Empresas y finanzas

Colonia Real Estate AG acquires majority of two real estate companies holding 10,100 residential units



    Colonia Real Estate AG (ISIN DE0006338007) announces its
    acquisition of 51 percent stakes in two residential real estate
    companies with aggregate holdings of 10,100 residential units from BGP
    Investment S.a r.l. and Babcock & Brown Residential Property 1 S.a
    r.l. & Co. KG. The residential units in the cities of Aachen,
    Freiburg, Hamburg, Kiel, Koln, Osnabruck und Salzgitter have an
    aggregate of 623,000 square meters of lettable space. Approximately 85
    percent of the space is let at present, currently generating an annual
    net rental income of almost EUR 30 million. Colonia Real Estate AG has
    the right to acquire the remaining 49 percent of the companies from
    BGP Investment S.a r.l. - a joint venture between the Australian
    Babcock & Brown Group and GPT Group - and Babcock & Brown Residential
    Property 1 S.a r.l. & Co. KG until 30 November 2008. The sellers have
    an option to sell their remaining stakes to Colonia Real Estate AG
    that may be exercised until 30 June 2009 in the event Colonia Real
    Estate AG does not exercise its call option. The purchase price for
    the 51 percent stakes and the exercise price on both the call and the
    put option are based on a current valuation of the companies. The
    parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price and option exercise
    price. The implementation of the transaction is subject to merger
    control conditions.

    Upon the acquisition, the current debt financing of the acquired
    residential real estate companies with an annual interest rate of 3.87
    percent and a maturity of six years will remain. Colonia Real Estate
    AG's subsidiary Resolution GmbH will be exclusively responsible for
    the asset management of the two companies, while the previous property
    manager, Kruger Immobilien GmbH, will continue to be responsible for
    the property management.

    Colonia Real Estate AG has sufficient equity capital to effect
    this transaction. Nevertheless, the company is considering a variety
    of financing alternatives, including a future increase in capital, to
    finance this and future transactions.

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    Information and Explanation of the Issuer to this News:

    Explanatory part:

    'Through the majority ownership of both residential real estate
    companies we reached our full-year 2007 target - to increase our
    residential real estate assets from 9,000 to around 20,000 units -
    ahead of schedule. Furthermore, we are pleased to have won BGP and
    Babcock & Brown as well-renowned business partners ', mentioned
    Stephan Rind, CEO of Colonia Real Estate AG, after the signing of the
    purchase contract. 'In addition to a favorable financing structure of
    the residential real estate companies, we also expect to achieve
    economies of scale on our current residential real estate portfolio
    and therefore reduce costs on running the portfolios. We intend to
    reduce the current vacancy rates in the portfolios of the acquired
    companies through active asset management during the next years. With
    these measures, we plan to further increase the cash flows of the
    Colonia Real Estate Group. Furthermore, the transaction will diversify
    the portfolio of Colonia Real Estate AG beyond Hamburg and Lower
    Saxony to the Cologne, Aachen and Freiburg regions.'

    About Colonia Real Estate AG

    Colonia Real Estate AG (Reuters: KBUG.DE / Bloomberg: KBU GY) is a
    listed real estate investment and management group focusing on the
    German market. Its integrated business model consists of three
    synergistic cornerstones: The Investment Division concentrates on
    high-yield residential property portfolios held for the company's
    account and opportunistic co-investments in commercial real estate
    together with prominent partners. Resolution GmbH specializes in asset
    management for the Group as well as for complex domestic real estate
    portfolios held by international investors, whom it also advises on
    transactions. The focus is on yield optimization and realizing
    appreciation potential. CRE Fonds Management GmbH's core business is
    the conception, the marketing and the management of structured
    investment products such as closed-end real estate funds for
    institutional investors and private clients.

    About Babcock & Brown

    Babcock & Brown is a global investment and advisory firm with
    longstanding capabilities in structured finance and the creation,
    syndication and management of asset and cash flow-based investments.
    Babcock & Brown was founded in 1977 and is listed on the Australian
    Stock Exchange. Babcock & Brown operates from 26 offices across
    Australia, North America, Europe, Asia, United Arab Emirates and
    Africa and has in excess of 1000 employees worldwide. Babcock & Brown
    has five operating divisions including real estate, infrastructure and
    project finance, operating leasing, structured finance and corporate
    finance. The company has established a funds management platform
    across the operating divisions that has resulted in the creation of a
    number of focused investment vehicles in areas including real estate,
    renewable energy and infrastructure.

    About GPT Group

    GPT Group is one of Australia's largest listed property groups,
    with total assets of EUR 7 billion and a market capitalization of EUR
    5.4 billion, making it one of the top 40 entities listed on the
    Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). GPT has a history of investment in
    high quality properties in the retail, office, industrial and business
    park sectors, as well as hotel and tourism. GPT has been listed on an
    Australian Stock Exchange since April 1971 and is one of Australia's
    longest running listed property groups. GPT management has a wealth of
    experience and has a substantial investor base. GPT securities are
    owned by over 40,000 investors, including large Australian and
    overseas institutions. The Group has a strong balance sheet, a diverse
    range of capital sources and is focused on further diversifying and
    expanding its real estate investments and operations in Australia and
    globally.

    This release is not a prospectus and, to the extent that it may
    constitute an advertisement, does not constitute an offer to sell or
    the solicitation of an offer to purchase the shares or other
    securities of Colonia Real Estate AG.

    This release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United
    States of America. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United
    States of America absent registration or an exemption from
    registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Any
    public offering of securities to be made in the United States of
    America will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained
    from Colonia Real Estate AG and that will contain detailed information
    about the company and management, as well as financial statements.

    The information contained herein is not for publication or
    distribution in Canada, Australia or Japan and does not constitute an
    offer of securities for sale in Canada, Australia or Japan.

    This news release contains forward-looking statements based on
    current assumptions and forecasts made by the management of Colonia
    Real Estate AG. Various risks, uncertainties and other factors could
    lead to material differences between the actual future results,
    financial situation, development or performance of Colonia Real Estate
    AG and the estimates given here. Colonia Real Estate AG assumes no
    liability whatsoever to update these

    forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or
    developments.

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    Colonia Real Estate AG
    Christoph D. Kauter
    Head of Investor Relations
    Zeppelinstr. 4-8 50667
    Koln
    Telefon: +49 (0)221 71 60 71 0
    Fax: +49 (0) 221 71 60 71 99
    E-Mail: ir@cre.ag
    or
    Citigate Dewe Rogerson GmbH
    Sylvia Faber
    Goethestrasse 26-28 60313
    Frankfurt am Main
    Tel: 0049-69 90 500 - 100
    Fax: 0049-69 90 500 - 101
    E-Mail: sylvia.faber@citigatedr.de
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    Language: English
    Issuer: Colonia Real Estate AG
    Zeppelinstr. 4 - 8 50667
    Koln Deutschland
    Phone: 0221-716071-0 Fax: 0221-716071-99
    E-mail: info@cre.ag
    www.cre.ag
    ISIN: DE0006338007
    WKN: 633800
    Indices: SDAX, GPR 250, MSCI Germany Small Cap Index, FTSE EPRA/
    NAREIT, E&G DIMAX
    Listed: Amtlicher Markt in Berlin-Bremen, Frankfurt
    (Prime Standard), Dusseldorf;
    Freiverkehr in Hamburg, Munchen, Stuttgart
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