In 2022, KGAL’s new business volume reached almost €1.9 billion across all asset classes. The renewable energy funds exceeded their return targets by approximately 100 percent on average, the impact residential real estate fund, KGAL Core 5 LIFE, got off to a strong start and the aviation team took advantage of the industry’s comeback, securing 16 aircraft operating leases. KGAL also made a number of important internal decisions within the company, further providing for a successful future.

The most successful outlet centres in Europe have a new leader. Cheshire Oaks, located south of Liverpool in the industrial town of Ellesmere Port, is the second English centre to top the list of the most successful outlet centres in Europe. Until now, this rank in England was reserved for Bicester Village, which is located near the university city of Oxford as well as the tourist attraction Stonehenge. This is a result of the "Outlet Centre Performance Report Europe" (OCPRE), which has been updated annually since 2008 and whose latest edition has just been published. The third place has been taken by Designer Outlet Warsaw in Piaseczno near the Polish capital.

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), the coalition representing over 5,000 organizations from across the building value chain, has asked Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to back amendments to the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) designed to accelerate building renovation and to address total lifecycle emissions of buildings. 

The PBSA sector has registered another strong year with occupancy rates and rents rising,  according to the newly released Student Housing Annual Report by Bonard. While soaring inflation, interest rates and rising costs in the last quarter of 2022 have slowed down investment transactions, the overall outlook is positive and experts expect the sector to keep growing in the next two years.

The number of property deals and the volumes transacted plunged in Q4 2022 in comparison to the final quarter of 2021 in major EMEA markets due to higher interest rates and financing costs amid surging inflation. However, property investment will resume its growth path this year, as the inflation and interest rates become more stable, says Colliers.

According to Michael Klien from WIFO (the Austrian Euroconstruct member institute), 2022 was the second year of recovery for the European construction industry after the outbreak of the pandemic. The year-on-year growth rates of 3% were, however, much lower than in 2021 (+5.8%) owing to the sharp rise in construction costs, Euroconstruct reports in its latest press release.

The upward trend in prime rents continues across European industrial and logistics projects due to steady demand for space, according to Garbe Research. The average rental growth for the main markets stood at €0.40 per sqm. 

Hospitality group Accor has signed 47 properties in Eastern Europe and the ‘New East’ in 2022, going as far as Georgia and Kazakhstan for a total of 5,476 rooms. 

Property groups Immofinanz and S Immo said they are reviewing further alignment, coordination, merger or other forms of integration, with CPI Property Group (CPIPG) as supporting shareholder. 

A key challenge facing many real estate corporates, who historically have been reliant on the bond markets, is the quantum of near-term maturities. This includes the Nordics where JLL estimates circa 32% of real estate corporate bonds are due to mature within the next 2 years.