In early 2026, the Bulgarian housing market began to emerge from the frenzy associated with the country’s transition to the euro and is returning to a more stable demand pattern. The number of transactions fell by approximately 10%, while the supply increased by more than 25%, strengthening buyers’ bargaining power and extending the time properties remain on the market.
One of the main factors behind last year’s surge was the so-called “euro effect”—the expectation that housing prices would rise even faster after the currency change. However, judging by current trends, this driver has largely run its course. Bulgaria adopted the euro on January 1, 2026, and Central Bank Governor Dimitar Radev told Reuters that the inflationary effect of the transition turned out to be limited and largely one-time.
At the same time, the market does not appear weak in the classical sense of the word, as it continues to be supported by mortgage lending. Mortgage rates will remain low—around 2.47%—and official data from the Bulgarian National Bank, published via BTA, show that the volume of residential loans to households as of the end of February 2026 grew by 27.8% year-over-year—to €17.299 billion. This indicates that demand from end buyers remains strong, although the speculative component is noticeably weakening.
Thus, the Bulgarian real estate market is not entering a phase of sharp decline but is rather transitioning to a more realistic configuration: less hype, more supply, and a more cautious buyer. For investors, this marks the end of a period when the mere fact of joining the Eurozone automatically fueled expectations of rapid price growth, and for ordinary buyers, it signals the emergence of a more favorable window for selection and negotiation.
Source: https://relocation.com.ua/bulgarias-real-estate-market-is-shifting-from-a-boom-to-a-slowdown/
The DFM Real Estate Index (DFMREI), which reflects the dynamics of real estate companies’ shares on the Dubai Financial Market, fell by 4.71% to 13,359.61 points on Monday, March 9, reaching a daily low of 13,353.18 points, according to exchange statistics.
Over the last five trading sessions, the index has fallen by about 17%, which is close to estimates on social media of “about 20%,” but according to aggregated market data, the decline is actually about 17%.
At the same time, the Dubai market’s broad index (DFMGI) continued to decline amid the US and Israel’s war with Iran and growing nervousness over risks to logistics and infrastructure.
Against the backdrop of the UAE’s deteriorating perception as a “safe haven,” some wealthy clients are already considering moving their assets from Dubai to other financial centers. A number of wealthy Asian clients have made inquiries or taken steps to transfer funds to Singapore and Hong Kong, fearing a protracted conflict and rising risk premiums.
At the same time, market participants surveyed by Reuters emphasize that DFMREI is an exchange indicator (shares of developers and related companies) and can react much faster than the physical housing market, where price changes are recorded with a delay based on transaction data.
Dubai’s real estate market, which ended 2025 with record figures, may face a temporary slowdown in demand in early 2026 amid military escalation between the US, Israel, and Iran, but experts do not expect prices to collapse yet.
In 2025, real estate sales in Dubai were estimated at $187 billion, with more than 215,000 transactions. Investors from India, the UK, and Russia were identified as key buyer groups, while in early 2026, some investors took a wait-and-see approach.
Among the factors putting pressure on the market, analysts highlight reports of incidents in landmark locations and the impact of transport restrictions: temporary disruptions and closures of air hubs reduce the influx of foreign buyers and complicate transactions, especially in a segment that depends on quick visits and viewings.
At the same time, prior to the current escalation, price dynamics remained positive: according to REIDIN, in January 2026, the Dubai residential sales price index rose by 0.75% compared to the previous month and by 11.79% year-on-year, indicating continued inertial growth at the onset of the crisis.
Market participants admit the possibility of a “pause without a fall” scenario if the hot phase ends quickly, but warn that a protracted conflict could severely affect liquidity and lead to a more noticeable correction, primarily in the most sensitive segments and locations.
Slovenia’s real estate market continues to show strong demand, with a steady presence of foreign buyers, particularly from neighboring EU countries. Although the country’s property sector is smaller and more regulated than those of Croatia or Montenegro, Slovenia remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in Central Europe — offering political stability, EU membership, and a balance between Alpine lifestyle and Mediterranean proximity.
According to data from Slovenia’s Geodetic Administration and industry analysts for early 2025, around 6–7% of all real estate transactions in the country involve foreign citizens — a figure that has remained stable over the past three years.
Among foreign buyers, the leading nationalities are:
1) Austria – approximately 28% of transactions involving foreigners;
2) Germany – around 22%;
3) Italy – roughly 14%, mainly in the coastal Primorska region;
4) Croatia – about 8%, driven by cross-border purchases in the northeast;
5) Hungary and Switzerland – jointly accounting for about 10%.
Buyers from outside the EU (including the U.K., Israel, and the United States) represent a smaller but growing segment, often focusing on luxury mountain properties in Bled, Bohinj, and Kranjska Gora, or on historic residences in Ljubljana’s old town.
The Slovenian real estate market continues to experience price growth, albeit at a more moderate pace compared to its peak years. In 2024, average residential prices increased by 6.8%, while in Ljubljana — by over 10%. Newly built apartments and energy-efficient houses remain the most sought-after properties, while older buildings without renovation are less competitive.
