Stable residential market and attractive metropolises

Portfolio Belgium

Stable residential market in cosmopolitan Brussels

In Belgium, Continental Realty focuses mainly on the cities of Brussels and Antwerp. Brussels, as the home of the European Parliament, is a European metropolis par excellence. The presence of EU institutions creates a stable residential market. This has the great advantage that it is relatively immune to cyclical volatility. The city therefore remains a good investment, thanks to the European Union’s location there, and it seems likely that its importance will only increase in future years.

The two Belgian cities constitute a relatively small market. It requires long experience to operate successfully here. Continental Realty has this; our experience has been built up over several decades.

Portfolio Germany

Attractive metropolises with rapidly growing capital city

The focus in Germany is on selected, attractive locations in all parts of the country: 

  • the western states, e.g. North Rhine-Westphalia, on cities such as Aachen and Düsseldorf
  • the eastern states, e.g. Berlin and Brandenburg, including Potsdam
  • the northern states, e.g. Hamburg and Bremen
  • the southern states, e.g. Bavaria with the metropolis Munich

The German owner-occupier market is advantageous because home ownership is still relatively uncommon and house prices there are still relatively low. Interest in buying is increasing. German buyers have ample resources and are willing to use them to acquire their own home. This means that the role of banks, and buyers’ dependence on them, are less crucial than in the Netherlands. Buyers can take out mortgage loans under quite favourable conditions because of the low level of advance financing that they require. On the other hand, residential properties in Germany are generally not scarce. Continental Realty therefore considers it important to operate only in certain niche markets. 

Within Germany, the strong international attraction of Berlin and people’s tremendous interest in buying their own home in specific locations make the city highly beneficial for investors. A large proportion of our Berlin portfolio consists of classical buildings from around 1900, the “Gründerzeit”. They have been completely renovated, but with careful preservation of their historic features. It is precisely this category of buildings that is in great demand.