Continental Europe transaction volume up 12% in Q1 2017

The total real estate investment in continental Europe reached €38.9 billion ($42 billion) during the first quarter 2017, up 12 percent from the first quarter 2016, according to CBRE.

The total investment volume for the whole continent of Europe, including the United Kingdom, was €53.9 billion ($58.6 billion), compared with €54.7 billion ($59 billion) in the same period last year.

Germany, with investment volume reaching €12.6 billion ($13.7 billion) during the first quarter 2017, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain and Sweden all posted record totals in the first quarter.

“Continental European markets continued to perform strongly in the first quarter of 2017 with investors paying premium pricing for the highest quality product,” said Jonathan Hull, managing direct of investment properties, EMEA at CBRE. “Germany has been a primary focus for core property assets and is likely to continue to be seen as a safe haven for global capital. Sentiment in central London remains very positive with overseas buyers, notably from Asia, dominating the market, particularly for larger assets. The upturn we have seen in central London should, in turn, have a positive impact on demand for the U.K. regions.”