Barings Acquires BTR Development in Its First Real Estate Investment in Denmark
Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, has acquired a 269-unit residential development project in Copenhagen, on behalf of a European value-add real estate strategy, from Catella. Catella, a leading specialist in property investments and residential developer in the Danish market, will retain a minority stake and act as development manager.
The 18,482 sq m GLA development on a brownfield site in Herlev, a north-west suburb of Copenhagen, already benefits from zoning in-place and a building permit. The scheme is designed to high ESG standards, targeting DGNB Gold certification, the highest possible EPC rating (A2018) and WiredScore Platinum.
The development is located in close proximity to Herlev station, connecting the scheme by S-train to Copenhagen Central Station in c. 25 minutes. It will further benefit from the new light rail station expected to be completed later this year. Construction is to begin in Q3 2025, with the project expected to be finalised in phases by mid-2028.
The project marks Barings’ entry into Denmark, having been active in the Nordics since 2010 where it currently manages €970m in real estate assets on behalf of a variety of strategies.
Andreas Norberg, Managing Director and Head of Nordics at Barings Real Estate, said: “The Copenhagen area presents an opportune environment for residential development, with demand outweighing supply and this set to increase further. Entering the Danish market through a partnership with Catella, a highly regarded specialist with deep-rooted experience in Copenhagen’s residential sector, aligns well with our strategy of working alongside local experts to deliver high-quality, sustainable living spaces across Europe. We look forward to breaking ground on the scheme and bringing much needed homes to this dynamic and growing city.”
Rory Allan, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager for the European closed-end value-add real estate fund series at Barings Real Estate, said: "The build-to-rent residential sector is one of Europe’s most resilient, benefitting from strong demographic drivers and a fundamental lack of supply which will continue to stimulate rental growth over the short, medium and long term making it a key strategy for our pan-European value add strategies. As demonstrated by this off market acquisition executed by our Nordic team, the deal pipeline generated by our platform is a key strength and we look forward to announcing further acquisitions for the strategies in our value-add series in the near future, delivering on our conviction that this is a compelling time in the cycle to deploy capital.”
Morten Gustafson, Managing Director, Catella Investment Management Denmark, said: “We are excited to join forces with Barings on its first real estate investment in Denmark. It will significantly enhance the project’s prospects. It also demonstrates how Catella generates value-add business opportunities across our entire platform.”
Contacts
Ben Monteith/Tom Carnegie (SEC Newgate)
baringsRE@secnewgate.co.uk
Barings Real Estate
Barings Real Estate (BRE) is a part of Barings and offers a broad range of global investment opportunities across the private debt and equity investment markets. BRE invests in all major property sectors and offers an expansive range of financing solutions to real estate borrowers. Follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/showcase/barings-alternative-investments.
About Barings
Barings is a $442+ billion* global asset management firm that partners with institutional, insurance, and intermediary clients, and supports leading businesses with flexible financing solutions. The firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, seeks to deliver excess returns by leveraging its global scale and capabilities across public and private markets in fixed income, real assets and capital solutions.
*As of March 31, 2025