Four sites, around 275 planned rental flats and 80 million Swiss francs in new funding. The HIG Immobilien Anlage Stiftung is using this fresh capital to drive forward the development of newly acquired plots of land, an approved construction project and the further expansion of its residential

In 2026, Zurich tops the global list of overheated housing markets. The UBS index has risen to 1.69 points, up from 1.55 points the previous year, whilst purchase prices, rents, incomes and affordability are lagging significantly behind, and the barriers to home ownership continue to

SMG Swiss Marketplace Group is restructuring its real estate management. Daniel Hendel, currently CEO of ImmoScout24 Germany, will take over as head of SMG Real Estate effective February 1, 2027. He succeeds Martin Waeber, who is stepping down from his operational role following the ramp-up phase

The Federal Council wants to impose stricter restrictions on real estate purchases by foreign nationals. The goal sounds reasonable. Reducing foreign demand is intended to ease pressure on the housing market. However, the planned revision of the Lex Koller law risks missing the mark on the core

Many homeowners currently have their mortgages with Saron. They hope to be able to switch to a long-term fixed-rate mortgage with more favorable terms later on. However, the latest bank survey by Moneypark points in the opposite direction. The institutions expect interest rates to rise for

Property remains a popular choice amongst the Swiss population within the second pillar. At the same time, the 2026 Pension Monitor reveals a worrying gap in financial security in old age. Many see little scope for saving, particularly when it comes to housing and

More than 300 million euros of debt capital is being channelled into the acquisition of a majority stake in MDT technologies. This financing demonstrates the strong confidence investors have in building services technology when products integrate directly with heating, ventilation, lighting control

China is radically tightening the rules on property sales. Since 28 August 2026, pre-sales may only commence once the structural work has been completed, and buyers’ funds and mortgages must remain in escrow accounts. This increases the pressure on private developers and shifts risks further into

According to UBS, Locarno in Ticino will continue to be regarded as a prime location for low-income households in 2026. However, the other end of the ranking is politically controversial. For middle-income households, the city now ranks only second, and for high-income households, third. This is

Mobiliar is significantly scaling back its stake in SMG, paving the way for the TX Group to acquire a holding just below the mandatory bid threshold. At the same time, the free float of the operator of major Swiss property portals is increasing, as SMG itself is buying back nearly one million of

Rental prices in Switzerland are either rising or falling, depending on the method used to measure them. Whilst the Homegate Rent Index for August 2026 shows a year-on-year increase of 1.8 per cent, a new study by newhome for July 2026 indicates a fall of 1.7 per

In the canton of Zurich, advertised rents have fallen by 3.3 per cent over the past year to 2,340 francs. This offers little relief, as the vacancy rate remains at just 0.48 per cent and, of all places, Geroldswil now tops the cantonal rent rankings due to expensive new-build

Building renovations offer an opportunity to make properties more energy-efficient, improve living conditions and sustainably increase value. The new white paper ‘Energy-efficient renovations’ shows readers how to go about it and highlights worthwhile strategies and

Migros Bank supports property owners throughout the entire life cycle of their

215 million Swiss francs of fresh capital, seven acquisitions, and yet no jump in returns. The Akara Diversity PK property fund maintained its investment return at 2.56 per cent in the first half of 2026 and expanded its portfolio to 3.32 billion Swiss

Swiss municipalities and towns cite finances as their greatest strategic concern. Spatial planning and staffing follow closely behind. For construction, development and municipal property, this means more conflicting priorities between investment, growth and limited scope for

Lausanne is sticking to a policy of large-scale property purchases. The 2025 budget documents once again include a budget of 200 million Swiss francs for the right of first refusal for the period 2027 to 2031. Whilst this measure can help secure affordable housing stock, it does not, as a rule,

A portfolio worth 181.2 million Swiss francs, total comprehensive income of 3.6 million Swiss francs, and now the next step. The sustainable property fund run by BLKB’s fund subsidiary plans to raise new equity capital in the fourth quarter of 2026 to finance further acquisitions and repay

UBS plans to merge its commercial property funds, Swissreal and Interswiss, by the end of 2026. The aim is to create a listed fund comprising around 140 properties and assets totalling 4.8 billion Swiss francs, whilst the final terms of the transaction are not expected to be finalised until

Borrowing costs in the US are rising again, and the effect is already evident in the market. The average interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 6.71 per cent at the start of September 2026. At the same time, the number of pending sales in August fell compared with the previous

Uri does not intend to introduce a canton-wide property tax on second homes following the abolition of the imputed rental value. Instead, each municipality is to be able to decide for itself whether it needs such a tax. Andermatt, in particular, is thus taking centre stage in the tax

France’s landlords in slow motion. A recent survey shows that one in three French people are bringing forward or postponing their property purchase for rental purposes, depending on the outcome of the 2027 presidential election. There is more to this than mere nervousness. Uncertainty surrounding

Swiss residential properties continue to dominate the investment portfolios of many institutional investors. However, a window of opportunity is reopening in the office and other commercial property sectors. Higher cash flow yields, lower valuations and tighter supply are suddenly making this

Geneva and Lausanne are at the heart of a planned capital increase of 75 million Swiss francs. The funds are intended to secure two commercial properties in prime locations in French-speaking Switzerland and to further increase the proportion of commercial property within a portfolio worth almost

1.3 billion Swiss francs for 47 properties, but not a single new flat has yet been built to realise the calculated development potential. Zurich’s acquisition drive is providing land reserves and development opportunities, but at the same time is creating funding shortfalls, follow-on costs and

The German federal government is pushing ahead with plans for its own housing association. However, a new IMK study dated 31 August 2026 warns of significant legal and financial risks and argues that a credit-based housing stimulus scheme would be quicker, cheaper and more widely

A 6.66 per cent interest rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages and a continuing shortage of supply are once again putting the brakes on the US housing market. Sales are falling, affordability is deteriorating further, and even new housing legislation is unlikely to provide any relief before

The canton of Neuchâtel is allocating a framework grant of 28 million Swiss francs for the period 2027 to 2031 to maintain its building stock. Whilst this unanimous decision eases the pressure on maintenance, it does not yet close the gap to the recommended level of value

Peach Property Group has reported a significant operational boost for the first half of 2026. Falling vacancy rates, higher like-for-like rents and the largely completed sale of around 2,000 units are stabilising both cash flow and the capital

China is radically overhauling its housing model. In future, developers will only receive deposits and mortgage funds from pre-sales once construction has been formally completed. For heavily indebted developers, this is yet another blow; for buyers, it is a long-overdue