In a complex market, you have to work harder and smarter than the rest.

From all-round real estate player to European last-mile specialist. On entrepreneurship at scale, data-driven asset management, and why rapid growth is primarily a people challenge.

When Wouter Dijkman joined Mileway five years ago, the company was still relatively young. For him, however, it didn’t feel like a leap into the unknown but a logical next step.

After starting at Multi Corporation in retail real estate—where he worked closely with retailers across Europe—he learned one core lesson: real estate success depends on the success of the user. “If the business owner does well, the property owner does well too.” This direct link between tenant and owner became his real estate DNA. At CBRE Investment Management, he broadened his perspective. He worked on the growth and sustainability challenges of urban environments by investing in inner-city projects across various asset classes—from retail and offices to student housing and logistics. Central to this was understanding the complex dynamics of cities: stakeholder management, public and policy agendas, mobility, and livability.
“At Mileway, everything came together,” says Dijkman. “The focus on tenants, the real estate perspective, and urban dynamics.” Mileway is fully focused on last-mile logistics: real estate close to major cities and logistic gateways, where speed, accessibility, and flexibility are crucial.

Young, yet mature

Dijkman still calls Mileway a young company—not referring to professionalism, but to culture. “From day one, it felt like a mature organization,” he says. “Institutional professional, but with a strong entrepreneurial spirit.”

That entrepreneurship is essential in a segment that is rapidly professionalizing. Mileway manages a portfolio of around 14 million m² across Europe, spread over nearly 1,600 assets in ten countries. In the Netherlands alone, it manages about 2 million m² of last-mile real estate. Mileway is not a ‘big box’ player but operates in a fine-meshed network within urban logistics. From 27 offices, the company serves 9,000 customers across Europe, about 1,600 of whom are in the Netherlands—ranging from SMEs to national and international chains.

Real estate is a people business

As Country Director for the Netherlands, Dijkman is responsible for a portfolio ranging from units of a few hundred to tens of thousands of square meters. The scale is large, but the philosophy remains local and customer-focused. His most important leadership lesson in recent years? Focus on what matters, dare to make choices, and ensure everyone is involved.

Mileway employs over 500 people across ten countries. Within this international organization, people come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ways of working. “The biggest challenge is making sure is on the same wavelength.” says Dijkman. Rapid growth requires fast team building. According to him, the greatest risk in scaling up is not the real estate, but having the right team.

Early player in last-mile

Mileway was an early entrant in the last-mile segment. According to Dijkman, it was clear from the start that this would become a structurally large segment. The macro trends are clear: e-commerce is growing, cities are densifying, and supply chains are becoming shorter and more flexible. Companies want to be closer to the consumer. This demands logistics real estate within or on the edge of cities.

The portfolio quickly grew to about 14 million m² in Europe, making Mileway the largest last-mile logistics real estate provider in Europe.

From fragmented market to data-driven platform

Last-mile logistics was long a fragmented market: many small owners, limited transparency, and little scale. Mileway deliberately chose scale and data. With thousands of lease contracts—in Europe averaging one transaction every hour and daily in the Netherlands—the company has up-to-date information on rent levels, incentives, expansion demand, and sector developments.

“We have data on rents, occupancy rates, and yield trends at scale. This enables us to make far more data-driven decisions than players with smaller portfolios.” This scale translates not only into efficiency but also into a stronger market position. With about 2.3 million m² and roughly 1,600 tenants in the Netherlands, Mileway has daily insight into what’s really happening in the market. Units range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of square meters, offering both flexibility and insight.

This becomes concrete in practice. A logistics company in the aviation sector started as a startup in one of our units. By actively supporting their expansion, the company was able to increase its space tenfold within our portfolio. Thanks to our broad range of unit sizes, customers can scale efficiently, supporting their growth while strengthening long-term relationships. This also brings clear benefits for us.

Larger companies with expansion needs across multiple locations are also served. By aligning their growth plans with our existing portfolio, we can respond directly to their needs and offer multiple assets in one go. “We facilitate growth,” says Dijkman. “And thanks to our scale, we can do this in a structured way.”

From vacancy to strong cashflow

The strategy is also visible at asset level. At a property in Westhavenweg, we are executing a redevelopment into a modern, gas-free and fully leased industrial property. Not through large-scale demolition, but by smartly using what was already there: existing structure, connections, and location quality. By upgrading and making the building more sustainable, it became relevant again for modern users. The result: from vacancy to full occupancy, market-conform and future-proof leases, an improved risk profile, and stable long-term cashflow with demonstrable value appreciation. “This is where we make the difference,” says Dijkman. “Through accretive investment and leasing of space that suits the needs of our customer base.”

Brown to Green: greening prime locations

Mileway consciously chooses to redevelop and revitalize existing real estate in urban areas. This offers a huge opportunity: transforming proven prime locations to meet today’s standards while retaining their strategic advantages. These locations already have the right permits, utilities, and facilities, making fast and efficient sustainability upgrades possible. This is not just about sustainability requirements but about future-proofing proven real estate.

Since 2022, Mileway has achieved significant reductions in scope 1 and 2 emissions. Installed solar capacity amounts to around 35 MWp. For Dijkman, sustainability is both a prerequisite and a competitive advantage. “Our customers demand it. Regulations enforce it. But ultimately, it’s simply better real estate.”

Complex market? Then you have to get better

Regulations, grid congestion, nitrogen, PFAS, geopolitical uncertainty—many forces make the market more complex than a few years ago. “In an easy market, success comes more naturally,” says Dijkman. “In a difficult market, it’s different. Of course, I believe many things can and should change, but we must focus on what we can influence. Where can we make a difference?” This translates into an active problem-solving mindset, such as implementing temporary energy management systems, bundling energy contracts, engaging differently with existing customers, and quicker asset-level optimizations. “What goes wrong doesn’t matter; what matters is what we can do to help our customers grow.”

The next five years

According to Dijkman, the strategy rests on three pillars: urban focus—real estate where businesses want to be; data-driven asset management—using scale to make better decisions; and sustainable transformation—future-proofing existing buildings.

With a European portfolio of around 14 million m², thousands of tenants, and a firmly embedded sustainability agenda, Mileway is not simply a logistics real estate investor. It is a scalable, insight-driven platform that leverages data, has expertise in sustainability best practices, and engages in active management and accretive investment to shape a more responsible future for urban logistics
Or as Dijkman sums it up: “We’re here to help businesses thrive. When they succeed, we succeed. And in a complex market, you have to work harder and smarter than the rest.”

Source: “In een complexe markt moet je harder en slimmer werken dan de rest” | Vastgoeddata