According to the respondents, however, some sectors will not be able to recover completely even in the long term. The gloomiest forecast is made by investors for office properties in peripheral areas: 68% of respondents do not expect this property class to fully recover. The same is true for the shopping center (58%) and business hotel (47%) sectors, according to respondents.
Outlook – the megatrends for the real estate market
When asked which megatrends will most influence the Swiss real estate market in the next five to ten years, demographic change, digitalization, and climate change emerge as the most important factors.
The majority of respondents (94%) believe that demographic change will continue to have a significant impact on the Swiss real estate market in the coming years. For example, the aging of the population is leading to increased demand for healthcare facilities such as nursing homes and senior residences. And the move away from the traditional family image has resulted in an increased number of single people, which is boosting demand in the micro-living/serviced apartment sector.
Digitalization continues to be seen as a relevant trend and, at 91%, even met with more approval from respondents than last year (89%).
The fact that investors regard the importance of sustainability criteria as high is also reflected in a broader sense in the megatrends: The climate change megatrend (80%) has slightly decreased in importance compared to the previous year (83%) but is still among the defining trends.
Opinions on inflation are also reflected in the megatrends: Compared to last year (69%), this year 80% of respondents believe that interest rate developments will have a significant impact on the Swiss real estate market over the next five to ten years.