The number of people in the Czech Republic with a net worth of at least $30 million has grown from 1,356 in 2021 to an estimated 2,270 in 2026, according to Knight Frank's Wealth Report. The findings reflect a broader global trend: worldwide, more than 713,000 people now fall into this wealth category, and private capital has become the largest source of commercial real estate investment for the fourth consecutive year.
In 2025, private capital accounted for $464 billion invested in commercial real estate globally, compared with $347 billion from institutional sources. Overall global commercial real estate investment volumes rose 12% year on year. Among the fastest-growing segments was data centres, where investment volumes increased 36% in 2025. Industrial and logistics properties, offices and residential projects were also among the largest investment segments.
"Recent years clearly show that private capital is now an integral part of the real estate market. At the same time, the way investors approach property is changing. What was often a one-off decision or a single transaction has become a considered part of long-term investment plans," said Zdenka Klapalová, managing director and partner at Knight Frank.
Data from J&T Banka on Czech dollar millionaires points in the same direction. According to the bank's survey, 37% of this group rank real estate among the main sources of wealth growth, after equities and their own businesses, with a similar share planning to do so in the future. Interest in residential property has also risen, with around a quarter of dollar millionaires now favouring it, compared with 15% in 2023. Building land is selected by one third of respondents as the asset from which they expect the strongest returns.
"Czech dollar millionaires built their wealth largely through their own businesses, and the company remains their primary source of prosperity. However, they are increasingly diversifying into investments, including real estate. After 2022, a number of clients realised that roughly 90% of their property investments were in the Czech Republic and began to address that. They are not leaving the domestic market, but they occasionally sell a property that has appreciated significantly and also buy abroad, for example in Spain, Italy or the United States," said Roman Kodéra, private banking manager at J&T Banka.
Wealthy investors and family offices are also showing growing interest in more specialised segments such as student housing and healthcare property, driven by factors including digitalisation, the growth of e-commerce, international student mobility and an ageing population. Private investors' flexibility, including faster decision-making and access to diverse capital sources, allows them to act at moments when some institutional investors remain on the sidelines.
