Real Estate M&A

UBS AG, as the owner and majority occupant of the landmarked building located at "Rue du Molard 8" in the center of Geneva, intended to vacate the self-occupied offices by mid-year 2005 and sell the building. From this point on UBS would operate a 24-hour automated banking teller on the ground level of the building and together with other tenants occupy only 22% of the building.

Real Estate M&A was mandated to sell the building and for this purpose conducted a limited auction with national and international investors. The sale of such a noteworthy building was a closely watched, high profile transaction, within the bank as well as externally. Therefore a democratic and transparent sales process proved all the more important.

The foreseeable vacancy coupled with special requirements related to landmarked buildings as well as the necessary discretion proved this transaction to be truly challenging. The sale was successfully completed to an Asian investor in June 2005 at one of the highest square meter prices ever realized for office space in Geneva.