Mrs Mütter, in which area do you work for Engel & Völkers?

Mütter: Since I started working as a property consultant at Engel & Völkers 17 years ago, I have been involved in the sale of historic villas in Potsdam.

What has particularly inspired and fascinated you over the years?

Mütter: It wasn't just the interest in the various architectural styles of past centuries that fascinated me in their richness of detail, but above all the life stories of the often prominent builders and architects of these houses. To this end, I did a lot of research in the City of Potsdam's monument archive and in existing literature and learnt a lot in conversations with members of heir communities scattered around the world.

That sounds exciting! Which of these stories do you particularly remember?

Mütter: The Adlon family's guest house on Lehnitzsee, Villa Hagen on Jungfernsee and the properties of the descendants of Otto Preuß, the father of the Weimar Constitution, are just a few examples of interesting encounters and exciting, but often sad stories of prominent families who lived in these houses. In the course of your career at Engel & Völkers, you have been involved in the sale of many historic properties.

What makes these dream properties so appealing?

Mütter: Then as now, the focus of wealthy Potsdam enthusiasts was on the waterfront locations of our city. Many prestigious villas line the banks of the Havel like pearls on a string. Historic villas on Heiligen See and Griebnitzsee were and are particularly popular due to their urban location. Only a few of these dream locations and dream homes have come onto the market in recent years and have generally been sold quickly to well-funded buyers.

Which sold property are you particularly proud of?

Mütter: We were particularly proud of the sale of Villa Rumpf and the "White Villa" - certainly the best-known villas on Heiligen See in Potsdam. Until around 2017, it was still possible to sell a property in this wonderful location to interested parties, but today this is only possible with special customer proximity and a great deal of experience.

A property with a waterfront location - is that still possible in Potsdam?

Mütter: A prestigious villa with the charm of an old building no longer necessarily has to be on the waterfront. Knowing full well that such locations are hard to find, villas on the "land side" have also come to the attention of discerning customers in recent years. As a result, magnificent properties such as the Villa Sarre in the Babelsberg villa colony or the Reinhold Persius Villa owned by the Franke family opposite Sanssouci Palace Park have found a new owner through us.