Signature: The woman behind Munich’s most exclusive properties

With the Signature Team, RIEDEL will in future be focusing specifically on Munich’s most exceptional properties. What sets this work apart from the rest of the business?

It is less a market in the traditional sense than a world unto itself. For a stately home in Bogenhausen or a lakeside villa, there are only a handful of potential buyers – and just as few sellers. Much of this never takes place publicly; a large proportion of these properties change hands discreetly, outside of online portals. That is precisely why we set up the Signature Team: not because the figures involved are different, but because the nature of the work is different. It is about confidentiality, highly personalised advice and patience. These are often properties cherished by their owners, with a history of their own, to which families are deeply attached – not investment products. Whether I’m assisting an owner with a sale or giving a buyer access to a house that will never appear on the open market: in both cases, my most important tool is discretion.

What do people look for when buying in this sector?

Contrary to what one might assume, it is less and less about square metres or fixtures and fittings alone. That is taken for granted. What matters is a feeling: of belonging, of privacy, and of a house being the right fit for a particular stage of life. We are currently seeing many prospective buyers coming to Munich from other cities, most recently in increasing numbers from Berlin. For them, Munich combines economic strength and urban life with something that has become rare: reliability, security and proximity to nature. The need for privacy is strong and understandable: many of these families are in the public eye through their work and want exactly the opposite at home. There are only a few places in Germany where such locations can be found, and in Munich there are very few indeed. That is what makes every single property special.

What does the work behind a single property listing involve?

It’s far more extensive than it appears from the outside. Before a property is even put on the market, we often have it re-surveyed, document the history of the house and create a bespoke property brochure that is accessible only to a very small, vetted group of people. When it comes to home staging, we’re not interested in creating a spectacle, but in ensuring that a spacious room doesn’t feel like a hall, but like a home. We want people to sense, the moment they step inside, what life here might feel like.

For buyers, our greatest value lies in access: we know owners who will only sell under the strictest confidentiality and at the right time. These doors aren’t opened via a property portal, but through relationships that have grown over the years. Ultimately, it’s bespoke work, and that’s exactly what I appreciate about this profession.

What support does RIEDEL provide you with for this role?

A great deal. RIEDEL started out in 1982 as a small family business. My parents-in-law began with just one employee. That ethos has remained, even though we’re now significantly larger and have a number of additional in-house departments, such as the marketing studio and the finance brokerage. For the Signature segment, this depth of support is immensely valuable: behind every individual adviser stands an entire team.

One point is particularly important to me in this regard: our estate agents work on a solid fixed salary, not solely on commission. That may sound like a minor detail, but it’s crucial: nobody here has to close a deal at any cost. We can even tell a client that now isn’t the right time, or advise against a particular property. This independence is the foundation of honest advice. And honest advice is, essentially, what we offer.