Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies
The BFW Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies e. V. (BFW) is a German interest group of the medium-sized real estate industry . As a central association , the BFW is heard by state parliaments and the Bundestag in branch-relevant legislative processes . The approximately 1,600 member companies account for around 50 percent of residential and around 30 percent of new commercial construction in Germany. They manage 3.1 million apartments and thus more than 14 percent of the total rented housing stock in Germany. In addition, commercial space with around 38 million square meters of usable space is managed by BFW member companies.
aims
Since it was founded in 1946, the main goal of the BFW has been to create reliable framework and investment conditions for medium-sized real estate companies in Germany. To this end, the association represents the interests of its members in state, federal and European politics on all industry-relevant aspects of the core topics of market, taxes, technology, law and district development. As a central association, the BFW prepares opinions on legislative proposals at all levels of political decision-making, takes part in expert hearings in ministries and parliamentary committees and brings the interests of its members to the table in specialist bodies and commissions.
structure
The federal association has offices in Berlin and Brussels and works closely with its eight regional associations, which represent the interests of their members on a regional level. The BFW maintains a broad network, including with the Federal Real Estate Industry Working Group Germany (BID), the alliance "Impulse for Housing", the German Association for Housing, Urban Development and Spatial Planning (DV), the European Education Center for the Housing and Real Estate Industry (EBZ ) and the "European Union of Developers and House Builders" (UEPC). In addition, the Federal Association is a member of the “Alliance for Affordable Building and Housing”, which Federal Building Minister Barbara Hendricks launched in July 2014. Andreas Ibel has been president of the federal association since May 2014.
activities
The BFW represents the interests of its members with the aim of creating reliable framework conditions for the industry in Germany. This includes content-related work on specialist topics such as building regulations, tax law, technical standards, European specifications, national implementations and municipal formulations as well as on the topic of affordable housing with rising construction costs. In addition, the BFW offers its members practical services, including advice on legal and tax issues, market information, studies, expert reports, work aids and early information. In special working groups, the member companies have platforms for the exchange of experiences, representation of interests and further training. Members network there with each other and with external experts. An additional group of experts is available for advice as a competence team. There are currently working groups on the topics of office real estate, energy and construction technology, retail real estate, hotel real estate, real estate management WEG, public-private partnership, senior real estate, taxes as well as urban development and monument protection.
Every year in May, the association organizes the German Real Estate Congress. In 2014, the association and the Fédération Internationale des Administrateurs de Biens Conseils Immobiliers (FIABCI) launched the FIABCI Prix d'Excellence Germany competition. This is the only competition nationwide that honors project developments in the residential and commercial sectors.
There are the following specialist committees: Taxes / AfA, Law, Energy / Construction Technology, District Development and Market.
Web links
- Website of the BFW Federal Association
- Senator Dr. Dorothee Stapelfeldt congratulates the Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies (BFW) on its 70th anniversary . Press release by the Hamburg Senate Chancellery in the Architekturblatt , March 22, 2017.