What GWU Eckernförde eG does

GWU Eckernförde eG is a registered German housing cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft) founded in 1920 and headquartered in Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein. It owns and manages residential property across six locations — Eckernförde, Kiel, Schleswig, Rendsburg, Gettorf, and Kronshagen — comprising approximately 2,969 owned apartments (plus a managed portfolio approaching 5,000 units) and serving 4,852 cooperative members as of 2024, with 783 apartments (26% of the owned stock) classified as socially subsidized.

The cooperative operates a vertically integrated model through four subsidiaries: NHV Hausverwaltung (property management), EUS GmbH (in-house handicraft and maintenance services, founded 2016, 39 employees), NEV Energieversorgung (energy supply, founded 2022), and GWU EB GmbH (real estate development). In 2023 the balance sheet totaled EUR 211.1 million (up from EUR 197.6 million in 2022), with an annual surplus of EUR 3.1 million and modernization capex of EUR 16.3 million; the company added a net 77 apartments to its owned stock during the year and is pursuing climate neutrality by 2045, beginning with 240 apartments scheduled for heat-pump and photovoltaic retrofits in 2024. Customer-facing technology is limited to the "Neela" NLP chatbot for tenant inquiries, and the cooperative maintains an active apprenticeship and vocational outreach program.

The business model is rent-based and member-funded: members purchase cooperative shares entitling them to tenancy, while surplus is reinvested into stock maintenance, new construction, and energy retrofits rather than distributed as profit. The combination of regulated cooperative status, multi-decade community ties, and integrated subsidiary stack creates durable local dominance in Eckernförde and a measured expansion footprint across Schleswig-Holstein, with growth paced by capital reinvestment rather than external leverage or rapid M&A.

Name

GWU Eckernförde eG

Legal name

Genossenschaftliches Wohnungsunternehmen Eckernförde eG

Website

https://gwu-eck.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GWU Eckernförde eG is a Schleswig-Holstein housing cooperative founded in 1920 that owns ~2,969 apartments and manages ~5,000 units across six cities, serving 4,852 members through a vertically integrated stack of property management, maintenance, energy supply, and development subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Housing Services

NAICS

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (531110), Residential Property Managers (531311)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative (Co-op) Housing Association Management (BPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Cooperative housing services
• Rental apartments
• Social housing
• Property management
• Residential real estate

Headquarters

HQ city

Eckernförde, Schleswig-Holstein

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Apartment Rental: Primary revenue from renting approximately 2,969 owned apartments to members and tenants. Rental income constitutes the main source of operating revenue. The cooperative offers both market-rate and socially subsidized housing.
2. Membership Fees: Members pay membership fees to join the cooperative. As of 2023, the cooperative had 4,852 members.
3. Subsidiary Services: Revenue from subsidiary companies including property management (NHV), energy supply (NEV), handcraft services (EUS), and real estate development (GWU EB)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GWU Eckernförde eG is a registered housing cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft) that provides rental apartments to its members and tenants in the Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany. As of end of 2023, it directly owns approximately 2,969 apartments (including 783 socially subsidized units) across six locations and serves 4,852 cooperative members. The cooperative also offers turnkey purchase properties, new construction projects, housing subsidies, and complementary tenant services through its subsidiaries covering energy supply, handcraft trades, property management, and real estate development.

Product overview

GWU Eckernförde eG is a housing cooperative offering a unified platform of housing services including rental apartments, purchase properties, and new construction projects. The company provides digital services including Neela (24/7 chatbot assistant), the Serviceportal (tenant portal), GWU Service App (mobile application), and Pick-Up-Box (24/7 mailbox service). The portfolio includes Wohnungsangebote (rental housing), Kaufimmobilien (properties for sale), Neubauprojekte (new construction), and Wohnraumförderung (housing subsidies). These products and services are interconnected through the digital platform enabling tenants to access housing, manage their rentals, and communicate with the cooperative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Neela: Virtual assistant chatbot available 24/7 to answer tenant questions about rental contracts, deposits, parking spaces and other housing-related topics
• GREENBLUE_45
• GWU Service App
• GWU Serviceportal

Products and services

• Wohnungsangebote (Rental Housing)

