Nordics boom as investors move focus to residential

Investors’ focus has shifted from commercial property to residential in the Nordics, according to Catella.

The investment manager has released figures showing transaction volumes in 2018 increased by 2 percent from 2017, to reach €44.3 billion ($49.8 billion). Although the office sector remains the popular sector for investors, residential real estate is experiencing steadily rising demand across the region. Retail properties followed in third place in terms of transaction volume in 2018.

Overall, the share of international investors decreased by 25 percent in the Nordics last year, mainly due to a retreat in transactions by U.S. and Asian investors. However, foreign investment volumes in the residential sector increased significantly, by some 66 percent, the highest result ever recorded in the region.

Sweden reached the highest transaction volume of all the Nordic countries with deals totaling €14.86 billion ($16.7 billion), while Norway was the second st