BOSTON and HAMBURG, Germany— Boston-based real estate investment and development firm Berkeley Investments has entered into a strategic joint venture with GARBE, one of Europe’s largest real estate investment, development, and asset management companies, creating a new platform aimed at expanding investment activity throughout the Northeastern United States.
The newly formed entity, Berkeley Garbe LLC, will combine Berkeley’s regional development expertise and market knowledge with GARBE’s global investment platform, institutional capital relationships, and operational scale. The partnership is expected to focus initially on opportunities across New England, with plans to pursue investments and development projects in the industrial, multifamily, and infrastructure sectors throughout the broader Northeast region.
The joint venture marks GARBE’s first major expansion into the United States and represents a significant milestone in the company’s evolution as a global real estate platform.
Founded in Hamburg in 1965, GARBE operates through three business lines—industrial, residential, and infrastructure—and manages a portfolio exceeding 85 million square feet with an aggregate value of more than $15 billion. The company employs more than 600 professionals across 21 offices throughout Europe, Singapore, and Dubai.
Berkeley Garbe will be led by Young Park, founder and president of Berkeley Investments. According to Park, the partnership provides access to a long-term institutional platform while preserving Berkeley’s entrepreneurial culture and local decision-making approach.
“Through this joint venture, Berkeley has established a long-term partnership with a global institutional platform that will strengthen its entrepreneurial initiatives while preserving the privately owned, team-oriented culture that has defined Berkeley for years,” Park said.
He added that Berkeley Garbe will continue to operate independently while benefiting from GARBE’s international operating platform and capital relationships. The new entity will also oversee management of the venture’s assets and provide strategic direction for future growth initiatives.
The partnership creates a transatlantic investment platform designed to pursue larger and more diverse opportunities across multiple asset classes. Company leaders said the venture will be particularly well-positioned to capitalize on growing demand in sectors including logistics, multifamily housing, data centers, and infrastructure-related developments.
The collaboration also brings together complementary strengths. Berkeley contributes more than three decades of experience developing and investing in complex urban projects throughout Greater Boston and New England, while GARBE offers extensive institutional investment expertise and specialized operating capabilities developed across European markets.
“For more than thirty years, Berkeley has been guided by a simple conviction: that innovative design and deep local market knowledge create enduring value in real estate,” Park said. “GARBE shares that same philosophy. Their track record of building a leading European platform through conviction-driven investment, focus on sustainable priorities and hands-on development closely mirrors what we have accomplished in Boston.”
GARBE executives said the venture aligns with the company’s broader strategy of expanding its global footprint through partnerships with experienced local operators.
“Expanding into the United States through this joint venture with Berkeley Investments is a landmark step in GARBE’s evolution as a global real estate platform,” said Christopher Garbe, Managing Partner of GARBE. “Berkeley’s entrepreneurial culture, vertically integrated capabilities, and deep expertise in life sciences, urban residential and mixed-use development are a natural complement to our strengths across the Beds, Sheds and Infrastructure verticals.”
He added that the partnership is built upon a shared investment philosophy focused on design, long-term value creation, and sustainable development.
Industry observers note that the venture arrives at a time when international capital continues to seek opportunities in resilient U.S. real estate markets, particularly in sectors supported by long-term demographic and economic trends. With Boston and the broader New England region benefiting from strong fundamentals in technology, life sciences, housing, and logistics, the partnership is positioned to pursue opportunities across a range of high-growth property types.
