Despite global uncertainty and stronger competition from other asset classes, Europe’s real estate market is proving more resilient than many expected. In an interview with Property Forum, Petra Blazkova, Head of Research & Strategy at Catella, argues that structural undersupply, index-linked income and disciplined development are keeping the sector on a solid footing, while investors increasingly shift from broad sector bets to highly selective, asset-level strategies.

Rental prices in Europe continued to rise during Q1 2025, while developments in purchase prices varied, according to new research by Catella.

The European average home price was €5,666 per sqm during Q3, a 2.1% increase compared to Q1 2024, finds a report by Catella, which tracks 58 cities across 16 European countries. 

Prime yields for apartment blocks, which move in the opposite direction to prices, continue to rise across Europe and stood at 4.35% in Q3 2023, 38 basis points higher than in the first quarter this year, according to research by Catella Group.

By being integrated with the Catella Group, Catella Poland broadens its offering in supporting investment strategies of Polish and International clients.

The bull run in the European residential sector that was fueled by low interest rates in the past decade has been coming under strong pressure from ECB rate hikes, with valuations stagnating due to the wide gap in expectations between most buyers and sellers, according to research by property fund Catella. 

Another German investor is entering the Polish property market. The Livos Group of companies is starting its expansion in Poland with Warsaw. The investor has purchased 63 residential units in the Złota 44 high-rise building in the very centre of the Polish capital. The seller was Catella Residential Investment Management, which has thus withdrawn from this country, Investmap.pl reports.

Berlin-based Catella Residential Investment Management GmbH has sold two centrally located fully-let residential and student housing assets in Warsaw and Kraków in Poland to institutional investors in Austria and the Netherlands for more than €60 million on behalf of Munich-headquartered AIFM platform Catella Real Estate AG (CREAG).

Catella has agreed to acquire 65% of Warsaw Property Partners (WPP) for a price of approximately SEK 40 million. The company is an independent real estate investment, asset, and development management company, operating exclusively in the Polish market with a broad offering to support investment strategies of clients. WPP has assets under management of nearly SEK 2 billion and 18 employees.

Dariusz Węglicki, Country Manager of Catella Residential Investment Management talked to Property Forum about the attractiveness of Poland for PRS investors, luxury rental projects and private student housing development.