According to Savills, global real estate investment volume was around $250 billion in Q2, up 13% year-on-year. A more robust deal pipeline supports expectations of further growth in the current year.
The international real estate consultant points out that data on pending transactions – deals that are already under contract but have not yet been completed – point to an active pipeline for the second half of the year. This means that a potential 16% increase in global investment activity is possible for the full year 2026. At the same time, however, Savills warns that investors are becoming increasingly selective.
According to Savills, sequential, seasonally adjusted growth in investment activity fell into negative territory at the beginning of 2026. This reflects a deterioration in sentiment related to the conflict in Iran. However, given the magnitude of the potential economic impact, the impact remained comparatively modest, while the overall trends remain positive. Nevertheless, the global macroeconomic environment does not provide scope for undifferentiated risk appetite or a broad-based acceleration in rental activity.
Rasheed Hassan, Managing Director, Global Capital Markets at Savills, comments: “Globally, Q2 was a positive surprise. Investors are currently looking for ways to invest despite the uncertainty and already factor in a better future. We are already seeing this, albeit still cautiously, in the transaction figures. Even if the market environment remains uncertain, the foundations for the next phase of the cycle are being laid. The most experienced and capitalized investors remain active, which should create a solid starting point for the coming years. The key takeaway is that this is not a market without opportunities, but one in which selectivity, conviction and a clear understanding of fundamentals are more rewarded.”
According to Savills, portfolio investments in North America reached $35 billion in Q2, up 60% year-on-year. In contrast, single-property sales saw 10% growth. This development, which has been building since the end of 2025, reflects both the scale of institutional capital focused on U.S. real estate and investors’ growing preference for platform acquisitions. In doing so, they gain access to high-growth sectors such as nursing homes, self-storage, and data centers – segments that benefit from long-term structural developments and that investors are increasingly familiar with.
Europe started the 2nd quarter of 2026 with increasing momentum. Transaction volume amounted to EUR 54 billion, up 7.7% year-on-year. At the same time, market conditions fragmented as macroeconomic and geopolitical risks came back into focus. Allocation trends continued to favour sectors with robust fundamentals on occupier and rental growth. Residential-related segments – including multi-family buildings, student housing complexes, and nursing and retirement homes – accounted for 29% of total European investment volume in the first half of 2026.
In APAC, the total investment volume reached USD 46 billion in Q2 2026, an increase of 18% year-on-year. This brought the growth in the first half of the year to 25%. In the region, there were more transactions of residential developments, and at the same time, the PBSA segment continued to gain momentum as rising international student numbers support the development of institutional platforms. Investment activity in the industrial and logistics markets also continued its recovery, with volumes increasing by 17% year-on-year in Q2 2026, while they increased by 28% in the first half of the year.
