- Business
- Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG (pbb) is a leading European specialist bank focused on commercial real estate finance and public investment finance. The bank provides tailored financing solutions for commercial properties including offices, residential, logistics, retail and mixed-use assets; public sector financing for infrastructure projects; and fixed-term and savings deposit products to private investors via its online platform pbb direkt. It issues Pfandbriefe, including mortgage and public sector covered bonds as well as green bonds, to fund its operations and ranks among the largest issuers in Europe.
Founded in 2009 through the restructuring of legacy institutions tracing back to 1869, pbb maintains its headquarters in Garching bei München, Germany, with domestic branches in Eschborn, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Hamburg, and international offices in Paris, London, Stockholm, Madrid, Amsterdam and New York. The bank operates primarily in Germany, the UK, France, Spain, Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the USA, serving professional property investors, SMEs, regional clients and public sector borrowers. Its shares are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and it is directly supervised by the European Central Bank as a significant institution.
In pursuit of its Strategy 2027, pbb advances diversification into real estate investment solutions through the pending acquisition of a majority stake in Deutsche Investment Group, adding approximately €3 billion in assets under management focused on German residential properties and targeting €4-6 billion by 2027 with 10% of earnings from fees; regulatory approvals are secured with closing on track for Q1 2026. The bank executes a strategic exit from the US market, reducing its US portfolio from €3.3 billion at year-end 2024 to €2.6 billion performing and €1.0 billion non-performing as of Q3 2025 amid volatility, with one-off risk provisions of €314 million recorded in Q2 2025. New business volumes reached €4.0 billion in 9M 2025, up 61% year-on-year with a RoTE of 9%, emphasizing profitable European deals while the overall real estate finance portfolio stands at €27.6 billion; full-year 2025 guidance projects €5.5-6.0 billion new business and a portfolio of €27.5-28.0 billion.