Russian property specialists tour Germany to gain know-how

One sign of the maturing of the Russian real estate market was an event last month organised by the country's largest property association, the Guild of Managers and Developers of Real Estate, in conjunction with PIE, to bring around 30 of the nation's senior managers to German for briefings in Frankfurt, Bonn, Cologne and Hamburg. Under the headline Investors' Club Session-Germany, members of the St. Petersburg-based GMD were accompanied by Andreas Schiller, Director Russia/CIS for Property Investor Europe. The business program started directly at Frankfurt Airport, went on to Frankfurt Westhafen, the former inner harbour with new office and residential buildings, a session at Deutsche Bank's RREEF real estate investment unit and a briefing by Holger Hagge, Director of Strategic Projects at Deutsche Bank and responsible architect for the refurbishment of the twin-tower headquarters, being transformed currently into one of the most progressive green constructions in Germany.