20 May 2026

Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction, the developer behind the Masar destination project in Makkah, has signed a reservation agreement to sell a plot of land within the development to Heyazah Osool Al-Hejaz Development Company. The transaction, valued at SAR 210.8 million, is aimed at developing hospitality units within the large-scale mixed-use destination. The deal reflects continued investment activity in hospitality-led real estate projects in Saudi Arabia, particularly around Makkah, where demand for accommodation infrastructure has remained strong due to religious tourism and ongoing urban development initiatives.Read more

20 May 2026

Residential asking prices in the UK recorded a stronger-than-usual rise in May, according to property portal Rightmove, even as global uncertainty linked to the Iran conflict continued to affect sentiment. Average asking prices increased 1.2% month-on-month, above the typical seasonal rise seen during this period. Mortgage rates also eased slightly, offering some relief to buyers. However, annual price growth remained negative, while sales activity stayed mixed. The number of homes available for sale continued to remain at its highest level in more than a decade, indicating that supply in the market is still elevated.Read more

20 May 2026

• Australia’s Labor government is facing voter backlash after proposing major changes to property investment taxes in its latest budget.
• The reforms include limiting capital gains tax discounts and negative gearing benefits to address housing affordability and intergenerational inequality.
• Recent polls showed many voters believe the measures could negatively impact the economy, with strong opposition coming from older Australians, homeowners and property investors.
• Despite criticism over breaking earlier election promises on housing taxes, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remained the preferred leader in one of the surveys.
• Support for the far-right One Nation party increased following the budget announcement, while younger Australians and renters were comparatively less critical of the proposed reforms.Read more

20 May 2026

Abu Dhabi-based Modon Holding has partnered with Montage Hotels & Resorts to launch an ultra-luxury hospitality and branded residences project at Ras El Hekma on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. The development, named Montage Ras El Hekma, will mark the hospitality group’s entry into the Egyptian market and introduce branded residences for buyers in the fast-growing coastal destination. The project comes as Ras El Hekma continues to attract major regional and international investments following large-scale tourism and infrastructure development plans announced over the past year.Read more

20 May 2026

• Argentum AI has signed a USD 2.5 billion agreement with cloud gaming company Boosteroid and real estate firm DL Invest Group for the development of a 300-megawatt data centre project in Europe.
• The project will involve deployment of large-scale GPU infrastructure, including future integration of next-generation systems from NVIDIA.
• The companies stated that the project is expected to become one of the largest independently developed AI infrastructure initiatives in the European market.
• The agreement reflects growing global demand for AI compute infrastructure amid increasing investment in hyperscale data centres and cloud-based artificial intelligence systems.
• Argentum AI said it is currently engaging with financial institutions and investment banks to arrange large-scale funding support for future AI infrastructure deployment projects.Read more

20 May 2026

The Bank of Spain has said it is carefully evaluating possible restrictions on mortgage lending to strengthen financial stability without worsening pressure in the country’s rental housing market. In its latest financial stability review, the central bank warned that tighter lending norms could shift more people from homeownership to renting, potentially increasing rents further in a market already facing a major housing shortage. While home prices and mortgage lending continue to rise, the regulator said current data does not indicate signs of a real estate bubble similar to the one that led to Spain’s housing crash and banking crisis in 2008.Read more

19 May 2026

Australian shares ended almost unchanged at the close of trade, wrapping up a volatile week as investors assessed the impact of proposed housing-tax reforms and global economic uncertainties. Concerns around changes to negative gearing and investor lending weighed on the outlook for banks and mortgage growth, while developments in U.S.-China relations and tensions in the Middle East kept markets cautious. Financial and real estate stocks managed gains, but weakness in mining shares due to softer commodity prices limited broader market movement. Investors are now watching upcoming employment data for further clues on interest-rate direction.Read more

19 May 2026

• Germany’s residential construction sector recorded its steepest fall in business sentiment in four years during the past month.
• The Ifo institute’s business climate index for the sector dropped to minus 28.4 points from minus 19.3 points a month earlier.
• Rising geopolitical uncertainty, higher financing costs and fragile supply chains negatively impacted construction activity and market confidence.
• Around 9.2% of companies reported material supply disruptions, compared to nearly 1% seen consistently over the previous two years.
• The share of firms reporting insufficient orders remained stable at 43.8%, highlighting continued weak demand conditions in the housing market.Read more

19 May 2026

Realty Income has announced its 671st consecutive common stock monthly dividend, continuing one of the longest dividend payment records among real estate investment trusts (REITs). The company has built its reputation around stable and regular shareholder payouts backed by income-generating commercial real estate assets across the United States and Europe. The latest announcement reflects the company’s continued focus on predictable cash flows and long-term investor returns despite ongoing pressure on global real estate and financing markets. Realty Income is widely known among investors for its monthly dividend model and consistent distribution track record.Read more

19 May 2026

Spanish real estate company Merlin Properties reported an 11.4% year-on-year rise in its core profit for the first quarter, supported by strong occupancy across its office, retail and logistics portfolio. The company posted EBITDA of EUR 113.6 million, compared to EUR 102 million in the same period last year. While occupancy dipped slightly to 95%, it remained stable at high levels. Merlin also continued to expand its data centre business, which currently contributes a small share of rental income but is expected to become a major revenue driver by 2030.Read more