Investment in European living assets exceeded all other property sectors in the second quarter of 2023. JLL revealed that the €10.6 billion channelled into the combined subsectors of multifamily, student accommodation and healthcare accounted for 32 percent of the €32.7 billion of direct real estate investment — the highest proportion recorded by JLL since it began tracking the sector in 2006.

This latest zenith for the European living sector is a sure sign that investors have recognised the resilience of the sector, which both diversifies real estate portfolios and capitalises on clear social and demographic trends. In a recent instalment of a series of reports on residential property, Principal Real Estate identified four “pervasive and structural” changes that are affecting the type of accommodation people are demanding: increasing urbanisation; shifting demographic growth and income patterns; sustainability and affordability; and changing lifestyles. These facto