enough. Different
buildings, owners and
users of a neighborhood must
be brought together to form a
whole and the urban context in
which the neighborhood is embedded
should not be ignored
either. After all, you want to be
perceived as a good neighbor.
Brand management therefore
includes the transparent involvement
and information of
users, active maintenance of
the social media presence and
the planning and implementation
of events. All activities
must be precisely aligned with
the positioning of the neighborhood
and any potential disturbances
for users.
TOM: What does Apleona
deal with specifically in terms
of neighborhood management?
Julia Steinmetz: Among other
things, we have been managing
the „Tacheles“ in Berlin for
some time now: this is a very
good example of a neighborhood.
Here, we experience in
everyday life exactly what is generally
perceived as a challenge
in neighborhoods. The presence
of a manager on site who has a
feel for and knowledge of the
needs of visitors and those who
work there is extremely important.
And of course we are constantly
on the lookout for further
properties, most recently at the
Mipim in Cannes, where numerous
cities and regions presented
their construction projects.
TOM: Do shopping centers
also have the potential to become
neighborhoods?
Julia Steinmetz: In many cases,
definitely yes, as do former
department stores in city center
locations. Here, too, it depends
on the right new mix of uses.
Especially where the previous
business model cannot be sensibly
continued, there is a huge
opportunity in the transformation
into a functioning district
- not only for the investors concerned,
but also for the city in
question. This is how vacancies
can be avoided and city centers
revitalized.