Berlin’s most desirable neighborhoods to live in

Ah, to live in Berlin. The capital of Germany is a bustling metropolis welcoming any and all who dare to call her home. Known for an open mentality, a top-notch nightlife scene, and home to a thriving start-up atmosphere, Berlin is an enticing choice to settle down in.

One of the key steps in doing so? Finding a place to live. The housing shortage in Berlin combined with the intricacies of German bureaucracy can make house hunting a headache. In an attempt to alleviate some of the stress, GLOBALS Homes features some of the best apartments in the city.

Choosing just where to live in Berlin is an important choice! The charm of Berlin is the different worlds that can be found depending on the neighborhood you happen to be in. Read on as we highlight three of Berlin’s most desirable neighborhoods – and the apartments that will let you call them home!

Lichtenberg

Just East of Mitte lies the quiet district of Lichtenberg. At first glance it can seem far removed from the vibrant and historic center of Berlin but don’t let that fool you!

In just 15 minutes you can arrive at Alexanderplatz. Strolling through this quiet suburb, its free from the broken glass and hipsters that crowd Kreuzberg and Neukölln’s busy streets.

Within 20 minutes from the Lichtenburg S+U station you can travel back in time and visit the historic former Stasi Headquarters, or travel to Vietnam and step inside the Dong Xuan Center, an Asian market with over 150 stalls. You can also visit one of East Berlin’s most famous attractions, Tierpark, a large zoo where animals have free roam and gives residents an amazing green space in the center of the district. Lichtenberg is a trending gem in Berlin, get here fast!

Mitte

Mitte means “center” or “middle” in German and you can bet that if you live in Mitte you can reach anywhere in Berlin’s city limits very easily. Not only are you well connected with transit, but the multiple bars, restaurants and cafes are not just there for the tourists.

Grab a craft beer around Torstrasse, visit the Berlin Wall Memorial or catch a show at Babylon Berlin or the Volksbühne and discover that thriving Mitte is the heartbeat of the city and one of the best districts to live in.

Schöneberg

Discover all the colours of Berlin within one district. Famous since the 1920s for its vibrant LGBTQ+ scene, Schöneberg really has something for everyone.

You can browse the latest trends at the famous KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westens), one of the largest department stores in Europe. For nature lovers there is the protected biological park Schöneberger Südgelände, a nature reclaimed WWII rail yard and just in the district limits is Templehofer Field, the airport-turned-public-park, where you can catch the best sunsets in the city.

GLOBALS Homes and the BIM: A World of Real Estate Opportunities

On 12-13 September, the Berliner Immobilien Messe (BIM) was organized in the renowned Charlottenburg Palace in West Berlin. This fair takes place on a yearly basis and provides real estate market insights to those who are interested in purchasing property or a piece of land as an investment or for private use. 

GLOBALS Homes was there too. Even under strict COVID-19 measures, our team still enjoyed the ambience and shared some nice ideas with the exhibitors and speakers. Mario Paladini, founder and CEO of Club GLOBALS, had the honour of interviewing Dr. Florian Forster, who is the founder and organizer of the Berlin Immobilien Messe. Watch the video interview below made by GLOBALS TV:

Our aim was to get to know the real estate players and the current circumstances in which the real estate market finds itself, notably since the pandemic took its toll. It turns out that, although a multitude of projects in Berlin have already been completed, the outlook for the construction of real estate properties in Berlin’s central locations is getting tighter.
These findings corroborate the viewpoints shared during GLOBALS Homes’ previous event on “The Future of Housing and Living 4th Ed.” which took place in August 2020. However, Berlin remains a hotspot for real estate projects, especially in East Berlin, given the recent announcements Elon Musk gave on the soon-to-come Giga Tesla factory. Check out our blog for more on this topic.

