Aareal Bank enters data centre asset class with first financing transaction

• Expansion of commercial property finance product range
• Initial transaction successfully closed: financing of the Frankfurt I Data Centre with Goodman Group
• Successive expansion of financing volume in Europe planned  

Wiesbaden, 7 August 2025 – Aareal Bank is expanding its commercial property finance portfolio to include the data centre asset class. The move by the Bank kicks off a key initiative in its "Aareal Ambition" strategy, continues its commitment to growth and strengthens its position as a leading international property lender.

Data centres are becoming more and more important as digitalisation progresses and data volumes grow exponentially and are a clear growth area. As a result, Aareal Bank is planning to expand this special property portfolio further in the years to come. Its geographical focus will be on Europe, with Germany, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Sweden being particularly interesting locations.

Aareal Bank entered into its first financing transaction in this asset class in July 2025 with Goodman Group. It is furnishing a loan of EUR 160 million to acquire Frankfurt I Data Centre in Mörfelden-Walldorf and is acting as the arranger, facility agent and security agent for the transaction.

"Frankfurt is Europe's largest Internet node, with a data transfer rate of more than 18 terabits per second", said Christof Winkelmann, Chief Market Officer and member of Aareal Bank's Management Board. "I'm delighted that we have financed our data centre here in the Rhine-Main region together with our long-term client Goodman Group. Growing digital infrastructure requirements make data centres a highly attractive asset class and an excellent add-on to our portfolio."

Hans Ongena, Director Investment Management at Goodman Group, added: "We have been working closely together with Aareal Bank for many years. We value the Bank's high level of expertise and reliability, and are delighted to be partnering again with such a strong player. The completion and refinancing of the Frankfurt I Data Centre expands our portfolio of high-quality, sustainable properties in our focus metropolitan regions and strengthens our position as a leading global data centre project developer and owner.”

The new data centre asset class is managed from Wiesbaden by a specialist team, which is headed by Managing Director Severin Schöttmer.

Aareal Bank was advised by White & Case and Goodman by Taylor Wessing.

Contacts for the media:

Thomas Rutzki
Phone: +49 611 348 2947
Mobile: +49 170 543 1458
thomas.rutzki@aareal-bank.com

About Aareal Bank

Aareal Bank AG, headquartered in Wiesbaden, is a leading international property specialist. The Bank uses its expertise to identify trends, challenges and opportunities at an early stage, and to exploit them for the benefit of its stakeholders. It provides financings, banking services and payments solutions for the property sector and related industries, and is present across three continents, Europe, North America and Asia. Aareal Bank’s business strategy focuses on sustainable business success, with environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects as an integral part of this strategy.

Aareal Bank comprises the business segments Structured Property Financing and Banking & Digital Solutions. The Structured Property Financing segment contains the property financing and refinancing activities. Here, the Bank supports its clients in making large-volume commercial property investments. The investment properties mostly comprise office buildings, hotels, shopping centres, logistics and residential property, as well as student apartments. In the Banking & Digital Solutions segment, Aareal Bank supports businesses from the housing, property management and energy industries as a digitalisation partner – combining extensive advisory services and product solutions with traditional corporate banking services and deposit-taking.