The residential sector showed clear growth in 2025
Investment volume increased by 33% to €5.2 billion, confirming the market’s recovery. At the same time, a large share of investments focused on privatisation strategies. Due to the sale of rental homes to owner-occupiers, around 7,000 homes again disappeared from the rental market in 2025. Supply is shrinking, while demand remains consistently high. A positive development is the rise in new-build investments to €2.7 billion, despite the absence of foreign capital.
At the same time, opportunities are emerging in the student housing market. Demand remains stable, while supply is declining due to the privatization of student complexes, particularly by private investors. This has resulted in a shortage of roughly 21,500 units. For 2026, CBRE expects increased activity, with a clear shift towards new-build and existing operational assets. The focus will be on student housing, senior living, and other ESG-compliant residential segments.
Download the PDF to read the full analysis.
Curious about our analyses and expectations for the real estate sectors in the coming investment year?
Find out in our new Real Estate Market Outlook 2026.