Berlin, Germany, June 24, 2025. How can lasting success be achieved in a dynamic industry? A look at the latest findings at the renowned Real Estate Brand Award in Berlin provided some insight: companies that consistently focus on innovation, quality and strategic brand management remain at the top over the long term. This also applies to Drees & Sommer. This global leader in consulting was ranked top in four categories in Berlin yesterday evening. With its strong market performance, the company secured first place in the Integrated Real Estate Manager category in Germany. And in Austria, too, the company once again maintained its top spot in the Project Manager category, an accolade that it also won in Germany. A new highlight: together with ATP Architekten, Drees & Sommer achieved an award in the category Transruption Strength. This new special award recognizes brands that actively shape change and lead the way as drivers of new industry standards. In addition, the company ranked seventh in the category Europe Integrated Real Estate Manager and came in third in the category Benelux Integrated Real Estate Manager – twice in the top ten.
The Real Estate Brand Award is the only one in the real estate industry that is not based on jury opinions, but on the largest scientifically validated brand value analysis in the property sector, the Real Estate Brand Value Study. Brands are assessed on the basis of objective criteria. So, the process is transparent and based on comparison and empirical data.
Yesterday, European real estate companies with an outstanding brand performance displaying strategic excellence were honored for the seventeenth time. This year’s key topic was ‘transruption’. Result of the analysis: Drees & Sommer is visible and has strength that can be measured.
More than 1200 brands were analyzed, and Drees & Sommer is among those with the greatest appeal. As a constant player with a clear brand positioning and a high degree of recognition, the brand continues to be a leader in the industry.
“Strong brands need substance and a clearly defined foundation. It is on this reliable basis that our brand communicates the result of changes. Whether we speak about new offers, new markets or completely new client requirements: a lasting brand core and a clear stance are primary enablers of innovation and even disruption, which can then be communicated with credibility," says Sandra Brand, CMO of Drees & Sommer.
Technology, Markets, Stance: the Brand as a Compass
Drees & Sommer takes transformation personally – because the company is shaping the future. This can initially be seen in the internal transformation. A new organizational and operational structure was developed in 2023 and implemented in 2024. The company is already benefiting from this realignment in 2025. The reorganization takes account of client requirements in real estate, industrial and infrastructure markets, as well as international growth, such as market entry into the US. At the same time, digital transition is driven forward at high speed. From digital planning methods, such as building information modeling (BIM), through industrial metaverse (IM) up to a customized in-house AI platform under the name of Dreso.AI – technological expertise is firmly anchored.
"With all the changes and transformation, we need the brand as a powerful compass. The brand not only has an external impact on the market, but also within the company. It connects, creates identity and provides us with the strategic direction," explains Barbara Maier. "If we consistently adhere to our basic values, our brand always provides enough scope for innovation," she adds.
Brand Introduction with a Vision
For over 20 years, Sandra Brand has had a major influence on the brand DNA of Drees & Sommer and ensured a clear and timeless line, invariably paired with consistency and composure. This is why the CMO of the Year award was presented to her in 2022. What drives her is a belief in timeless brands that are resilient over the long term and not just successful in the short term. Sandra Brand comments: "Brands cannot merely be ‘in’, otherwise they will be ‘out’ tomorrow. What counts is a strong brand and the courage to advance its development without damaging its foundations." Stance, movement, future.“ This is why the special price for transruption has a particular significance for the brand strategy expert.
About the Real Estate Brand Award
The Real Estate Brand Award 2025, presented by the European Real Estate Brand Institute, is all about transruption – the ability to not only deal with change, but also to shape it, both actively and strategically. The awards are regarded as key indicators of brand strength and strategic brand management in the European real estate industry. In contrast to subjective decisions made by juries, the award is based solely on companies’ market positioning. The accolade underlines the status of the winners as driving forces and growth drivers of sector.
About Drees & Sommer
What sets the partner-led consulting company Drees & Sommer SE apart is that they advise on and implement sustainable, innovative and economic solutions for real estate, industry, energy and infrastructure – or even offer clients both services from a single source. Since it was founded in 1970, the company has gained a reputation in the real estate sector as a pioneer of sustainability and driver of digitalization. Drees & Sommer have more than 6,500 employees at 70 locations. Inter-disciplinary teams working on 6,872 projects worldwide pursue the goal of creating a livable future and uniting apparent opposites: tradition and future, analog and digital, efficiency and well-being. As entrepreneurs within the company, the personally responsible partners at Drees & Sommer are committed to this mission.