Despite strong fundamentals, experts expect foreign share in property transactions to remain around 6–7%.
At the same time, rising connectivity with Austria, Italy, and Croatia — including through new rail and road infrastructure — is expected to stimulate cross-border investment and second-home demand.
In the medium term, Slovenia’s property market is likely to remain stable but competitive, with local and EU buyers dominating, and luxury and eco-friendly segments gaining ground.
Slovenia’s real estate sector combines European stability with regional charm. Foreign investors, particularly from Austria, Germany, and Italy, continue to view the country as a safe, high-quality destination for second homes and long-term investment — though affordability and supply remain key constraints.
Rental activity in the warehouse real estate market of Ukraine in January-June 2024 increased by 13% compared to the same period last year and amounted to about 70 thousand square meters, according to a study by CBRE Ukraine.
“Despite the ongoing war and related challenges, the warehouse market continues to show signs of recovery and is the most stable segment of commercial real estate today. Although the volume of leasing activity is still restrained due to the current market conditions, several large tenants are exploring market opportunities for expansion, which may have a positive impact on leasing transactions in the coming quarters,” the company said in its report.
According to the company, the main trend in the first half of the year was the predominance of preliminary lease agreements in the structure of gross absorption, which are concluded before the commissioning of facilities. The reason for this was the low vacancy rate on the market – at 2%, as well as growing demand from the wholesale and retail trade segment and pharmaceutical companies, CBRE notes.
In the second half of 2024 and in 2025, about 170 thousand square meters of new supply is expected to enter the market, which will reduce the pressure of minimum vacancy, according to the company’s analysts. In addition, over the next two years, it is planned to restore 100 thousand square meters of warehouse space that was destroyed as a result of the aggressor’s missile attacks in 2022.
By the end of the first half of 2024, the prime rental rate for warehouses in Kyiv amounted to $4.9 per sq m per month (excluding VAT and OPEX payments), which is on average 20% lower than in other capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time, the cost of construction of warehouse real estate in our country is 20% higher than in our neighbors: $500-600/sq m versus $400-500/sq m. This is influenced by the economic and energy crisis, hostilities, labor shortages and supply chain disruptions, the study says.
At the same time, there is an increase in investment activity in the Ukrainian warehouse market. CBRE points out that among foreign investors interested in industrial real estate, construction companies that plan to participate in the restoration of Ukraine after the end of active hostilities stand out.
In addition, European companies are actively considering nearshoring (outsourcing to neighboring countries) in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine. According to the CBRE European Logistics Occupier Survey 2024, 68% of respondents believe that outsourcing will have a significant impact on the development of logistics in Europe in the near future.
CBRE, headquartered in Los Angeles (USA), is the world’s largest commercial real estate advisory and investment company, with revenues of $30.8 billion in 2022. According to Fortune, it is one of the world’s 500 largest companies. CBRE Group Inc. shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. CBRE’s Ukrainian office was opened in January 2008 and is part of the company’s affiliate network.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/
The Ukrainian real estate market is unbalanced, amid low demand and declining new supply, reported prices from developers are growing, while rental prices are falling, according to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Financial Stability Report for December 2022.
It notes that demand for housing remains weak and unstable: the interest of few buyers depends on the intensity of the shelling of settlements and decreased again in the fourth quarter.
The existing demand is focused primarily on ready-made housing for residence, almost zero speculative for the purpose of further resale or lease.
The number of new buildings under construction is slowly increasing after an almost complete standstill in the first months of the war. In the country as a whole, work has resumed on more than two-thirds of sites, mostly in housing complexes in the final stages of construction. At other sites the resumption of work has occurred only on paper.
According to the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, for the three quarters of 2022 completed construction of 2.8 million square meters. m multifamily housing. As noted in the report, this is half the record for the same period in 2021 and only a quarter less than the average of the previous five years.
Much worse is the situation with the start of new projects. In the first nine months of this year, developers received permits to build half as many multifamily units as the average for the same period of the previous four years. However, obtaining permission is not an indication of the start of construction – the actual start of construction work can be delayed for a long period.
The report also reminds us that, according to the “Russia Will Pay” project, more than 16,000 apartment buildings and almost 127,000 private homes have been destroyed or damaged since the start of the full-scale war until November.
The low activity of the primary real estate market, together with the significant amount of housing damaged by the shelling, will lead to a reduction in the supply of housing in the near future, and in the future to a possible shortage of housing. At the same time, the declared purchase prices are mainly increasing, while the rental prices remain almost twice as low as before the war.
The report states that the multidirectional price movements reflect an imbalance in the real estate market, relatively cheap rents will deter demand for the purchase of housing.
The price-to-rent ratio has risen substantially since March and is now at an all-time high. In terms of price, renting seems to be a better alternative than buying, and this situation will persist for a long time.
