The REALOGIS Group, Germany’s leading consulting firm for industrial and logistics real estate as well as commercial properties, registered take-up of 175,800 m² by all market participants in the Cologne industrial and logistics real estate market in the 1st half of 2026. Of this amount, 165,800 m² or 94% was hall space, 7,700 m² (5%) office space and 2,300 m² (1%) mezzanine space.
The turnover of hall space has more than doubled compared to the same period of the previous year and increased by 105% or 85,100 m². This exceeded the 5-year average of 124,440 m² of hall space by a third (33%). The three largest revenue generators ID Logistics, Goodcang Logistics and Westmax Consulting together generated 128,800 m² and accounted for 73% of total take-up.
Bülent Alemdag, Managing Director of REALOGIS Immobilien Düsseldorf GmbH, which is responsible for the Cologne region, puts it in perspective: “The high take-up is not a sign of a broad-based market recovery, but above all the result of less large deals in existing properties. At the same time, the lack of rentals on greenfield sites confirms that new-build space available at short notice hardly plays a role in the Cologne market. For users with larger space requirements, the search remains correspondingly challenging.”
Rents: No movement since the end of 2025
In terms of rental prices, the Cologne market for industrial and logistics properties was stable in the first half of 2026. The prime rent remained at the level of the end of 2025 and remained at €8.00/m². The average rent also did not move and was registered unchanged at €6.85/m². This means that the rent level has remained constant since the beginning of the year despite the change in sales dynamics.
Take-up: Existing space accounts for almost the entire market volume
In the 1st half of 2026, leases were concluded almost exclusively in the segment of existing properties. Here, 170,600 m² were turned, which corresponds to a market share of 97%. The three largest deals by ID Logistics, Goodcang Logistics and Westmax Consulting together generated 128,800 m² and thus contributed 75% to the take-up of existing space.
This was followed by deals in new buildings on former brownfields at a considerable distance with 5,200 m² or 3%. Leases in new-build space on greenfield sites were not observed in the reporting period.
Market structure: Cologne is completely tenant-driven
In the first six months of 2026, no owner-occupier transactions were registered. Cologne’s industrial and logistics real estate market was therefore purely a rental market in the period under review.
Building types: Big box areas dominate by a wide margin
In terms of building type, big-box space dominated with 161,200 m² or 92%. This was followed at a considerable distance by other properties that can be classified neither as big-box spaces nor as classic business parks, with 10,100 m² (6%). Business parks were of minor importance at 4,500 m² or (2%).
Industries: Logistics/freight forwarding clearly strongest user group
The most sought-after user industry was logistics/freight forwarding. It achieved take-up of 152,700 m² and thus a market share of 87%. The three largest deals in the 1st half of the year were in this sector. Together, they accounted for 128,800 m² or 84% of the industry’s turnover.
Second place went to retail with 15,500 m² or 9%. Within retail, e-commerce dominated with 11,900 m² or 77%. Brick-and-mortar retail accounted for 3,600 m² or 23%.
Other sectors played a subordinate role with 7,600 m² or 4% of the total. Rentals by companies from industry/production were not registered.
Size classes: Large areas from 10,001 m² determine the market
Large spaces of 10,001 m² or more dominated the market in the 1st half of 2026. They reached 152,700 m² and thus accounted for 87% of total take-up. 84% of revenue in this category was driven by the top deals from ID Logistics, Goodcang Logistics and Westmax Consulting.
Larger areas between 5,001 m² and 10,000 m² came in second place with 14,500 m² or 8%. This was followed by medium-sized areas of 3,001 m² to 5,000 m² with 7,000 m² (4%). At 1,600 m² (1%), very small areas of less than 1,000 m² did not play a role. Leasing of smaller spaces between 1,001 m² and 3,000 m² was not observed.
Key figures at a glance
- Take-up: 175,800 m²
- Top rent: €8.00/m²
- Average rent: 6.85 €/m²
- Existing areas: 170,600 m² | New building on a greenfield site: 0 m² | New building on brownfield: 5,200 m²
- Tenants: 175,800 m² | Owner-occupier: 0 m²
