GWS

What GWS does

GWS (Gesellschaft für Wohnungs- und Siedlungsbau) is a private German housing company headquartered at Herderstraße 1, 91301 Forchheim, in the Bavarian region of Germany. Founded in 1985 and operating with 11-50 employees, GWS manages residential rental housing stock for tenants (Mieter) and, to a lesser extent, business customers (Geschäftskunden) in the Forchheim area. Its core offering is rental housing and property administration (Wohnungsvermietung und -verwaltung), delivered alongside digital tenant services including an online application form (Online-Bewerbungsformular), a damage reporting channel (Schadensmeldung), and an emergency on-call hotline (Notdienst).

GWS does not operate a proprietary technology stack; it relies on standard property management systems and uses Microsoft Office 365 for tenant appointment booking. The company operates as one of four founding members of the 'Haus der Wohnungswirtschaft' partnership, alongside WVG (Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft), WSG, and Joseph-Stiftung. These four long-established Forchheim housing organizations share a single headquarters, enabling bundled competencies and central, efficient management of local housing stock while preserving each member's autonomy. Marketing and customer acquisition are conducted primarily through the partnership website (hdww-forchheim.de) and direct walk-in engagement at the Forchheim office.

GWS generates revenue through recurring residential rental income, with rental rates determined by apartment size, location, and amenities but not publicly disclosed. Pricing is opaque; prospective tenants apply through the online portal. The company has no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no patents or trademarks. Strategic activity is concentrated in the partnership structure and incremental digital service launches rather than geographic or vertical expansion.

Name

GWS

Legal name

GWS

Website

https://gws-forchheim.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GWS (Gesellschaft für Wohnungs- und Siedlungsbau) is a private Forchheim, Germany housing company founded in 1985 that manages residential rental properties for individual tenants and, to a lesser extent, business customers as one of four partners in the 'Haus der Wohnungswirtschaft' partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Property Management

NAICS

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

HOA/Community Rules Management & Neighbor Relations (THAMAKAN)

Keywords

• Residential property rental
• Housing management services
• Apartment leasing
• Property management
• Tenant services

Headquarters

HQ city

Forchheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Residential Rental Income: GWS generates revenue through residential property rentals, providing safe and affordable housing units to tenants in the Forchheim region. The company manages housing stock in partnership with other local housing organizations.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

GWS is a private residential housing company operating in Forchheim, Germany that manages and rents apartments as part of the "Haus der Wohnungswirtschaft" partnership alongside WVG, WSG, and Joseph-Stiftung. It provides property management, tenant administration, and resident support services including an online application form, damage reporting, and an emergency hotline.

Product overview

GWS operates as part of a cooperative housing management partnership (GWS, WVG, WSG, and Joseph-Stiftung) under the 'Haus der Wohnungswirtschaft' brand in Forchheim. The offering is a single unified housing management service rather than a modular software platform. Core services include apartment rental and property management, complemented by digital tenant services such as an online application form, damage reporting, and an emergency hotline. The companies share infrastructure and customer service operations while maintaining individual business autonomy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Apartment Rental and Management

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WVG (Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner organization within the Haus der Wohnungswirtschaft. WVG is one of four housing organizations (GWS, WVG, WSG, Joseph-Stiftung) sharing a common headquarters location in Forchheim. The partnership enables bundled competencies and efficient management of local housing stock while maintaining individual company autonomy.
• WSGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner housing organization within the Haus der Wohnungswirtschaft collaborative housing market concept. Together with GWS, WVG, and Joseph-Stiftung, WSG contributes to a comprehensive service portfolio and shared expertise in the Forchheim housing market.
• Joseph-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization within the Haus der Wohnungswirtschaft partnership housing model. As one of the four long-established Forchheim housing companies, Joseph-Stiftung participates in the collaborative approach that bundles competence and performance potential to address housing market challenges while maintaining individual company independence.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• LEG Immobilien SE: One of Germany's leading residential property companies with a portfolio concentrated in North Rhine-Westphalia. Comparable to GWS in business model (rental housing management) though operating at much larger scale and in a different region.
• Vivawest Wohnen GmbH: Large German residential housing company with ~120,000 apartments in North Rhine-Westphalia. Comparable in operating model — owning, managing, and renting residential housing — though at significantly larger scale than GWS.
• Deutsche Wohnen SE: Major German residential property company managing tens of thousands of apartments, primarily in Berlin and other urban centers. Directly comparable to GWS's core business of renting and managing residential housing stock, but at significantly larger scale.
• Vonovia SE: Germany's largest residential real estate company with a portfolio of ~500,000 apartments. Comparable to GWS as a residential landlord and property manager operating in Germany, though vastly larger in scale and geographically diversified.
• Wüstenrot & Württembergische AG: German financial services and residential real estate group with housing operations including Wohnungsgesellschaft. Comparable in residential property management activity, though embedded within a broader insurance and banking group.
• TAG Immobilien AG: German residential real estate company focused on affordable housing in Northern and Eastern Germany. Comparable in business activity (residential rental management) but with broader geographic reach and larger portfolio.
• Grand City Properties SA: German-focused residential real estate company with a portfolio of tens of thousands of units, primarily in urban and metropolitan areas. Comparable as a German residential landlord and property manager but operates at much broader scale.
• Heimstaden AB: European residential real estate company with growing operations in Germany. Comparable in core activity — owning and managing residential rental housing — though at much broader European scale than GWS.

Regional players

• Bayerische Versorgungskammer: Bavaria-based public sector real estate investor with significant residential holdings across Bavaria. Comparable as a Bavarian regional residential property owner/operator, though much larger and institutionally structured versus GWS's local cooperative model.

Direct peers

• Joseph-Stiftung Kirchliches Wohnungsunternehmen: Direct co-located partner of GWS within the 'Haus der Wohnungswirtschaft' in Forchheim. Operates as a not-for-profit housing company providing residential rental housing in the same region, sharing headquarters, customer service operations, and strategic collaboration with GWS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gws-forchheim

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GWS