How do you differ from your competitors?
Firstly, we pride ourselves on having a strong client focus. As one of the leading providers of investments solely focused on Swiss real estate funds and companies1, client focus is at the center of our offering. Underlining this, SRES is currently managing more than CHF 18 billion in indirect Swiss property investments across a range of both active and passive strategies2. We have a robust process in place to ensure our focused and independent offering. Our top priority is to be recognized as the ‘one-stop-shop’ when it comes to Swiss real estate needs – dedicated, independent, and consistently serving our clients over the years.
Our team has had no turnover, giving us one of the longest track records in the industry, managed by the same group who established these processes. Investors are able to benefit from both regular and strong returns on their investments, as well as the combined in-depth research and market forecasting expertise of our highly experienced investment team. Our experience in providing indirect real estate investments is reflected in our long-term client relationships, with some clients having been with us since SRES was established over 15 years ago.
Our investment research begins with a thorough and disciplined process which is supported by a UBS Asset Management proprietary risk management tool. It enables us to better measure and understand the different risks associated with holding publicly traded securities. And, we add both top-down and bottom-up analyses to assess market conditions. We also combine quantitative and qualitative buy-side research. On the quantitative side, as an example, we analyze full-year results or look for macroeconomic trends. The qualitative analysis is equally instrumental, by undertaking portfolio management due diligence or conducting property tours in different regions of the country.
SRES was created around the same time most of the vehicles we invest in were being established. This has been highly beneficial to investors, given that we are well-connected to these products and their managers. The combination of the above factors gives us the ability to better manage our portfolios and offer clients in-depth knowledge whenever they need it. Our deep understanding of the Swiss real estate market that our business has accumulated over the years is supported by our team’s strong network with fund managers and competitors around Switzerland.
Our strong network has proven to add value to our actively and passively managed portfolios. For example, it gives us the ability to trade larger volumes over-the-counter (OTC), which adds another positive value for our passive portfolios. This is supported by our long-tenured experience in this market. All these factors combined provide both the continuity and experience needed to maintain the current growth momentum and strong performance SRES is experiencing today.
Last but not least, real estate has always been my favorite sector. I believe, clients, consultants and colleagues can feel a real passion for real estate when they are in contact with the SRES team. We have always been at the forefront of innovation, dynamically adjusting when necessary. A prime example is our state-of-the-art ESG tool which we developed years ahead of the real need for reporting. Our quarterly ESG newsletter has proven to be the perfect complement to support these efforts.
