Berlin is Germany’s capital and most populous city, home to approximately 3.9 million residents (2024), with a net inflow of around 36,000 new inhabitants each year. As the heart of the Berlin–Brandenburg metropolitan region — a conurbation of some six million people — it serves as a major European hub for rail, air and digital connectivity.

A global centre of culture, politics, media and science, Berlin is home to three world-class universities — Humboldt-Universität, Freie Universität and Technische Universität — collectively educating around 160,000 students, alongside a dense network of internationally renowned research institutions and museums.

Berlin holds the UNESCO title City of Design and attracts over 14 million tourists annually, drawn by its architecture, cultural scene and exceptional quality of life. It ranks as Europe’s leading startup hub, reflecting a broad-based economic dynamism that extends well beyond its historical identity.

For residential real estate, Berlin presents one of Europe’s most compelling structural investment cases. With a vacancy rate of just 0.3% and approximately 85% of its population renting — one of the highest ratios of any major European capital — demand fundamentals are exceptionally strong. Asking rents rose by 12% year-on-year in 2024, against a structural housing shortfall projected to reach 29,000 units for Berlin alone by 2040.