Markets
Residential rents now rising faster than prices as buyers fall away
Residential rents are now rising much faster than prices in Germany's large and medium-sized cities, as thwarted potential buyers re-commit to the rental market, and immigration helps to push up housing demand from below, according to a new study jus Read more
5 Feb 2023
Frankfurt's banks leasing ever less space, vacancies heading upwards
They may still be the biggest employers in town, but Frankfurt's banks have been renting less and less office space in the German banking metropolis. At a presentation of a new study last week in Frankfurt by advisors Cushman & Wakefield, attended by Read more
5 Feb 2023
German retail market at a crossroads
Germany’s retail market is at a crossroads. With the market still reeling from Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof filing for insolvency for the second time in two years in November, some investors are pushing ahead with retail investment. But, for many in the Read more
3 Feb 2023
Operating costs for offices spiral since COVID
Offices in Germany are facing something of a Catch 22: they are being used less yet operating costs have spiraled by as much as 37% since COVID, according to the latest operating cost report from the Building Academy Performance Management. This fig Read more
31 Jan 2023
As inflation bites, tenants' groups decry rise in index-linked rents
The trend towards the index-linking of new residential lease agreements in Germany has been sharply criticised by the nationwide tenants' association Read more
30 Jan 2023
40% of German properties have the lowest energy rating
Germany's residential housing market is effectively being 'split up' into properties that are saleable and those that will have difficulty finding a buyer, according to a new study by advisors JLL and real estate portal ImmoScout24. Read more
30 Jan 2023
Austrian residential real estate sees prices flatlining, construction halting
What's been happening in the Austrian property market over the past year, as its northern and larger neighbour Germany adjusts to new realities driven by strong inflation and rising interest rates? A similar development in the Austrian residential pr Read more
16 Jan 2023
Housing valuations feeling impact of utility charges
Christian Lindner, Germany's finance minister, said it loud and clear when he spoke to the more than 2,000 delegates at this summer's ZIA gathering of industry representatives in Berlin, including REFIRE. The "Warmmiete" is what tenants are going Read more
16 Jan 2023
Investment in European student housing hits record high
Student housing is high on investors’ wish lists in Europe as its resilience and ability to weather a broader downturn are increasingly making it a no-brainer for investors. The total volume of investment in European student accommodation in the fir Read more
16 Dec 2022
Hamburg drives initiative to impose cap on index-linked leases
With residential rents continuing to rise steadily in Germany's big cities, the left-of-centre SPD party in Germany's ruling coalition is making moves to introduce a cap on the maximum permissible annual rent increase, even when lease contracts are i Read more
16 Dec 2022