European property deals still take over a year to complete

18
Feb
2026
News - European property deals still take over a year to complete #Alexandre Grellier #CEE #DACH #Drooms #Europe #Germany #Investment #Logistics #Residential #Transactions

by Property Forum | Report

Due diligence platform Drooms has released its Real Estate Trends Report 2026, showing that European transaction times remained stable at 363 days in 2025, compared to previous years of continuous increases.


However, 53% of survey respondents reported longer transaction times over the past 12 months, with 16% seeing increases of more than 20%. Additionally, 24% observed a decline in deal probability after due diligence completion.

Transaction durations vary significantly by country. The UK recorded the longest times at 577 days, up from 499 days in 2024. Germany saw a slight improvement to 398 days from 405 days, while France increased to 336 days from 329 days, and Spain rose to 244 days from 206 days.

"Transaction times in Europe have been racing from record high to record high for years. Now, for the first time, we are seeing stagnation. This could be an indicator of an improving transaction environment," said Alexandre Grellier, Co-Founder and CEO of Drooms. "However, it should also be noted that despite the slight recovery, deal certainty is declining and transaction times remain high."

Investment preferences show 36% of respondents planning to invest up to €20 million in 2026, while residential properties (43%) and logistics (15%) remain the most popular asset classes. The DACH region (37%) and CEE (34%) continue attracting strong investor interest, though 47% cite different regulatory environments as the main cross-border investment challenge.




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  • Galeria Askana in Gorzów Wielkopolski has significantly bolstered its retail mix by signing a lease agreement with HalfPrice for a unit exceeding 2,000 sqm. The off-price retailer, part of Grupa Modivo, is scheduled to open its doors at the end of August 2026. The project features a large-format layout with the potential to expand the footprint to nearly 2,700 sqm.

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  • Krzysztof Wróblewski (MRICS) has been named Head of Portfolio Management CEE at Peakside Capital Advisors, responsible for overseeing investments and managing the real estate portfolio. He succeeds Christopher Smith in this role.
  • Garbe Industrial is reorganising its senior leadership team. CEO Christopher Garbe will now focus on strategic orientation and international activities. Jan Philipp Daun assumes leadership of the Development division alongside his existing Investment and Joint Venture responsibilities. Andrea Agrusow expands her remit to include Portfolio Management while retaining control of Commercial and Real Estate Management. Additionally, Michael Marcinek and Maik Zeranski will now jointly head the restructured Development unit as Management Board Members, succeeding Adrian Zellner.


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