LUKB joins Crowdhouse
Luzerner Kantonalbank (LUKB) is acquiring a stake in Bricks & Bytes AG, the company that operates the real estate platform "crowdhouse.ch". It is also a member of the Board of Directors of Bricks & Bytes.
Based on LUKB's participation, Crowdhouse.ch is expected to initiate further growth steps and drive the acquisition of additional properties for its customers.
For its part, LUKB is taking a further step in the implementation of its digitization strategy. In addition, synergies are being examined with LUKB's "Real Estate Bank" service concept, which has been offering specialized services for professional real estate investors since April 2016, the cantonal bank writes in a statement.
Robert Plantak, co-founder and CEO of Crowdhouse, says: "The cooperation with Luzerner Kantonalbank, which is now underway, is an essential step in positioning Crowdhouse.ch as the real estate trading platform of the future. I am convinced that LUKB's widely recognized real estate expertise and market presence will provide valuable impetus for the further development of our platform."
Since its launch, Crowdhouse has placed CHF 30 million in real estate volume, according to Plantak, and the platform is currently experiencing exponential growth rates. He is convinced that with the help of LUKB, the volume will increase to more than CHF 100 million by the end of 2016. "The current turbulence on the international financial markets as well as the Brexit decision make Swiss yielding residential real estate a safe haven for investors who consciously want to invest their money conservatively in the medium to long term," Plantak adds.
The strategic investment in the real estate platform Crowdhouse.ch is already the fourth crowd banking initiative implemented in 2016 for LUKB, following the valuation platform "Crowders.ch", the investment fund "LUKB Crowders TopSwiss" and the crowdfunding platform "Funders.ch".
Daniel Salzmann, CEO of LUKB, says: "On the one hand, the commitment and cooperation with Crowdhouse.ch fits perfectly into the strategy of further developing our company into a digital bank in the medium to long term. On the other hand, valuable synergies can arise between Crowdhouse.ch and our new service concept 'Real Estate Bank' as well as the also newly created Real Estate Competence Center." (ah)
