The 2026 ULI Europe Conference brought together real estate leaders to take stock of where the European market stands today and where it is heading. Across a series of sessions covering investment strategy, capital markets, climate risk and technology, several clear themes emerged. We report from Berlin to summarise the five most significant ones.

Poland has transformed former industrial sites across six cities into some of Europe's most compelling mixed-use destinations, marking the country's evolution from economic catch-up to urban innovation leader, according to a new Urban Land Institute (ULI) report.

The golden rule of real estate – “location, location, location” – now tells only part of the investment story. Real estate is no longer a system that can be explained solely through the cost of capital and the balance between supply and demand. A new set of higher-order forces has entered the equation with full force: global geopolitics, cybersecurity, the energy transition, technological development, and the impact of nature on the long-term value of assets. These are precisely the themes around which the ULI Poland 2026 conference, “MATRIX OF REAL ESTATE,” has been built. The event will take place on 15–16 April at Fabryka Norblina in Warsaw. Property Forum is supporting the event as Media Partner.

The European real estate market is poised for a new cycle of growth, but lingering uncertainties and global geopolitical tensions call for continued caution, according to a report by PwC and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Dr. Angelus Bernreuther has been appointed as the new Head of Business Development at Defama, tasked with leading the transaction business of the publicly listed holder of retail properties.

Property Forum is proud to be joining Urban Land Institute (ULI) Poland, a global nonprofit organization of real estate professionals, as a Media Partner for its annual “Game Changers in the Real Estate World” conference for which the agenda has just been announced. The event will be held at the Raffles European Hotel in Warsaw on April 17-18, 2024.

In the face of the housing crisis, the possibility of repurposing existing commercial buildings for residential use is receiving increasing attention. The question is: Can this approach provide a solution to the housing shortage in appropriate locations, and can it be profitable for developers? According to experts at the Urban Land Institute (ULI), changing trends in the office, retail, and hotel markets are making commercial adaptive reuse not just an option, but often a necessity.

ULI Poland and PWC name cybersecurity and inflation within top wider concerns for 2022. Best investment prospects are in London, Paris and 4 German cities, Warsaw with a “good” outlook took 15th place in the "Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2022" report by both companies.

Poland’s largest cities only slightly adjust their planned investments due to the lower earnings caused by COVID-19. Similarly, zoning development plans are also not slowing down - as seen in talks between Urban Land Institute Poland (ULI Poland) and five cities involved in the project, “Around the city in 8 questions”. The series of discussions is expected to continue into the Fall, with another three meetings already planned.

The authorities of Gdynia state that the maximum amount of useable residential floor space that the city needs by 2045 could be as high as 11.29 million sqm. With this much space around 266,000 people could live in the city – currently, there are around 246,000. For the city's further development both public and private investment is needed. The restrictions imposed because of the pandemic have harmed both sectors. The city of Gdynia has announced that most of the planned investments will be completed, some will be delayed, and others are to be developed as PPP projects.