Swiss Life Asset Managers France, on behalf of Swiss Life REF (CH) European Properties – a fund dedicated to Swiss institutional inves-tors – signs off market a freehold acquisition of an office building in Anvers, from AG Real Estate, a real estate subsidiary of AG Insur-ance Group.

Swiss Life Asset Managers France announces the signing of a freehold acquisition for a property from AG Real Es-tate, real estate subsidiary of the Belgian AG Insurance Group. The asset is in the area of Berchem, in Anvers and is fully let to AG, the tenant since construction of the building in 2006, under a firm nine-year lease.

Anvers is the number two investment market in Belgium, after Brussels. Belgium’s second biggest city, it has an airport and two main stations – Anvers-Central and Anvers Berchem (1.7 km from the building) – very well networked and con-nected to Belgium’s main business locations. These two microzones surrounding the stations and "Singel" (in-ternational Flemish arts centre located along the south-ern periphery) comprise the main office market in Anvers.

Berchem is easily accessible by car, bicycle and public transport.

The building has a surface area of 9300 m² and is in ex-cellent condition and very well maintained. It should shortly receive BREEAM In-Use Very Good certification.
Swiss Life Asset Managers France was advised by Loyens & Loeff (legal study and structuring) for this off market operation, Vroninks acted as notary, Socotec (technical survey) and Anker 18 as the agent.

AG Real Estate was also advised by Damien Hisette, of Bureau d’études Van Halteren, associate notaries public.

Swiss Life REF (CH) European Properties invests in of-fices, retail, logistical real estate, mixed-use property and other commercial real estate in Europe. The fund invests in Core et Core Plus sites in the main European business locations and regional centres and their suburbs. The ge-ographic emphasis is on the main European markets of Germany, France, Benelux and Austria, with a target stra-tegic allocation of more than 50% of the fund assets.

"With this asset, we are expanding our portfolio with an attractive office building in a dynamic and growing re-gion in Belgium", says Adrian Bamert, portfolio manager of Swiss Life REF (CH) European Properties.