Urban migration is the biggest influence on growth in the residential markets of Germany, the Netherlands and France, according to analysis by Dutch area developer BPD Europe presented at Expo Real.
Han Joosten, director of market research, said the perspective for all three markets had improved since the crisis, though France is lagging behind its peers in terms of GDP performance.
The diversity of the markets makes it hard to draw comparisons, Joosten noted. The majority of Dutch residents live in single-family houses, while most Germans live in apartment buildings. In France there is a strong second home sector accounting for about 20% of the market.
But the hotspots in all three markets were in urban areas, Joosten said, with Berlin growing especially rapidly. 'The movement into the big cities is one of the trends we see in the coming years,' he commented.
