Background Knowledge
Master’s degree in Finance and Investment in Germany, Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management in Germany, in-depth knowledge of real estate related commercial and tax laws. Licensed real estate loan agent in Germany with years of hands-on experience and high customer satisfaction. Years of experience in accounting and finance in German corporations, practicing standardized, transparent, efficient work processes.
Tooling & Database
Database dedicated to property launches and developments in Berlin, current and historical data, multidimensional analysis with pivot tables and data visualization. Expertise in bank valuation tools, and a clear understanding of how banks value properties. Other tools & software: official database for land value, database for demographic, geographic and economic data on Berlin, property data and mapping tools, etc.
Professional & Industry Experience
We track industry and company development in Berlin through multidimensional information. We forecast future economic developments and population migration in Berlin. Data sources include financial reports of publicly-listed companies, financial statements of non-listed companies published on government websites, hiring posts on job boards and recruiting channels, local newspaper reports on Berlin development, and extensive network across industries. For the past 2.5 years, we’ve been helping clients with home buying, real estate investment, and mortgage loans. Having extensively studied a wide variety of Berlin mortgage cases, we have an in-depth understanding of Berlin districts, the real estate market, property developers, and real estate projects. We conduct comprehensive analyses with advanced financial models and all investment variables. We help our clients optimize annualized RoE and net profit over the life of the investment. Our goal is to select the most optimal project for clients using a data-driven and rational approach.
Empirical Practice
We have been living in Berlin for 7 years now and have been investing and managing property since. Based on our optimistic outlook about Berlin’s economic development and urban planning, all investments are made in Berlin. Throughout our spare time, we have walked the streets of Berlin to learn about each area’s micro-environment. We read extensively about Berlin’s history, society, culture, economy, and politics. In addition, we attend Berlin city forums in order to gain a deeper understanding of the urban planning and future policies of the Berlin government. Information such as this is incorporated into the decision-making process when investing in real estate.
I. Needs identification, feasibility determination, property search
- Interviews, identify and understand the client's specific needs for buying a home in Berlin, prioritize needs and requirements
- Database & software, determine the feasibility of choosing a home in Berlin given the needs, adjust the needs based on laws, market situation and individual circumstances
- Property search, based on the finalized requirements, the client and we filter out the top 12 most matching properties from websites and property databases, list all the important metrics of the 12 properties in an Excel sheet
II. Property screening, data-driven recommendation, property viewing
- Scoring, score the 12 properties from 10 metrics based on database, field study, research, and professional expertise
- Weighting, give different weightings to the 10 score metrics based on the client's preferences and importance
- Final selection, pick TOP 3 properties out of the 12, according to the total score and the client's overall perception of the properties
III. Data collection, organization, analysis
- Proprety viewing, visit the 3 properties selected in step II., obtain further information about the properties on site, convey sincerity to the seller
- Analysis, interpret the additional information in depth, refine the data from all dimensions, input them into our index table to calculate and make comparisons, select the most suitable property, reserve the property
- The client may, under exceptional circumstances, break the established process and enter this step if, during the process, an extremely excellent property is found in all aspects; if the client does not get the extremely excellent property, the process will continue.
IV. Contract explanation, loan application, contract notarization
- Explanation of all contents of the contract of sale and purchase of property
- Application for a mortgage loan (please refer to the section on Mortgage Loans)
- Notarization of the contract on behalf of the buyer (if required)
V. Property Handover
- Take over the property from the seller on behalf of the buyer; check and document the conditions of the property; record meter readings of water, heating, electricity and gas
Note: If the selected property is from our partner, the consultation fee is waived for the client. The partner pays Squirrel Financing.
