According to new data from BNP Paribas Real Estate (BNPPRE), investment in commercial real estate fell 14% in Germany in the first six months of this year, with investment volumes of just 9.7 billion Euros during the period.
This is far from ideal given that German real estate has long been a beacon of stability in Europe. That said - the residential market is currently Germany's biggest player, with investors and funds from around the world buying up apartments by the block-load.
On the commercial side, office buildings performed best in 1H according to BNPPRE, with 40% of all transactions being in the office sector. Retail property was second in line with around 33% of transactions, followed by logistics complexes, which made up 9% of all transactions. Some would say surprisingly, hotels didn't do so well; in fact their share of 4% of all transactions was much lower than in 2011 BNP said.
According to the report foreign buyers were responsible for 32%, which BNP said is about the same as last year. It also recorded a break-down or the top 6 locations, Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich, which collectively recorded a 17% decline in investment volumes to 4.7 billion Euros. Investment in all locations fell by a double-digit percentage margin, with the sole exception of Munich.