- Tangible assets are a unique asset class in which assets (from real estate to commodities and precious metals to infrastructure and renewable energies) have real tangible value.
- Tangible assets tend to perform independently of the stock market and the related typical fluctuations. They thus act as a stability anchor in the portfolio, especially in periods of high volatility and geopolitical uncertainty.
- Tangible assets are diverse: Make sure that you are either oriented towards tangible assets with a sufficiently large market or that you have sufficient expertise to be able to trade in niche markets.
- Particularly in combination with conventional investments such as shares or bonds, investments in tangible assets can be a good addition to your portfolio and provide additional risk diversification.
- Tangible asset funds offer you a solid middle ground, for example, in order to participate in forward-looking tangible assets such as renewable energy and at the same time ensure balanced risk diversification. With the ELTIF 2.0 reform, such tangible asset funds have been accessible to private investors since 2024, even without a high minimum investment.
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The most important facts at a glance:
Gold, real estate and so on. Tangible assets have been popular with investors for ages and have a firm place in many well-structured portfolios. Tangible assets are primarily used for diversification and value retention, but some collectibles can also be part of high-risk speculation.
Volatile equity markets and geopolitical uncertainty are bringing tangible assets back into focus as stability anchors in the portfolio. “An important argument for investments in tangible assets is their low correlation with other asset classes,” says Dr Nicole Arnold, Member of the Management Board of Commerz Real AG1. Investments such as real estate, infrastructure and renewable energies are less closely linked to daily stock market movements. They often generate current cash flows from rentals or the sale of electricity and are therefore considered relatively crisis-resistant.
But how crisis-resistant are they really? What opportunities do investors have when investing in tangible assets? What risks and disadvantages should be taken into account? This much is clear: you should not do without careful planning, broad risk diversification and the careful selection of a suitable investment.
In this guide, you will find the most important information that will help you find your way around the world of tangible assets.
What are tangible assets?
Tangible assets refer to assets of real, physical substance. They have a concrete, material value, such as land or works of art. This means that tangible assets are independent of monetary values and offer protection against asset loss in the event of inflation.
The number and variety of tangible assets is almost endless. In addition to traditional categories such as real estate or land, precious metals such as gold or silver are also particularly popular. Infrastructure investments are also a growing tangible asset category. Watches, special raw materials, automobiles or rare wines are also traded as tangible assets.
What you should be aware of: the more exotic the tangible asset, the smaller and less accessible the corresponding market can be. While the real estate or precious metal market, for example, is international and offers opportunities to buy and sell almost at any time, trade in special works of art or classic cars is more restricted.
Therefore, make sure that you are able to sell your respective tangible asset again, if necessary, without incurring significant losses.
Like any financial investment, tangible assets cannot offer their investors complete protection against the loss of their assets. However, due to the real and measurable equivalent value, a complete loss in value is extremely unlikely when investing in tangible assets.
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klimaVest, the tangible asset fund
You can find out exactly how an investment in one or more tangible assets works here using klimaVest, the fund for renewable energies.
As an ELTIF, klimaVest invests in the tangible asset of renewable energies by investing the fund assets in various European solar and wind power plants. In doing so, the fund and asset management ensures a balanced geographical spread in order to minimise the risks of the individual investments.
For example, wind power plants in Northern Europe will be combined with photovoltaic plants in Spain, supplemented by transmission networks and, in the future, also storage solutions.
By means of power purchase agreements, klimaVest concludes long-term contracts with its partners, who are thus committed to purchasing the electricity produced – often for many years. The fund thus benefits from stable cash flows, which also benefit its investors and provide reliable potential returns.
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Investing in tangible assets: the most important advantages and disadvantages at a glance
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1Source: AnlegerPlus, “The Anchor of Stability for Your Portfolio” (Dr. Nicole Arnold), Issue 06/2025, https://www.anlegerplus.de/
2Source: World Gold Council, Gold Demand Trends Q4 and Full Year 2025, January 29, 2026, https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/gold-demand-trends
3Source: Scope ELTIF Study 2026, https://www.dasinvestment.com/eltif-markt-rekord-bei-neuauflagen-volumen-springt-auf-34-milliarden/
4Source: World Gold Council, “Gold Demand Trends Q4 and Full Year 2025,” January 29, 2026, https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/gold-demand-trends
5Source: World Gold Council, “Gold Demand Trends Q4 and Full Year 2025,” January 29, 2026, https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/gold-demand-trends
6Source: Association of German Pfandbrief Banks (vdp), Real Estate Price Index Q1 2026, Q2/2026, https://www.pfandbrief.de/site/de/vdp/markt/immobilienpreisindex.html
7Source: Capital.com, Gold Price Forecast May 2026, May 4, 2026, https://capital.com/de-de/market-updates/gold-price-forecast-04-05-2026
8Source: IRENA, press release “Record-Breaking Annual Growth in Renewable Power Capacity,” March 26, 2025, https://www.irena.org/News/pressreleases/2025/Mar/Record-Breaking-Annual-Growth-in-Renewable-Power-Capacity