Top location: One of our clients in the real estate industry is realising a spectacular project in the city centre of Hamburg. Right between the historic City Hall on the one side and the Bucerius Kunst Forum on the other side, a surface of more than 30,000 square metres is being developed for the arts, pleasure, shopping and work. This construction project entails several significant challenges.

First of all, there is the listed façade made of sandstone and natural stone that must not be modified, while the interior of the building is being demolished with utmost care. Secondly, the neighbouring City Hall must under no circumstances be damaged by the works - this requires a maximum of caution both in the construction and in the communications. The same is true for the art gallery on the other side: Apart from protecting the precious exhibits, some of the work can, for example, cause explosions, which could trigger the gallery's alarm system and even involve the police. All of this necessitates not only good planning and care and tact in the interactions with the neighbourhood, but also a detailed analysis of potential risks, which we prepare together with the stakeholders involved.

Then, there is the S-train running underneath the construction site, and the Alsterfleet canal next to it. Our coverage concept has to take into account how the earthworks and the removal of sand affect the statics of the area as a whole - if the S-train is suddenly brought to a standstill because of water ingress, the potential financial loss is immense.

The project, which some in the real estate industry considered to be unrealisable, illustrates our self-image: When our clients take a risk, we have their back. When a project is highly complex, we consider every angle even more thoroughly and look even more closely than usual. The result, like in this case, is a coverage concept that is truly effective and facilitates that which would otherwise be feasible only with great difficulty.

Thanks to the excellent cooperation of all the parties involved, the project was realised without any significant damage.

As one of the largest owner-operated insurance brokers in Germany, we organise and manage the insurance coverage for a wide variety of real estate portfolios, primarily of institutional investors. The floor area of the properties insured by us is equivalent to the surface of the entire city centre of Frankfurt. We know the ever increasing requirements e.g. regarding the performance of international funds, and we facilitate the transfer of risk for real estate packages of every size. Often, speed is of the essence when the insurance coverage is not yet ensured shortly before the closing date. Thanks to our strong market position and exceptional network on the insurance market, we are able to find the right partners and coverage concept in no time.

For example, a client of our group of companies acquired a portfolio of properties in the city centre of London a few years ago, including a very prominent landmark in the city. Within a few days, we analysed the facts relating to the properties and collected the necessary data, based on which we were able to bring together a consortium of insurance companies practically overnight.

Diligence is just as important as speed in this respect: We procure customised solutions for your properties by breaking down the contents of the coverage into small units and finding very precise solutions where a lack of accuracy would result in gaps in the coverage and financial disadvantages both with respect to the premium and in the event of damage.