Quantifiable outcome

• 77 additional apartments added to portfolio in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NEV Energieversorgung GmbHcoreOthers · 1 January 2022Energy supply subsidiary founded in 2022 to independently supply new buildings and energetically modernized buildings with heat. Handles heating system portfolio management and data infrastructure.
• EUS GmbHcoreOthers · 1 January 2016Handcraft and engineering subsidiary established in 2016 as the first subsidiary. Employs 39 workers including painters, electricians, tilers, and caretakers for maintenance and new construction.
• Verband Norddeutscher Wohnungsunternehmen e.V. (VNW)coreOthersVNW is the interest and audit association for member companies from Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein. GWU is a member and subject to their statutory audit requirements. The VNW also provides data protection officer services (Nicola Olivier serves as DSB).
• GdW Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen e.V.coreOthersNational-level association representing housing companies across Germany. GWU is a member of this umbrella organization.
• IHK Schleswig-HolsteinminorOthersChamber of Industry and Commerce for Schleswig-Holstein. GWU holds membership for regulatory and business purposes.
• AGV Arbeitgeberverband der Deutschen Immobilienwirtschaft e.V.minorOthersEmployers' association for the German real estate industry.
• ARGE Arbeitsgemeinschaft für zeitgemäßes Bauen e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch association for the promotion of science and research as well as environmental protection in construction.
• IfG Forschungsgesellschaft für Genossenschaftswesen Münster e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch society for cooperative studies. GWU participates in cooperative research initiatives.
• NHV Hausverwaltung GmbHcoreOthersFull-service property management company handling all aspects of real estate and WEG (community of owners) administration.
• GWU EB GmbHminorOthersReal estate developer subsidiary operating in partnership with Eckernförder Bank for property developer sales.
• Eckernförder BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal bank partnership for real estate developer sales (Bauträgervertrieb) through GWU EB GmbH.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• LEG Immobilien AG: Listed German residential real estate company focused on North Rhine-Westphalia with ~160,000+ units. Overlaps with GWU on rental housing operations and energy-efficient modernization programs, but operates as a for-profit public company.
• TAG Immobilien AG: German listed residential property company with ~85,000 apartments across northern and eastern Germany. Overlaps with GWU's northern German footprint and rental housing model, but as a publicly traded for-profit company.
• SAGA Siedlungs-Aktiengesellschaft Hamburg: Hamburg's municipal housing company with ~140,000 apartments. Similar mix of subsidized and market-rate rental housing to GWU, with comparable public-affordable mission, though at much larger scale and in a stronger urban market.
• GWG Städtische Wohnungsgesellschaft München mbH: Munich's municipal housing company providing subsidized and market-rate rental housing. Comparable in mission and dual market (subsidized + free-market) structure to GWU, though operating in a structurally stronger urban market at much larger scale.
• Sahle Wohnen GmbH & Co. KG: Family-owned German residential property company with several thousand apartments in North Rhine-Westphalia. Comparable in integrated property management, modernization, and tenant services orientation, but operating as a private family-run firm rather than a cooperative.
• Vonovia SE: Europe's largest residential property company with ~500,000+ German apartments. Operates in the same residential rental sector as GWU but at vastly greater scale, as a publicly listed for-profit incumbent rather than a cooperative.

Direct peers

• Bauverein Glückstadt eG: Small Schleswig-Holstein housing cooperative operating rental housing for its members. Highly comparable in legal form, regional market, and scale to GWU.
• Bauverein Bremen eG: Housing cooperative in Bremen with several thousand member-rented apartments. Same German Wohnungsgenossenschaft structure and member-driven rental housing model as GWU Eckernförde eG.
• Lübecker Bauverein eG: Housing cooperative in Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein. Same eingetragene Genossenschaft structure, same regional northern German market, and same member-tenant model as GWU Eckernförde eG.
• Wankendorfer Baugenossenschaft eG: Registered housing cooperative (Wohnungsgenossenschaft) headquartered in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. Same legal structure, same regional footprint, and same member-owned rental housing model as GWU Eckernförde eG — making it the closest functional peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gwu.eck
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gwu-eck

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 GWU Eckernförde eG