Lars von Lackum: „Eine Mietwohnung ist nie nur Vermögensgegenstand“

Lars von Lackum, born in Duisburg, has been the chief executive officer of LEG Immobilien, Germany's second largest real estate company, since 2019. LEG Immobilien owns over 170,000 apartments, predominantly in North Rhine-Westphalia. Prior to joining LEG, von Lackum worked in the insurance industry, managing Ergo's international liability business as a graduate in business administration and law.

When asked about the biggest untapped potential in the real estate sector, von Lackum highlighted the need for improvements in the existing apartment inventory, both in terms of decarbonization and utilization. The current regulation, he noted, artificially keeps apartment rents low while new rentals command significantly higher prices.

This disparity has led to many people being unable to afford to move, even if their current apartment no longer suits their needs, and prospective renters finding no suitable options available.

A pivotal moment in von Lackum's understanding of the real estate market occurred during his youth when he accompanied his father, then CEO of TLG Immobilien, on visits to neglected apartment stock in former East Germany. These experiences shaped his perspective on the multifaceted roles apartments play in people's lives, serving as homes, key identification points, and crucial stability anchors.

In terms of upcoming projects, von Lackum expressed particular enthusiasm for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the business world. Currently, AI is utilized in LEG Immobilien to streamline the processing of expense calculations for operational costs, reducing errors and speeding up the process. However, von Lackum stressed that AI should augment human decision-making, not replace it.

The next step, he emphasized, is to scale these AI applications across more processes to enhance speed, efficiency, and overall service for customers.