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Germany's property sector is in stress, underscoring a major change of fortune for real estate in Europe's largest economy after an end to the era of cheap money. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Oct. 13 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing fresh demands to stem a property crisis in Europe's largest economy after a recent summit aimed at rescuing the sector disbanded in acrimony. The industry's demands reflect alarm that Germany is being sucked further into a global property rout that has been most acutely felt in China. There is also concern that the government is dragging its feet after a contentious industry meeting with the chancellor on Sept. 25. The number of people employed in the building sector has begun to drop for the first time in a decade.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Olaf Scholz, Wolfgang Schubert, Raab, Schubert, Nicole Razavi, Scholz, Francesco Fedele, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, chancellery, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Germany's, Europe's, China, Razavi, United States

For years, low interest rates fuelled a global boom, igniting interest in German property, seen as safe and stable as the country. The health of Germany's property sector - Europe's biggest property investment market outside of Britain - is critical, making up roughly a fifth of output and providing one in 10 jobs. Late last year, Hoeglmaier put his penthouse on the market, and Euroboden closed its Frankfurt office. In 2020, as the property market heated up, the Bundesbank warned the country's banks, for whom property accounted for about 70% of all domestic loans, of the risks. The 380-square meter (4,090 square foot) penthouse, which occupies the fifth through seventh floors and includes a rooftop terrace, originally listed for just under 13 million euros.

Persons: Leonhard Simon, Stefan Hoeglmaier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Tillmann Peeters, Hoeglmaier, Oscar Loya –, –, Euroboden, Daniel Bauer ,, Oliver Schartl, Loya, Christoph Niering, Matthias Inverardi, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, FalkenSteg, European Central Bank, Reuters, Facebook, Garden, Graphics, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, Europe's, Britain, Berlin, Frankfurt, Ukraine, Sweden, Europe, homebuilders, China, Evergrande

REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File PhotoFRANKFURT, July 27 (Reuters) - New construction plunged in Germany during the first half of the year, data on Thursday showed, the latest sign of stress in the property market of Europe's largest economy. The data underscore a steep rut that dominates the nation's real-estate sector in its worst crisis in decades. "There's strong caution in project development," said Sven Carstensen, chief executive of Bulwiengesa. The nation's property industry will ask the government for multi-billion euro support at a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in September, Reuters reported last week. "The situation is dramatic," said Jan-Marco Luczak, a parliamentarian who has pushed for a property tax cut demanded by industry.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Sven Carstensen, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Marco Luczak, Marcus Gwechenberger, Bulwiengesa, Florian Schwalm, EY, Karim Rochdi, Tom Sims, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Bulwiengesa, Reuters, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, FRANKFURT, Frankfurt's

"I am worried because we are in a deep real estate crisis. And the real estate crisis needs clear, structured and downright radical steps to fix it," Mattner said. For years, Germany's property market has been seen as a safe haven, becoming a major draw for foreign investors. Recent data shows the stress the property sector is facing as the European Central Bank hikes interest rates, with little respite in sight. The fall is "catastrophic," said Andreas Beulich, head of the Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Andreas Mattner, Mattner, Tim, Oliver Mueller, Mueller, Scholz, Danyal, Andreas Beulich, Mathias Duesterdick, ”, Andreas Naujoks, Simone Zapke, Emma, Victoria Farr, Matthias Inverardi, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, German Property Federation, German Construction Industry Federation, Reuters Graphics, European Central Bank, Federal Association of Independent, Housing Companies, Centrum Group, ECB, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Germany's, Europe's, Kai Pfaffenbach FRANKFURT, Baden, United States, Sweden

They stressed that the reallocation would be gradual and not result in fire sales, with new money going largely into fixed income rather than alternative investments. Goldman Sachs' asset management arm is planning to significantly reduce its $59 billion of alternative investments. Credit rating agencies Moody's and S&P, which both give Allianz high marks, have pointed to the greater risk posed by comparatively illiquid alternative investments in Allianz's portfolio. Alternative investments come at a price, requiring Allianz and other insurers to set aside more capital to own them because they are less liquid than bonds. In its wake, Allianz has had to close down Allianz Global Investors in the United States in a serious blow to the company.

And Italy's UniCredit (CRDI.MI) raised its 2022 profit goal, helped by higher interest rates and lower loan loss provisions that also drove quarterly earnings above forecasts. For years, banks bemoaned ultra loose monetary policy, but now higher interest rates means banks can start to benefit from the increased gap between what they charge borrowers and what they pay savers. Standard Chartered's third-quarter profit surged 40% as higher interest rates boosted the emerging markets-focused bank's income, giving it ammunition to upgrade its revenue outlook despite a weakening global economy. For Santander, higher loan loss provisions in key markets like Brazil and the United States overshadowed better than expected third-quarter earnings. While benefiting from higher interest rates, banks also face the unwinding of a scheme that buoyed their profits for years.

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