News

European Retail Real Estate Investment Dominated by Big Five in Q3 2009

New European Retail Property Research from Jones Lang LaSalle

ČESKY

Transaction volumes in retail investment in the UK and Continental Europe* over the first three quarters of 2009 totalled circa €8.1bn, just over half the level seen in the same period in 2008 (€15.6bn), according to new research from Jones Lang LaSalle.

In Continental Europe, volumes totalled €1.5bn in Q3 2009, down circa 25% on the previous quarter which saw about €1.9bn transact. The total volume in Continental Europe in the first three quarters of 2009 was just over €4.5bn, around 40% of the volume transacted in the same period in 2008 (€10.9bn), with the average lot size remaining the same at approximately €44 million. Just over 100 deals have completed in Q1-Q3, including 14 over €100 million. 

As in Q1, Germany and Italy were the most active markets in Continental Europe, accounting for 63% of total volume transacted in Q3; two of the largest deals over the summer were both transacted in Germany by German purchasers: developer ECE sold a stake in the Thier-Gelände shopping centre in Dortmund to the German fund manager Hamburg Trust (and private investors) for €225 million and  Union Investment acquired the Mercado shopping centre in Hamburg from Pirelli Real Estate and Morgan Stanley Real Estate for €164 million. A number of smaller deals have transacted in the Netherlands during Q3, totalling circa €145 million, with a number of property companies and institutions disposing of certain non-core assets to private investors.

The proportion of shopping centre investment continued to increase in Continental Europe during the course of 2009, making up 72% of total volume in Q1-Q3, compared to 60% during the same period in 2008. This is due both to a lack of quality retail warehousing stock and a lack of debt available on this type of product leading to retail warehousing volumes in Q1-Q3 falling circa 80% year on year.

Institutional buyers and funds continue to be the most active buyers in Continental Europe accounting for over 40% of total volume in Q3, and these are primarily German buyers. The persisting restrictions in the debt market continue to make it more difficult for leveraged buyers to find the right opportunities.

Jeremy Eddy, Director, Head of European Retail Capital Markets said “The decline in volumes in the third quarter is contrary to an increase in investor sentiment over the same period.  The lack of deals closing between July and September reflects the low initiation of deals in the first half of the year. We expect an increase in closings in the final quarter and estimate a year end total of circa €7bn - €8bn in Continental Europe.”

In the UK, the first three quarters of 2009 have seen a total of €3.6bn transact in 75 deals, compared to €4.7bn during the same period in 2008 in 76 transactions, the average lot size remaining stable, whilst €1.1bn was transacted in the third quarter.

www.joneslanglasalle.cz