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- 3 min read
- 14.10.2026
EXPO REAL 2026: Investors calculate more carefully
Europe’s leading real estate trade fair in Munich reveals a market where more due diligence and longer negotiations are the norm
The mood at EXPO REAL 2026 was defined by realism and a determination to find solutions to current market challenges. The fair showed that the property market is regaining momentum and that investors are exploring new opportunities. Financing and construction costs, along with regulatory hurdles, continue to complicate many decisions.
Even so, many market participants look ahead with cautious optimism, even though the conditions remain demanding. The three-day trade fair for real estate investment in Munich drew more than 42,000 visitors from 74 countries, as strong an attendance as ever, which underlines the industry’s considerable need for orientation.
More scrutiny, longer negotiations
One thing was clear at the exhibition stands: capital is available. Decisions, however, are taking longer, as investors weigh up projects far more thoroughly. Even so, the willingness to invest and the market’s dynamism were palpable. Encouragingly, buyers and sellers are gradually moving closer together on pricing. This does not yet signal a broad recovery in the investment market, but it is a reliable sign that prices are bottoming out.
The housing challenge
As in previous years, affordable housing was one of the dominant themes. Higher construction and financing costs, together with protracted planning and permitting processes, continue to hold back new projects. Yet the industry is not short of solutions: alongside conventional new construction, discussions at the stands and on the panels focused on rooftop extensions, conversions, serial and modular construction, and the more efficient use of existing space.
A new perspective on infrastructure
A key new focus at EXPO REAL was the closer link between real estate and infrastructure. With the new “InfrastructureNow” theme, the fair gave investable segments such as energy, digital and social infrastructure, as well as defence, a dedicated format for the first time. For the development of locations and neighbourhoods, one point is becoming ever clearer: real estate can no longer be viewed in isolation from utilities, networks and mobility.
Our takeaway from the fair
EXPO REAL 2026 named the market’s challenges: higher financing costs, cautious banks and unresolved political questions. But it also showed that the industry is responding soberly and with a focus on solutions. Prices are finding each other again, capital is looking selectively for viable projects, and new fields such as infrastructure are broadening the view. Those who scrutinise carefully and think long term will find solid prospects in a market with clearer rules. In this environment, sound market knowledge, realistic valuations and personal relationships are what count.
EXPO REAL 2027
Shall we meet at EXPO REAL in 2027? October 4–6 at the Munich Trade Fair Center. Will you be there?
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