Despite generally subdued levels of investment activity in the European real estate market over the past year and a half, there is still evidence of interest in the industrial and logistics sector according to new research from CB Richard Ellis. The logistics sector continues to offer a relatively high and stable income, with overall performance less dependant on the more variable elements of growth assumptions, making the sector increasingly attractive to investors seeking defensive assets.
David Turner, Executive Director, Capital Markets, CBRE, said: "We have seen quite a few funds repositioning themselves to include logistics in recent times; although, like all sectors, investment volumes have been down, relatively the decline has been shallower and there is an ongoing trend towards logistics growing its share of overall European investment market, from 7% to 10% during 2008. We are aware of a number of parties looking to target this sector over the remainder of the year either through new capital-raising or by putting previously unspent funds into the market."
Alongside its defensive characteristics, the attractiveness of the sector has also been underpinned by a number of broader trends:
