In conversation with Dick Gort

The real estate market had stalled in recent years due to rising interest rates. But the turnaround has started cautiously. Interest rates have since fallen considerably, having a stabilising effect on the real estate investment market. There is even cautious optimism. "In recent years, we achieved growth in our portfolio and I expect this trend to continue in the coming years. In doing so, we are mainly focusing on expanding our investments, which have value for society in addition to investment value," says Dick Gort, CEO at a.s.r. real estate.

a.s.r. real estate has a track record of more than 130 years when it comes to investing. a.s.r. real estate invests on behalf of institutional investors in fine places to live, work and shop, in new, sustainable energy sources and agricultural land. "We look at the long term and create perpetual value for our investors and society. ESG criteria and applicable laws and regulations are therefore central to our strategy, and selection, management and monitoring of portfolios. We always go for the best quality. Simply good is not good enough. We always set the bar high," said Gort.

Platform

Gort continued: "When I look at how a.s.r. real estate has developed over all these years and what we do, we are entrepreneurial. We started as an exclusive investor for a.s.r. insurance, but slowly but surely we have moved to investing for funds within a broad platform. We invest for around 30 institutional investors and manage several funds, including ASR Dutch Prime Retail Fund, ASR Dutch Core Residential Fund, ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund, ASR Dutch Science Park Fund, ASR Dutch Farmland Fund, ASR Dutch Green Energy Fund I."

Careful

According to Gort, real estate asset management is essentially about people, of course. "People count on us and trust us to handle their investments with care. Through the a.s.r. real assets investment partners team that operates independently within the platform, we provide independent strategic advice to institutional investors on investing in real estate and infrastructure. Not only in the Netherlands, but worldwide."

Opportunities

Asked if Gort sees any obstacles on the road looking into the future, he replies, "I think mainly in terms of opportunities. But of course you never know what is happening on the geopolitical playing field. The world is in flux. But regardless of such developments, our ambitions and strategy remain intact."

Future

Gort: "Especially expansion of our impact investments is on our agenda. We are also doing well in that area. Thanks to our efforts to integrate sustainability into all aspects of our portfolios, we score high in the so-called GRESB benchmarks. This benchmark annually assesses the sustainability policies of real estate funds and portfolios. We continue to make strides with our Paris Proof roadmaps and the Framework for Climate Adaptive Buildings when it comes to climate adaptation and energy reduction. Side by side with our institutional investors, we ensure liveable, sustainable buildings, cities and communities."