"Real I.S. Innovation Award 2019" - students at EBS University develop new business models for the real estate industry

Press release

“Real I.S. Innovation Award 2019” – students at EBS
University develop new business models for the real estate
industry

   •   BuildBro brings transparency to the market for building contractors and
       wins the Best Start-Up NOW Award 2019
   •   Clever Living creates affordable housing and claims the Best Start-Up
       NEXT Award 2019

Munich/Oestrich-Winkel, 31.05.2019: A digital platform that makes the search for
skilled construction contractors more efficient and, above all, more transparent and
an innovative co-living concept aimed specifically at low-income target groups have
been singled out as the winners of the Real I.S. Innovation Awards 2019, which were
presented on 24 May 2019. As a partner of EBS University of Economics and Law,
Real I.S. sponsors this annual award, which recognises students’ innovative project
ideas. Real I.S. uses its targeted promotion of science and young talent to foster the
joy of innovation as a major factor in the future success of the real estate sector.

“International teams of students from EBS Business School have shown just how
important an innovative, solution-oriented approach can be for the real estate sector.
In fact, these bright minds represent the future of the industry! Many thanks to our
partners who motivate our students and inspire their curiosity with such great award
ceremonies”, says Professor Kerstin Hennig, Head of EBS Real Estate Management
Institute (REMI).

“Our industry not only needs today’s specialists, we also need tomorrow’s creatives –
pioneers who think outside established frameworks and make real innovation
possible”, explains Jochen Schenk, CEO of Real I.S. AG.

The winning projects were developed as part of the Real Estate Innovation &
Entrepreneurship programme, which is run by EBS University of Economics and
Law’s Real Estate Management Institute (REMI). Last Friday, a total of 30 students
from the bachelor’s programme appeared in five teams in front of a grand jury of
leading industry figures to presented their business cases on the campus of EBS
University in Oestrich-Winkel.

During the gala award ceremony, the jury awarded prizes to the two best projects in
the categories Best Start-up NEXT and Best Start-up NOW. The two winning teams
each received prize money of €1,000. The jury’s main selection criteria assessed the
practical feasibility of the projects, including the viability of their business plans and
their degree of innovation.

Clever Living cuts costs with innovative floor plans
The Best Start-up NEXT category was won by Clever Living, which the judges
praised for its most visionary business idea and outstanding growth and development
potentials. The project, which involves a total of six students (Ching-Yi Chang,
Benjamin Westmann, Hai Xin Wu, Marcel Hildebrand, Cedric Ruckaberle, Chieko
Hayami), envisages an apartment complex with four apartments on each floor,
sharing a common kitchen and dining room. Eliminating individual kitchens from each
apartment saves rental space and, as a result, cuts rents. A shared kitchen also
facilitates a sense of community and supports the co-living approach.

The concept creates more affordable living space in new apartment buildings, but
can also be applied to existing buildings. Cost reductions are achieved by reducing
space and equipment costs, and these savings are passed on to consumers in the
form of lower rents. Against this background, Clever Living is also explicitly aimed at
lower-income groups, a market segment that is growing by an average of 5.6 percent
per year.

BuildBro makes it easier to find skilled building contractors

BuildBro won the Best Start-up NOW award for its digital platform, which can be
implemented immediately and is highly marketable. The platform, the brainchild of
five students (Yuhui Liu, Fangthou Zou, Devira Hadi, Maximilian Togni, Anita
Dietmair), enables tenants and owners to find the right skilled craftspeople and
contractors for their renovation projects from the comfort of their own desks. The
built-in calendar function makes it easy to instantly schedule an appointment with an
available craftsperson.

One of the platform’s decisive advantages is its transparency, both for the client and
for the craftspeople. This means that benchmarks such as costs, quality and
availability can be managed and compared at a glance. With its integrated deadline
setting tool, contractors and craftspeople benefit from maximum ease of use. The jury
was also impressed by the integration of features for measuring internal spaces and
processing payments digitally, along with its target-group-specific approach via social
media.

The Grand Jury consisted of leading representatives from the EBS University of
Economics and Law and experienced real estate industry figures, potential investors
and innovative entrepreneurs:

   •   Professor Kerstin Hennig, EBS University of Economics and Law
   •   Silke Weber, Real I.S.
   •   Dr. Susanne Hügel, CBRE
   •   Alexander Ubach-Utermöhl, blackprintpartners
   •   Jochen Friedrich, GPEP

Last year, students’ projects focussed on practical solutions in nursing care and stu-
dent housing. Once again, 2019’s projects addressed a range of current trends. In
particular, this year’s entrants had primarily developed projects with a strong digital
focus, particularly in the fields of brokerage and real estate services.

About the Real I.S. Group
The Real I.S. Group has a track record of more than 25 years as BayernLB’s fund provider specialised
in real estate investment. As a member company of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe (group of German
savings banks, Landesbanken and associated companies), the Group ranks among the leading asset
managers in the German market. Along with Alternative Investment Funds (special AIFs and closed-
end mutual AIFs), the range of products and services comprises customised fund solutions, club deals
and joint ventures. The company has assets of over EUR 8.7 billion under management. The Real I.S.
Group has two licensed investment management companies (KVGs) established under the German
Investment Code (KAGB) and operates subsidiaries and branches in France, Luxembourg, Spain, the
Netherlands and Australia. More information is available on the company's website at www.realisag.de

About EBS University of Economics and Law
EBS University is one of the leading private business schools in Germany, with bases in both Wiesba-
den and Oestrich-Winkel. Around 2,200 students and doctoral students are currently studying and
conducting research at the university’s three faculties. EBS Business School is Germany's oldest pri-
vate business school and has been training the next generation of business leaders and promoting an
international approach to business since 1971. EBS Law School opened in 2011 and is Germany’s
newest law faculty, offering fully-fledged, classic law degrees, state examinations and business law
programmes, as well as an integrated Master in Business (M.A.). With its continuing education pro-
gramme at EBS Executive School, the university supports specialists and executives in all fields of
business. Since July 2016, EBS University has been part of the non-profit SRH foundation, a leading
provider of education and health services. More information is available on the university’s websites at
www.ebs-remi.de and www.ebs.edu

Contacts:

Real I.S. AG
Innere Wiener Str. 17
81667 Munich

Markus Lang
Tel.: 089 489082 - 220
Fax: 089 489082 - 295
Email: markus.lang@realisag.de

Birgit Lehmann-Schraut
Tel.: 089 489082 - 226
Fax: 089 489082 - 295
Email: birgit.lehmann-schraut@realisag.de

EBS Real Estate Management Institute (REMI)
Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 3
65189 Wiesbaden

Kathrin Casaroli
Tel.: 0611 7102 1233
Fax: 0611 7102 10 1233
Email: kathrin.casaroli@ebs.edu