smartments strengthens its position as an institutional operator: Long-term contracts with M&G Real Estate underline the investability of the business model
smartments is further expanding its position as one of the leading operators of serviced apartments in Germany. In the course of the takeover of two serviced apartment buildings in Berlin and Bielefeld by M&G Real Estate, smartments will operate both locations under long-term leases. The agreements with an international institutional investor underline the attractiveness and financial viability of the operator concept and send a clear signal to the market.
The two buildings, with a total of more than 400 apartments and around 14,500 square metres of gross floor area, complement smartments' existing portfolio of 16 buildings with a total of 2,389 apartments in eight cities in Germany and Austria. Following a comprehensive ESG-oriented repositioning, the property in Berlin will be transferred to operations. At the same time, the new building in Bielefeld was opened at the beginning of 2026, expanding the company's presence at an economically strong location. The most recent new openings also include the Hamburg Hamm (August 2025) and Frankfurt Airport (end of 2025) locations.
Founded in 2012, the company now employs around 60 people. Due to the clear focus on digitalization, over 50% of the employees work in centralized functions at the Berlin headquarters, while the on-site staff concentrates on operations, service and guest satisfaction. For institutional investors, operator quality, long-term predictable cash flows and sustainable real estate concepts are becoming increasingly important. smartments combines standardised operation with high service quality, digital processes and clearly defined ESG standards, thus creating the conditions for long-term stable partnerships between owners and operators.
"The fact that M&G Real Estate, one of the most internationally renowned institutional investors, has decided to enter into a long-term partnership with smartments is an important confirmation of our business model for us. This shows that serviced apartments are now established as an institutionally investable asset class, provided that operation, location quality and economic structure are right. This is exactly what smartments stands for. We are open to further partnerships with owners, project developers and investors, but only enter into new commitments where they are economically viable in the long term and create sustainable value for all parties involved," says Jens Kindschuh, Managing Director of smartments.
The connection to Henderson Park as an international private equity investor further strengthens smartments' market position. Henderson Park has been a shareholder in the company since November 2022. Together with its sister company Livory, a project developer specializing in build-to-rent and serviced apartment projects, smartments covers the entire value chain from development to operation. In addition to independent growth, Henderson Park also brings institutional capital strength to finance further growth, including inorganic growth where possible. In this way, smartments creates reliable framework conditions for owners, investors and financing partners.
The demand for professionally operated serviced apartments is growing continuously. Companies need flexible housing options for project employees and business travelers, while at the same time investors are looking for resilient forms of living with stable returns. The current Apartment Service Market Report 2026 shows around 59,300 serviced apartment units in 1,160 buildings in Germany. The occupancy rate was stable at 81 percent in 2025. Investor interest is increasing noticeably and the segment is gaining in importance throughout Europe: According to Savill's European Serviced Apartment Report 2026, transactions with a volume of around 1.2 billion euros were registered in 2025.
"smartments sees itself strategically well positioned for this and is consistently pursuing its growth course together with institutional owners and development partners," Kindschuh concludes.
