The importance of a central CREM unit is also reflected in its hierarchical deployment. By a direct reporting line to a board member an optimum enforcement power is ensured. Parallel to this a clear P&L-responsibility has to be introduced, provided that a suitable standard of cost allocation for corporate real estate services can be agreed on with the users. The central CREM unit takes full responsibility for operating performance (i.e., P&L) and acts as a Profit Center. If in addition the responsibility for real estate investments and disinvestments is assigned, the unit can also act as an investment center.

Bundling CREM functions in an independent legal entity means to go one step further. It allows the company to incorporate third-party investments into the corporate real estate portfolio without losing influence on business-critical property, as it would happen when selling real estate to a third-party. The short-term profit orientation going along with the spin-off of real estate functions, bares the risk of compromising the long-term, strategic utilization of corporate real estate resources.

In addition to shaping the structural organization and assigning the hierarchical position of CREM functions, it is important to optimally design real estate management processes. Even though operational services can be extensively transferred to external providers, it is required to particularly design effective and efficient management and control processes.