Property Market Report Berlin 2022

Berlin Real Estate Prices 2022

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Berlin Real Estate Prices 2021

Property prices condominiums 2020

Condominiums were in high demand in 2020, possibly due to the pandemic. Both owner-occupiers and capital investors are interested in this type of property. With fewer sales, this led to rising prices, although they did not increase as rapidly as in previous years. Meanwhile, the price per square metre for a condominium can be as high as €13,500. The median for the most expensive 10% per cent of offers was €8,900/m2 in 2020, 5% higher than the previous year. In 2019, however, the increase was still 8.1%. In addition, attractive condominiums in very good locations now cost more than €6,000/m2 in all districts. And even in simple locations, the price per square metre for a condominium can exceed €3,500. The average asking price in Berlin in 2020 was €4,973/m2, an increase of 7.4% (2019: 10.2%). Luxury and penthouse flats with record prices per square metre of €20,000 are of particular interest to international clientele in Berlin. Another trend was the conversion from rental to owner-occupied flats. However, this has been made more difficult by the Building Land Mobilisation Act.

Property prices for single-family homes 2020

During the pandemic, many people long for more space and perhaps even a small garden. Therefore, it is not surprising that prices for single-family homes in 2020 have increased by more than 10%. Older and still relatively inexpensive properties in particular have increased in value. The effect is reinforced by the fact that there is little new construction, fewer building permits and hardly any building land left. In central locations, building land costs over €2,000/m2, in good peripheral locations the price per square metre is €600. And prices continue to rise: they were 3.3% more expensive in Q2 2021 than in Q1. In Q1 2021, the average purchase price for a detached and semi-detached house in Berlin was €4,609/m2.

Property prices for commercial real estate in 2020

Berlin has developed into a dynamic metropolis for companies. So far, there has been increasing demand with less supply, and the vacancy rate at the beginning of 2020 was just over 1%. The pandemic saw this rise to 2.4%, and take-up in 2020 was around 750,000m2 – in 2019 this was still 1,000,000m2. But the recovery is already in sight and Corona has rather shown the industry how necessary office space is. Moreover, the prime rent is still around €39/m2. So the pandemic could also be a small breath for the rather tight market and create time for new construction. The retail sector, on the other hand, which previously profited particularly from tourism, has been hit harder. While the peak rent in Q3 2020 was 285 euros per square metre, this is expected to fluctuate between 265 and 275 euros per square metre in 2021. However, the strength of the retail sector in Berlin is also its large catchment area.

New construction in 2021

In the many discussions surrounding the right approach to rising property prices in Berlin, it usually boils down to one common denominator: more new construction. Where and how exactly this should look is also a matter of dispute; currently, a large focus is on the construction of rental flats. In 2020, more than two-thirds of the units being built were intended for rent. But condominiums are also being built on a grand scale. For example, 116 condominiums are being built in Brandenburgische Strasse in Wilmersdorf, 512 in Karlshorst and around 100 in Spandau. Other projects in Berlin include “Die Macherei” in Kreuzberg, a modern and climate-friendly mixed-use inner-city quarter on the site of the former Postchecktower, or the “Schumacher Quartier” on the site of the closed Tegel Airport – housing for 10,000 people is to be built here in the world’s largest timber construction quarter. Another high-rise residential building made of wood is being constructed in Schöneberg. People with low incomes will find their home here in the 98-metre-high timber hybrid high-rise. The “Amazon Tower” in Friedrichshain is to be 140 metres high, the new high-rise at Alexanderplatz 134 metres. Average new flats in Berlin cost 5,952.38 euros per square metre in 2020, new buildings in the “upper price segment” came to square metre prices of 8,920.51 euros.

Sources: DZ HYP Real Estate Market Germany 2020/2021, HypoVereinsbank Residential Property Market Report Berlin, Berlin Hyp Residential Market Report Berlin 2021, Tagesspiegel

Political Changes 2022 – Impact on the Berlin Real Estate Market

Last year, 4 elections were held in Berlin – the Bundestag election, the election for the Berlin House of Representatives and for the BVV (District Assembly), as well as the election for the referendum “Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co”. In 2022 it is now clear: in the Bundestag “Ampel” (SPD, GRÜNE, FDP) coalition is in power, in the Berlin House of Representatives the R2G coalition (SPD, LINKE, GRÜNE) will continue with a changed balance of power and in the referendum 59.1% of Berliners voted yes. So there should be a lot of movement in 2022. Among other things, the “Ampel” plan to build 400,000 new flats in Germany per year, 100,000 of which are to be so-called “social housing”. The rent brake will also be extended until 2029, and rents in tight areas will only be allowed to rise by 11% in 3 years. The rent index will also become mandatory for municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants in the new term of office. The German government wants to develop more building land, build more, but in a more climate-friendly way, and overcome homelessness by 2030. For all these projects, there is now a separate construction ministry under the leadership of the SPD. It is interesting to see whether a nationwide rent cap will be introduced now that the rent cap in Berlin has been overturned. A more successful political project in Berlin was the milieu protection areas, of which there are now around 70 in the capital. Conversion to owner-occupied flats was also made much more difficult during the last period of government. The subject of discussion in the new government phase will be the implementation of the referendum “Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co. So it remains to be seen what the new coalitions will initiate nationwide and statewide. What is certain, however, is that Berlin is of particular interest to international investors. The uncertain situation in the UK and the USA makes Berlin a safe haven.

Economic situation in Berlin in 2022

In 2022, the economy will continue to be affected by the corona pandemic, which has been with us since the beginning of 2020. The finally completed BER airport is also suffering from this, with a lack of passengers. Nevertheless, there is also good news: The new federal government’s minimum wage increase to €12 will benefit around 270,000 citizens in Berlin. While the TESLA factory in Grünheide is still at a standstill due to a lack of permits and various environmental organisations are criticising the Gigafactory’s water consumption, other companies have already settled in the surrounding area. Business transport in Berlin is also to be further expanded. It is fitting that the most successful start-up in 2021 was “Gorillas”. Due to the promising start-up scene in Berlin, successful grow-ups and tech companies, Berlin is very popular with both users and investors and could even develop at an above-average rate in the next few years.

Trends for the Berlin real estate market in 2022

Not only Berlin, but also the surrounding areas are interesting for investors. Brandenburg, for example, is seeing more and more people moving in, and in Berlin, too, more people moved in than out of the city last year. In addition, more and more people prefer a one-person household. Intensive building will therefore be on the agenda in Berlin in 2022. On the other hand, multi-generation houses are also on the rise again. Another trend is minimalism, necessary the movement towards sustainable building. An example of this is the Schumacher Quartier, which is being built on the former airport site in Tegel. A large and understandable desire after two years of pandemic is such for a study, which is why singles and couples without children are also likely to be looking for larger flats.