Gabriel capital partners: Scaling a manage‑to‑green residential strategy

Founder & managing partner Gerrit Molineus says Gabriel capital partners is entering Expo Real 2026 with momentum and a pipeline that signals rapid expansion in Germany’s value‑add residential market.

Gerrit Molineus, founder & managing partner, Gabriel capital partners

Molineus, a trained architect with senior roles across international real estate platforms, launched Gabriel in 2023 after defining and executing the first manage‑to‑green deal at ZAR Real Estate. Three years later, the Munich‑based firm has established itself as a club‑deal and co‑investment specialist, partnering with Boston‑based Taurus investment holdings on two residential portfolios totalling over 600 units.

Gabriel’s strategy is straightforward: acquire off‑market residential stock, implement targeted ESG upgrades, and drive rental uplift through operational repositioning.  “We’re always looking for a certain market premium,” Molineus explains. “In our first portfolio, the average rent was €5–6 per sq m while market rents were 30% higher. We’re now renting at €10 — almost double. Demand for appropriate housing is the major driver.”

The firm’s manage‑to‑green strategy focuses on decarbonisation rather than heavy refurbishment. Solar panels and heat pumps are used to lift assets from F–H energy ratings to A or B without touching façades or windows. “It’s efficient, cost‑effective, and transformative,” he says.

Location selection is equally disciplined. Gabriel avoids Germany’s top seven cities, instead targeting stable districts with entry yields around 8% and exits at 6% delivering net investor returns of roughly 4.5%, competitive against current bond rates.

The business now operates across three pillars: investment management, internalised asset management, and development. Its first major development, a PBSA asset in Berlin, adds 330 units, bringing the total number of units held or in development by Gabriel to over 1,000. PBSA is a growing focus, with plans for 2,000–3,000 beds over the next five years.

As for Expo Real sentiment, Molineus sees a more nervous market than last year. Rising bond yields, margin calls and prolonged financing structures are weighing on confidence. “Banks are under pressure, and real estate is competing directly with bonds at 4%+,” he says. “But we’re new, we have no legacy issues, and banks like talking to us. We’re standing on the sidelines looking for opportunities — and we’re confident they will arise.”