Marek Handzel

Harrogate

Editor at Institutional Real Estate

Journalist at Freelance

Editor of Institutional Real Estate Europe by day, novelist by night.

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Articles

All shapes and sizes: Is the office sector following the same route as retail as it splits into various segments?

2 weeks ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

Are offices the “new retail”? Well, yes, no, and maybe. It all depends on who you ask and how the question is interpreted. At a helicopter level, the comparison is based on fragmentation. Retail split into pieces some time ago. These days, well-located shopping parks and prime inner-city high street stores easily outshine lacklustre suburban department stores and half-empty shopping centres.
Incoming debt maturity wall opens door for investors

2 weeks ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

A real estate debt maturity wall totalling €315 billion during the next two years is expected to open up lucrative investment opportunities for institutional investors. Using data from AEW, MSCI and Moody’s, Empira Group estimates some €130 billion of loans to reach maturity in 2025, with a further €185 billion to need refinancing by the end of 2026.
European prime resi rents to grow by 3.2% a year up to 2029

2 weeks ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

European prime residential market rents are projected to see 3.2 percent annual growth between 2025 and 2029, despite most governments having tightened rental regulations in recent years, says AEW. In a new report called European residential returns to focus on current income and rental growth, the manager says new supply of housing remains limited and continues to fall short of most government targets.
Wall of overseas capital entering UK industrials and logistics

2 weeks ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

A wall of overseas capital is ready to be deployed into UK industrial and logistics assets in 2025 as the sector continues to outperform the wider commercial real estate market, according to Lambert Smith Hampton. The property consultancy’s Keeping the Faith report identifies a groundswell of demand and says any knock to sentiment from global economic and geopolitical volatility — including US President Trump’s new tariffs — is likely to be short-lived.
Network promoting biobased building launches in Germany

2 weeks ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

Built by Nature and Bauhaus Earth have launched Built by Nature Germany, a network of industry leaders focused on boosting take-up of timber and biobased construction materials. The initiative is the fifth national network of its kind, with the four others being in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The network will prioritise multi-storey timber construction, biobased housing affordability, and what Built by Nature describes as “critical knowledge gaps”.
Retail best-performing U.K. sector for second consecutive month

1 month ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

Retail was the best performing real estate sector for the second month in a row in the United Kingdom, according to the latest U.K. Monthly Index produced by CBRE. The sector recorded a total return of 0.8 percent in February, with capital value growth at 0.2 percent over the month. Standard shops and retail warehouses recorded value increases of 0.3 percent compared with 0.1 percent for shopping centers. Rental value growth was also 0.2 percent in February.
Global real estate investment rose to $806b in 2024

1 month ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

Global commercial real estate investment rose to $806 billion (€747 billion) in 2024, an 8 percent year-over-year increase. The Wealth Report, compiled by Knight Frank, says the figure increase marks a significant recovery following the sharp 43 percent contraction recorded in 2023 by the consultancy. The report also shows cross-border capital regaining momentum, rising by 12 percent to $171 billion (€158 billion).
UK-domiciled vehicle to enable onshoring of property funds

1 month ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

The Reserved Investor Fund (RIF), a new UK-domiciled model for alternative investment vehicles, is expected to open the door to cheap onshoring of real estate funds in the United Kingdom. UK-based investment managers will now be able to avoid going offshore to register their funds, should they choose to do so. The RIF is exempt from certain taxes and enables managers to circumvent having to deal with multiple legal, tax and regulatory regimes when operating funds.
European retail heading for long-awaited renaissance

1 month ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

The European retail sector is heading for a long-awaited revival, according to a new paper published by AEW. In The Long-Awaited Renaissance of European Retail, the manager says retail sales in the eurozone are projected to grow by 1.7 percent annually between 2025 and 2029, outpacing both GDP growth and real disposable income growth, which is says are expected to rise by 1.4 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively, over the same period.
Rebased European logistic values offer attractive entry point

1 month ago | irei.com | Marek Handzel

The correction in European logistics asset values that began in 2022 appears to have largely run its course, offering an attractive entry point for investors into the sector, says Clarion Partners. In a white paper on the market, the manager says logistics asset values have rebased and some markets are starting to show early signs of yield compression, while market fundamentals remain solid.