Ongoing operating costs represent a growing economic challenge for tenants and owners in the real estate industry. Against this background, the BAUAKADEMIE Group has announced the formation of the Think Tank 'Warm Rent as an End-to-End Process for Cost Reduction from Landlord to Operator'. The aim of this initiative is to analyse possibilities, risks and concrete implementation models for a modern warm rent in the office and logistics property segments.
The NEO Office Impact Report has documented a significant increase in recoverable operating costs since 2019. Forecasts predict a further cost increase of approximately 17 per cent by 2028. This development is leading to a growing number of substantial additional claims from annual utility bills and increasing planning uncertainty for tenants. In parallel, owners are confronted with an elevated liquidity risk, resulting from delayed payments and a rising number of objections to operating cost statements.
Structural Challenges and Solutions
In addition to these financial aspects, there are structural challenges in real estate management. These include increasing dissatisfaction with property and facility management services, a tendency towards insourcing among owners, and a worsening shortage of skilled workers. The complexity of value creation structures and the classic user-investor dilemma often hinder the realisation of genuine efficiency gains. The 'Warm Rent' Think Tank aims to address these points. The initiative seeks to provide tenants with reliable cost certainty by avoiding additional claims and unforeseen cost increases. At the same time, owners should benefit from simplified processes, reduced administrative costs, and new incentives for active cost optimisation.
Andreas Kühne, spokesperson for the management board of the BAUAKADEMIE Group, commented: "The warm rent can facilitate a new balance of interests between tenants, owners, and operators. This requires transparent processes, reliable data, and professionally managed facility management models." The underlying working hypothesis proposes stabilising the warm rent externally at the current cost level initially, while simultaneously implementing internal cost optimisations. Significant savings potential is particularly seen in integrated facility management. Through active energy management, optimised maintenance strategies, and adapted service levels, cost reductions of 20 to 30 per cent can be achieved. The savings in energy costs can thereby offset increasing personnel expenses in infrastructural and technical building management.
Industry-Wide Collaboration and Scientific Support
The Think Tank is designed as an open industry format and invites representatives from asset management, property management, facility management, the energy industry, and other market segments to actively participate. The initiative's goal is to initiate an objective and practice-oriented discussion about the future design of operating costs, to make them more predictable, transparent, and efficient, for the benefit of all stakeholders along the real estate value chain. The Society for Real Estate Research (gif e.V.) is supporting the work of the Think Tank, contributing its scientific and methodological expertise. This ensures that the results developed are based on a sound professional foundation, linked with established guidelines and standards, and that relevant insights and innovations are promptly integrated into guideline work.
Among the founding members of the NEO Think Tank Warm Rent, in addition to the BAUAKADEMIE Group, are a number of other renowned real estate companies.
- —alstria advisors
- —Apleona Real Estate
- —Commerz Real Investmentgesellschaft
- —Eurocres Consulting
- —GARBE Industrial
- —HIH Real Estate
- —MVGM Germany
- —ROM Facility Solutions
- —SICORE Real Assets
- —Savills
- —Tattersall Lorenz
- —WISAG
