Güstrow as an investment location for real estate
Profile: Major center in the district of Rostock with a solid population base and developed housing stock
Güstrow is the medium-sized/upper center town in the district of Rostock with around 28,959 inhabitants as of 2024 estimate with an area of 71.09 km² and around 407 inhabitants/km², which indicates a sustainable, albeit not high-density demand base in the region between Rostock and the Mecklenburg Lake District. Municipal analyses document a long period of declining, recently stabilized population development; the municipal monitoring showed 30,441 people (including secondary residences) based on the population register as of 31.12.2020, which was methodically above the state/census values and is used for small-scale control. The housing stock is concentrated in Südstadt and Schweriner Viertel (together around 36.6% of apartments in 2022), followed by Altstadt, Rostocker Viertel, Weststadt and Distelberg, which provides a clear core of demand-active neighborhoods for portfolio strategies.
Accessibility, commuting corridors and neighborhood development as demand levers
Güstrow is closely linked to Rostock via regional/rail connections; direct trains connect the cities in around 22-29 minutes with around 38 connections daily, which favors commuter-oriented rentability in locations close to the railroad station and city centre. The Warnow transport association and regional bus networks (rebus) ensure fine-tuned connections in the city and district, which means that non-central districts are also well integrated. The city and municipal utilities are also driving forward energy-efficient neighbourhood concepts, for example for the southern part of the city around the Goldberger Viertel (KfW "Energetic Urban Redevelopment" programme), with a focus on building modernization, renewable heat/energy and climate-friendly mobility - a substantial ESG lever for existing buildings and operating cost profiles. In the old town, ISEK/centre promotion has promoted quality of stay and building renovations (including the redesign of Langestraße), which has qualified the historically valuable but partly in need of renovation building fabric as a mixed residential and mixed-use location.
Investment theses: Core in public transport/city center locations, value-add via ESG and old town redevelopment
Core profiles are recommended in refurbished properties close to the railroad station and city center as well as in large districts with strong demand (Südstadt, Schweriner Viertel), supported by the fast Rostock connection and the secure local supply basis for stable cash flows and low fluctuation. Value-add potential lies in energy modernization, district heating/PV retrofitting and ground floor repositioning, particularly in Südstadt sub-areas with ongoing neighbourhood concepts as well as in old town and Gründerzeit locations, where ISEK-supported upgrading further improves rentability. Demographically, medium- to long-term sideways to slightly declining population paths are modeled, which suggests a micro-location-sensitive selection and conservative assumptions; at the same time, the regional connectivity to Rostock and the targeted urban/neighbourhood development ensure the viability of suitable locations in Güstrow.
Standard land values for Güstrow
The standard land values for Güstrow can be found in the standard land values for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern here.