GLOBALS Homes, a platform which provides homes to buy, rent and rent furnished in Berlin and Barcelona, is continuously looking to improve its product offering by seeking out potential partnerships with key actors at events such as BIM. Stay tuned for upcoming real estate fairs!

On 20th August 2020, Club GLOBALS hosted its first event of the year 2020 on “The Future of Housing and Living – Fourth Ed.”. The webinar was chaired by our founder and CEO, Mario Paladini, who welcomed the participants, speakers and partners.

The first kick-off presentation was made by Zoe Zhou, project manager for GLOBALS Homes at Club GLOBALS. Zoe introduced the newly-launched GLOBALS Homes project to the audience, and Vincent Weiland closed off by answering any doubts on buying or renting in Berlin.
Next up was a crash course on growth-hacking by Kyrill Krystallis, Founder at Inside Insight. We learnt a few tricks on how to get more traffic to websites, as well as how to use the software to do so.
Thomas von Muenster gave an insightful presentation on real estate investment, and why Berlin is the city to start investing in with attractive loan and mortgage options.
Then, Carsten Heinrich presented a step-by-step scenario in which foreign investors can buy property in Berlin, as well as the different costs and fees to be taken into account. He answered a critical question on whether foreign investors are able to buy property without actually being on-site or even in the country, and also the importance of having a property manager.
The next speaker, Arkadi Jampolski from Wunderflats, talked about the furnished apartments market. Although impacted by the pandemic, Wunderflats saw an exponential growth in demand for internationals who now see Germany as the country to be in in post-pandemic times, especially due to its efficient crisis management.
The last on stage was Esther Bahne from Quarters Co-Living. Esther explained how the pandemic had triggered a trend in individuals looking to share spaces with others, and that the niche-market they previously targeted had now become their main market. Esther believes with great passion that co-living will play a great role in the future.

Once the speakers concluded their presentations, it was time for pitches.
Louisa Madders started the first round by presenting AiRelo, the world’s first smart city registration assistant whose sole mission is to make international life easier. The second round was followed by Tierry Ondet, who explained the rapid growth of Room, a company focused on creating modular office spaces ranging from phone booths to flexible offices. The last to pitch was Gabriela Postole, an interior designer at Home Design Packages. Gabriela expressed the passion she exhibits for design as well as her dedication to transforming any place into a true home, with all the talent she has to offer.

Dirk Jacobs from 52° NorthStudio entertained us with live music throughout the event, thereby ensuring a smooth transition between presenters, and bringing a lively atmosphere during the networking part of the event.

You can check out everything related to the event on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #GHFHL20. Club GLOBALS would like to thank the speakers, the partners, the audience, and those who made this event possible in the first place.

Stay tuned for our upcoming events! And do not miss our latest blog post on Make Berlin your Home.

Mario Paladini & GLOBALS Team 8)

Arkadi Jampolski – CoFounder & CEO – Wunderflats

Carsten Heinrich – MD of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Rubina Real Estate

Esther Bahne – Co-CEO & CMO Quarters Co-Living

Kyrill Krystallis – Co-Founder of WeAreGrowthHackers

Thomas von Muenster – Head of Investment Unit Sales – STRATEGIS AG

Vincent Weiland – Housing Advisor GLOBALS Homes

Zoe Zhou – Project Manager GLOBALS Homes

Mario Paladini – Founder & CEO – Club GLOBALS

Dirk Jacobs – Music Artist, Producer, Creative Technologist – 52° NorthStudio

AirTeam – Cecilia Caire

One Last Switch – Jasmin Kamann

Obob – Moritz Schroeder

Your Startup? 

Event areas

Reasons to come to the Berlin Welcome Day

• Meet a welcoming community
• Learn about settling in Berlin (Find an apartment, Insurance, Bank…)
• Boost your career (Further Education, Languages…)
• Find a job at our fair for international talent
• Start your business in Berlin (Incubators, Accelerators, Co-Working)
• Discover Berlin (Lifestyle, Attractions, Things to do)
• Networking and activities

More information to be announced!

