Large investors drive up house prices in Europe’s cities, study finds

Housing is increasingly attractive asset for institutional investors due to near zero interest rates

The rate at which institutional investors, such as private equity and pension funds, are buying up housing is accelerating in major European cities, driving up house prices, research suggests.

The volume of purchases in Europe hit 64bn (53bn) in 2020, with about 150bn worth of housing stock conservatively estimated to be in the hands of such large investors.