Christin Schulz: From the perspective of a logistics real estate developer, logistics companies should ask themselves the following three questions before they start planning their location: 1: Where should the property be geographically located (close to the city center or on the outskirts) so that the company can reach its distribution partners or customers in the best possible way? A good connection to the most important transportation routes is the be-all and end-all here. In the competition for qualified specialists, proximity to public transportation is also an important aspect. In this context, logistics companies that are not dependent on mega warehouses at highway junctions can also ask themselves whether urban business parks are a good solution. They are located close to the city center and offer a high degree of flexibility.

2. how flexible does the space need to be? Is it likely that the company will need more space in the future, for example because the product range is being expanded? Or does the company also carry out production and assembly work in addition to warehousing and logistics? If so, the space should offer sufficient flexibility so that the company does not have to relocate after 1-2 years. Also important: Is the company interested in synergies with other companies? Then it may be a good idea to locate on a site that is suitable for different uses.

3. do I want to buy or rent the space? Growth or changed requirements for the property with corresponding conversion plans are often associated with high investment sums. In addition, project development expertise is often not available in-house. Against this background, the question of whether to rent or buy new space can be of great importance - also for the respective company balance sheet. After all, modern space concepts for rent also allow logistics companies to invest their capital in their core business and not "involuntarily" become real estate portfolio holders.

mfl: Sustainability is the order of the day - on, in front of and in the logistics center: why is that?

Schulz: New construction and revitalization plans of real estate companies are also increasingly geared towards the EU taxonomy. In many cases, there are common interests with logistics companies that want to keep their own ecological footprint as small as possible in order to achieve their own climate targets. The sustainability of real estate - regardless of its type - is also essential in order to achieve acceptance within the municipality.

The article appeared in materialfluss 3/22.