Verena Büttner – WolfSystem

Raymond Naseem – Co-Founder of Housy

Eliza Liepina – Vivali

Tobias Wittich – Founder of The Place Berlin

Daniel Levelev – Growth Acceleration

Omer Kucukdere – Founder & CEO of Nestpick

AirTeam – Cecilia Caire

One Last Switch – Jasmin Kamann

Obob – Moritz Schroeder

Your Startup? 

Prices

To find affordable accommodation in Berlin, the first thing you do when looking for a flat is to filter them by price, you have a maximum budget and don’t want to go over it. However, a good tip is to be ready to compromise, sometimes in order to have the flat, you must be ready to pay a little bit more than what was written in the ad. So go for apartments below your maximum so you still have one card up your sleeve when it comes to negotiations. Since the competition is tough, offering a little bit more can change the game. This tactic may not work when applying for a shared flat since some people do not rent their flat for the money but to share a home with other people and to them, you must sell your personality.

Type of apartment

In Germany, shared flats are very common and a great way to meet new people when you’re new in the city. Some flats are of course cleaner than others so you should definitely visit the flat before signing any contract – especially to avoid any online scams. If you are looking for studios or bigger apartments, the price will increase quickly and agencies might be the best option.

The message

The message you send is crucial to get the apartment, it is the first impression that counts. Don’t write a cover letter of 1 page, they won’t read it. The best option is to write a few lines (10 max). You can start with a general presentation; name, profession, languages spoken. Put the date you want to move in and, if any, the date you want to move out. Then you can share your Facebook profile so they know you are “real” and they can learn more about you. At the end write a few lines on why you want the room/ flat. For instance, because it seems clean or the flatmates seem to look for the same thing as you (some small talks occasionally in the shared kitchen or go out together etc.). You should also ask to visit the flat as soon as possible, it will show your motivation. This will also scare away scammers who will ask you to pay first without visiting anything because they are “not in the country at the moment” and then they send you the keys by mail.

Neighbourhoods

Berlin is a huge city with plenty of residential neighbourhoods, some being more lively than others. You should pay attention to the public transportation access in the neighborhood you choose. Some are more accessible than others and it might take you 15 minutes or more to reach the nearest tram/bus/metro station, which is something to bear in mind when working out your commute to work.

Specificities

Regarding the shared flats (WG in German), ads can be really specific; “only girls” or “only vegans” etc. Even if you want the room don’t lie in your email – even if you get the flat it will be a difficult living situation if you don’t agree on certain philosophies. When they ask for specific things (even if it is not fair) they don’t care and will find someone matching the criteria.

Website

Check out our newest platform, GLOBALS Homes where you can find or list apartments to rent, rent furnished or buy. 

Club GLOBALS organized The Future Of Housing And Living – Second Edition with two panels discussions on the recent trends in the fields of housing and urban living.

“The Future of Real Estate in Berlin” panel discussed Berlin’s real estate market, how it developed and the many challenges it is facing today. Also,  the coming up concept of coliving.

“Innovation in Urban Living, Lifestyle and Design” panel discussed how technology and the Internet of Things are increasingly shaping our way of living. Moreover, we will discuss trends in health and lifestyle.
The event took place at the Ermelerhaus & Art´Otel in Berlin-Mitte which offers a combination of history, great art and contemporary design. The amazing team of Art’Otel’s Upside Down Bar provided us with drinks, finger food and snacks that will keep us networking with tech enthusiasts, innovators and investors, among many more.

