German public sector supplementary pension fund Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder (VBL) has appointed Union Investment and Swiss Life Asset Managers to manage a porttion of its €7bn residential real estate portfolio.
A spokesperson for the €70bn pension fund confirmed the transfer of specific real estate assets to the Via Nova Wohnen fund which will be managed by Swiss Life Asset Managers, acting as asset manager, and Union Investment, as the capital management company.
VBL said the transfer of a portion of its housing stock to the Via Nova Wohnen fund is intended to secure the assets over the long term, with a focus on future renovations and the modernisation of the properties.
The new fund structure provides the foundation for pooled, long-term investments, with a focus on the gradual decarbonisation of VBL’s portfolio as the pension fund plans to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.
Michael Leinwand, VBL’s CIO, said: “With this strategic realignment, we are creating the foundation for the responsible long-term development of our housing stock.”
Leinwand added that VBL’s goal is to make the portfolio future-proof, reliably secure housing and address the “upcoming challenges in our existing portfolio in a planned and sustainable manner”.
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