Daniel T. Borger Real Estate Advisory Services
While Germany’s institutional investors continue to comb the market for stable, yield-bearing assets in a landscape still plagued by high financing costs and opaque fundamentals, a lesser-known corner of the real estate universe is quietly gathering momentum — and REFIRE is stepping forward to shine a spotlight on it.
We’re talking about Garage Parks — not to be confused with the traditional indoor self-storage facilities of the kind you might find stacked above a Lidl. These are modular, drive-up units, typically 18 to 40 square metres in size, located in commercial zones or suburban edges, and offering tenants full vehicular access directly to their unit.
They’re being rented out for everything from furniture storage to vintage cars, business equipment and even as flexible workspace for artisans and micro-enterprises. In short: they're functional, flexible, and increasingly profitable — but still wildly underdeveloped as an asset class in Europe.
Undersupplied, underpriced, underestimated
Germany currently counts around 600 garage park facilities, while the US has tens of thousands. Industry estimates suggest that Germany could support up to 10,000 such parks — with Europe-wide potential exceeding 50,000, according to recent white paper research by Daniel T. Borger, widely regarded as the country’s leading expert in this niche segment.
And yet, despite rising demand — driven by urbanisation, mobility, lifestyle changes and space compression in cities — market awareness remains low. Fewer than 1% of Germans currently use any form of self-storage, compared to 10% in the US. This vast gulf between supply and demand signals a rare early-stage investment opportunity.
Garage Parks are proving particularly attractive to investors seeking low-capex assets with strong ESG credentials (minimal energy usage, no heating, no on-site staff, limited emissions), combined with rising rents and consistent occupancy. Construction costs are low, returns are strong — and the first signs of institutional interest are beginning to stir.
REFIRE to host inaugural Garage Parks symposium in Frankfurt
In response to this growing interest, REFIRE is hosting the first-ever dedicated symposium on Garage Parks in Germany, to be held in Frankfurt am Main on Thursday, 18th September 2025.
This half-day event will bring together investors, project developers, alternative asset managers and service providers to explore the sector’s emergence, scaling potential, and operational models. Topics on the agenda include:
- Current market trends and expansion forecasts
- Case study from a leading operator and developer
- Automation, digitisation and AI use in garage park operations
- Financing and development structuring
- Sustainability, ESG metrics and certification frameworks
The event will take place at the Mercure Hotel Kaiserhof in Frankfurt city centre, from 13:30 to 18:15, followed by a networking drinks reception with the speakers and other delegates. Sponsors for the event are already confirmed, with HeyLager leading the field, and including other key players from the sector — a sign of the market’s readiness to engage more seriously.
Watch this space
Whether you’re a value-focused private equity player, a mid-sized developer looking for a modular expansion strategy, or an institutional investor scanning for the next “alternative asset” story with teeth — Garage Parks deserve a closer look.
The REFIRE symposium in September will be your opportunity to get ahead of the curve — to learn, to network, and perhaps to stake an early claim in a market that may look very different in five years' time.
Registration opens soon, and we’ll be announcing speaker names and partner organisations in the coming weeks. For now: save the date — but to express early interest or enquire about participation, contact: office@refire-online.com. Get ready to engage with what may well be Germany’s next real estate growth sector.