The Future of Housing & Living Program:

• 17:45 Registration & Warming Up
• 18:30: Welcome & Intro

• 18:45: Panel Discussions

             Panel 1: “The Future of Real Estate in Berlin”

             Panel 2: “Innovation in Urban Living, Lifestyle and Design”

• 19:45: Networking
• 20:30: Tombola with special offers to try
• 22:00: The End

CONNECTING  Entrepreneurs with Business Partners – B2B Matchmaking

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER From Senior High-Level International Speakers

ENJOY an evening with like-minded guests

Cover Charge:

Includes Program, Snacks & Drinks, and Special Offers

• GOLD/Silver SOLUTIONERS & Premium Members: FREE → UPGRADE
• Early Bird: €20 (Buy online and save +40%)
• Basic Members: €25 (Become member for FREE)
• Non-members: €35

Join as a partner

Offering an innovative housing, living or lifestyle solution? Join as a partner, contact us.

According to the annual ranking global ECA International, this year most expensive city to live in is the Capital of South Sudan, Juba, which last year was #9. The second place is to Luanda, Angola, one place more than last year and the third on the list is  Zurich, Switzerland. Check out this interesting Infographic we created for you. Here you’ll find the latest data on the life costs in different cities. Of course, as you can observe, this list is constantly changing but some cities remain in the list every year.

For more info like this and much more Register in our Website  8)

Source: eca international and Business Insider UK

The European real estate market, and in particular the market in Berlin, has been very energetic recently mostly as a result of the low-interest policies of central banks. While the prices have risen dramatically, there is already some chatter about the overvaluation of the real estate. Investors are dropping in from the US and Asia to make deals. Interestingly, it is not only the major German cities that are enticing to investors, the medium-sized cities of Germany are also seeing an uptick in activity.

Berlin is currently regarded as the top of “Europe’s real estate market with the best investment opportunities” according to Price Waterhouse’s recent study. Hamburg came in second with Dublin at three and Madrid in fourth. Munich (rank 11) and Frankfurt (Rank 16) are still in the Top 20.

“Berlin has excellent fundamentals and an extremely low price level,” said one of the investors. In just the first three quarters of 2014, there were a total of 2.9 billion euros in property deals in Berlin. And of all those deals, half of them involved foreign investors.

“The German real estate market continues to pull the enormous interest from institutional investors to be” the study says. Given the increasing competition and the interest in the middle level cities of Germany,  price sensitivity will become more and more a focus. “Even in 2015, there will be an unchanged global capital flow into the European real estate market,” says Jochen Bridges of PwC. “This will drive up prices and curtail the supply.”

The main driver of this development is the low-interest rate policies of central banks. Investors are increasingly looking for investment opportunities that offer a degree of security while still yield a return. “Cities like Berlin or Madrid will benefit primarily from the system pressure of investors,” says the study.

While Germany is in the forefront of real estate activity now, this is not the case for other European countries.  France in particular falls by the wayside. Only 38 percent of investors expect that they can increase their profits in France in 2015. A year earlier it was almost 50 percent. For Germany, investors expect to see 48 percent at constant profits. Ireland’s market, however, has investors weighing in at 78 percent that expect to increase their profits and 69 percent of investors expect the same in the peripheral countries.

The source of the real estate funding appears to be from sovereign wealth funds and pension funds from Asia and North America. With 56 percent of the investors surveyed expect an increase in American capital to Europe, they believe that more money will flow from Asia, as much as 68 percent.

Not only have the rankings changed among investors in recent months, but also the type of property. Initially, the activity was mainly commercial real estate demand, now the trend is towards residential property:

“About two-thirds of investors surveyed had already invested in residential real estate, including those who had previously only invested in office properties. Of those that were previously not investing in residential real estate, 15 percent will consider future investments in this field. “

Germany is Europe’s largest investment market for residential real estate. In the big cities, the building permit numbers in 2014 increased by 17 percent over the previous year. Overall, the construction of approximately 285.00 dwellings was approved in 2014 in Germany, 5.4 percent more than in 2013, according to the Federal Institute for Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development. How the early March rental price break will affect the investment in this area remains to be seen.

Feel free to contact our housing solutioners for good opportunities in the Berlin real estate market and check GLOBALS Homes!