The Commercial Brokerage team at Julius Baer Real Estate supports property owners and real estate investors throughout every stage of the sale or acquisition of investment properties, operational properties and development sites. As a leading provider of commercial real estate advisory services, the team delivers strategic guidance, structures the entire sales process, prepares high‑quality marketing documentation and organises a comprehensive due diligence process. The advisory mandate also includes conducting negotiations and overseeing the notarial completion to ensure a seamless transaction.

In addition, Julius Baer Real Estate provides precise valuation services to estimate the expected sale price of individual investment properties or entire real estate portfolios, taking current market conditions into account. The team advises on the most suitable transaction structure—whether an asset deal, share deal, forward deal or sale‑and‑leaseback—and identifies the most appropriate investor groups, including private buyers, institutional investors and owner‑occupiers.

In commercial property transactions, the two most common structures are asset deals and share deals. In an asset deal, the property itself is purchased directly and transferred in the land register. In a share deal, the buyer acquires shares in the company that owns the property rather than the property itself.

Another option is a contribution in kind, where the seller contributes the property to a company and receives shares in return - typically in a real estate fund. Companies may also free up capital through a sale‑and‑leaseback transaction: the property is sold and immediately leased back on a long‑term basis, enabling liquidity generation without relinquishing operational use of the site.

For project developers, forward deals are particularly attractive. After planning permission has been granted, the parties sign a purchase agreement for the future new‑build project and, in some cases, a deposit is paid. Ownership, however, is transferred only once the project has been completed.

Whether a property qualifies as a strong real estate investment depends primarily on the investor’s strategy - Core, Core+, Value‑Add or Opportunistic - as well as the associated risk profile. A Core investor seeking stability and lower risk, for example, will not typically consider a high‑yield, high‑risk property suitable.

Once the investment strategy is defined, the most decisive factors include the location quality, tenant structure, technical condition of the property and its potential for rental growth. Additional considerations include development or utilisation potential, expected market and interest‑rate trends, and risk factors such as possible vacancies, tenant turnover or rising maintenance costs. All these elements play a key role in determining long‑term investment performance.

Off‑market properties are marketed discreetly and without any public advertising, ensuring that they reach only a carefully selected group of suitable potential buyers. Through Julius Baer Real Estate’s extensive investor network and strong market relationships, buyers and investors gain access to exclusive and often highly attractive real estate opportunities that are not publicly listed.

This discreet form of property marketing is ideal for owners who wish to reach a precisely defined target audience, who are seeking a swift and efficient sales process or who place significant importance on confidentiality and exclusivity. An off‑market approach also protects sensitive information and allows the property to be presented only to investors with a serious and strategic interest.

A standard sales process for an investment property generally takes between four and six months. The timeline depends on the complexity of the transaction structure - such as whether it is an asset deal or share deal - the completeness and quality of the documentation, and the property’s location, particularly whether the canton uses private or public notaries. Off‑market transactions are often faster, while complex sale‑and‑leaseback processes or share deal transactions may exceed six months due to their structural and legal intricacies.

A standard sales process for an investment property generally takes between four and six months. The timeline depends on the complexity of the transaction structure - such as whether it is an asset deal or share deal - the completeness and quality of the documentation, and the property’s location, particularly whether the canton uses private or public notaries. Off‑market transactions are often faster, while complex sale‑and‑leaseback processes or share deal transactions may exceed six months due to their structural and legal intricacies.

Whether a property should be marketed at a fixed price depends on market conditions and the chosen sales strategy. A fixed price is appropriate when the property’s market value can be estimated accurately and the seller has a clear price expectation. It provides clarity to investors and can speed up the transaction process, particularly in off‑market environments.

Alternatively, the property can be marketed without a fixed price as part of a competitive bidding process. Multiple investors submit offers, and the final price is determined by market competition. This approach is often selected when demand is high and the seller aims to maximise the sale price.

Julius Baer Real Estate’s investor network comprises around 50 000 qualified prospective buyers, including institutional investors, family offices, foundations, public‑sector entities and domestic as well as international private investors. This network is further enhanced by Bank Julius Baer’s global base of high‑net‑worth and ultra‑high‑net‑worth clients across more than 26 countries, complemented by the reach of international strategic partners.

This extensive network enables highly targeted property marketing and ensures that each investment opportunity reaches the most suitable buyers.