Family Office Investment Advisory Germany

Foreign family offices can generally acquire German real estate directly or through a holding or special purpose vehicle, either as an asset deal (acquisition of the property, registered in the land register) or as a share deal (acquisition of the property-owning company). Key steps are defining the acquisition profile, sourcing and screening properties, commercial, technical and legal due diligence, arranging financing and notarisation of the purchase agreement. Structure and tax consequences, such as real estate transfer tax, should be assessed early by external legal and tax advisors. Fox Capital supports the commercial side and coordinates the process.

Acquiring a Mittelstand company starts with a clear investment thesis: sector, size, majority or minority stake, holding period and the role of the previous owner. Many suitable companies are owner-managed and not formally for sale, so targets are identified through market mapping and approached confidentially, usually in German. Family offices often have an advantage with owners because of their long-term perspective. Fox Capital supports target identification, owner approaches, commercial assessment, financing and coordination of due diligence; legal and tax structuring is handled by external advisors.

Not necessarily. A local office can make sense for very high transaction volumes or a dedicated in-house team, but it involves fixed costs, recruitment and organisational effort. Many international family offices instead work with external local partners who provide market knowledge, sourcing, on-site appointments and coordination of advisors as needed. Whether a German entity is required for a specific acquisition depends on the transaction structure and is assessed by legal and tax advisors. Fox Capital can act as the central local point of contact under an advisory mandate.

Yes. Under a written advisory mandate, Fox Capital can act as the family office's local commercial representative – for example in market research, owner approaches, site visits, discussions with financing partners and coordination of external advisors – without the family office first establishing a German company. Signing authority and contractual declarations remain with the family office or its acquisition vehicle. Whether an acquisition vehicle in Germany or abroad is appropriate for a specific transaction is decided with the family office's legal and tax advisors.

Off-market opportunities arise either from selective sale processes offered to a limited group of buyers or from direct, confidential approaches to owners who have not announced a sale. The starting point is a precise acquisition profile. On this basis, suitable properties or companies are identified, ownership is verified from lawfully accessible sources and owners are approached personally. An approach does not imply willingness to sell, and off-market does not automatically mean cheaper. Fox Capital performs this search under a written mandate.

An asset manager manages assets on behalf of a client, often with discretionary authority over portfolios or securities, and in Germany typically requires a licence. A family office advisor in the sense used by Fox Capital provides commercial advisory on specific investment and acquisition projects – such as market entry, sourcing, assessment, financing and transaction coordination – while all investment decisions remain with the family office. Fox Capital does not manage assets, portfolios or securities and does not provide investment advice in financial instruments.

Fox Capital can support the development of a suitable financing structure and approach relevant capital providers, such as banks, debt funds or providers of mezzanine capital and preferred equity. Depending on the transaction, senior debt, whole loan structures, joint venture equity or sale-and-leaseback solutions may be considered. Availability and terms depend on the asset or company, the equity contribution, the family office's creditworthiness and the lender's requirements. The credit decision is always made by the financing partner; financing cannot be guaranteed.

An ongoing mandate is typically based on a written framework agreement with a defined scope, an agreed acquisition profile and regular reporting. Fox Capital monitors the market, identifies and pre-screens opportunities, maintains contacts with owners, intermediaries and financing partners, and supports individual transactions when the family office decides to pursue them. Remuneration often combines a monthly retainer with transaction-related components. Scope, reporting rhythm and remuneration are reviewed regularly and adjusted to the family office's investment programme.

Yes. Fox Capital coordinates the work of the external advisors appointed by the family office, such as lawyers, tax advisors, auditors and technical surveyors. This includes aligning scopes and timetables, consolidating findings and ensuring that commercial insights feed into the overall assessment and negotiations. Fox Capital itself does not provide legal or tax advice; this is provided exclusively by qualified external professionals. If required, Fox Capital can suggest suitable advisors, while the appointment is made by the family office.

Remuneration is agreed individually and in writing before the mandate begins. Possible models are a monthly advisory retainer, a project-based advisory fee, a transaction-related success fee and a long-term acquisition advisory agreement, as well as combinations of these. Fox Capital does not publish fee rates and does not offer free investment research. Remuneration covers the advisory work and is not linked to a guaranteed investment result or return.

Yes. Family offices that want to build a German real estate portfolio or a group of companies step by step can appoint Fox Capital as a long-term local partner. Fox Capital then maintains a pipeline of potential targets against the agreed criteria, monitors relevant markets, approaches owners as agreed, supports the financing of individual acquisitions and coordinates transactions. Such programmes are usually based on a framework mandate that is agreed in writing and reviewed regularly against the family office's strategy.