The precarious nature of the global financial markets has done little to curb the appetite of investors seeking safe-haven opportunities within Europe’s key office markets. Persisting economic headwinds have reinforced investors’ “flight to quality” and an increasing focus on wealth preservation has pushed prime office values close to previous peaks.
This time last year, the international investment community seemed evenly divided on the euro zone. Half really hated the market, and the other half simply disliked it. A year later, and the hotels of Madrid are full of US opportunistic investors looking for distressed portfolios, and the German central bank is warning of a housing bubble!
Merger and acquisition activity within the global real estate investment management market resurged in the second half of 2013, as major market players sought to realise renewed global expansion ambitions as we enter an anticipated period of stabilisation and reduced capacity for organic growth.
In a European Union that has been battered by the euro zone sovereign debt crisis, both Slovenia and Croatia — the latter, the European Union’s newest member state — are currently experiencing a severe economic depression. The governments of both countries are under enormous pressure to deliver.
Europe’s CMBS market ground to a full stop as a result of the credit crisis and remained closed to new public issuance until well into 2011. However, 2013 seems to have been a breakthrough year. The question now is whether this burst in issuance is evidence of a revival of CMBS in Europe.
It’s all the fault of improved longevity and changing pension plan design. We’re living longer and we’re spending longer in economically unproductive retirement. That comes with costs, for society and individuals.
After five years of uncertainty and caution, the global real estate market has survived without a second catastrophe. Investors are finally ready to ease back on risk aversion, expand past primary markets and begin chasing higher yields.
Investment activity has continued briskly in the Nordic region, with investors snapping up properties across the various countries, especially retail and office assets.
Ireland, especially the Dublin market, is seeing a resurgence of activity following the global financial crisis — which hit the nation hard.
November 2013 was a very active month for European funds, especially funds investing in European debt.
Real estate investment funds with poorly performing portfolios, mainly in southern Europe, are being liquidated, while investment funds with assets in western Europe are opting to extend.
Situated on the Moskva River, Moscow — the capital city of Russia — is the country’s most populous city, home to just under 12 million inhabitants (2012). The city (excluding suburbs) is counted among the largest in the world.