14.10.2026 • 31/2026
EREI-Update: Rents remain high in Spanish cities
Pressure in the Spanish rental market made Prime Minister Sánchez call for early elections on October 5, to be held in late November 2026, possibly indicating that rental market pressure can turn into political pressure. The latest European Real Estate Index (EREI) by the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) confirms indeed that the average rent in Spanish metropolitan areas was 23% higher compared to rural areas in Spain. This city rental premium in Spain was thus significantly above the EU average of 17%.
Michael Koetter
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10.09.2026 • 27/2026
EREI-Update: Rents in Europe’s cities are 23% higher on average than in rural areas
The European Commission currently prepares the Affordable Housing Act to tackle widespread concerns about tight housing markets, for example voiced by the German Tenants' Federation (DMB) which blames rising rental cost as one main driver of a social crisis in Germany. The latest European Real Estate Index (EREI) by the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) shows that rental prices in Germany rose indeed three times compared to the European average in August. Moreover, the rental premium in metropolitan areas vis-à-vis the average in non-metropolitan areas in eleven EU member states amounts to 23%.
Michael Koetter
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02.09.2026 • 24/2026
Launch of the European Real Estate Index (EREI): German housing prices continue to rise more slowly than in Europe
Growth in asking prices for German residential properties offered for sale has lagged the European EREI aggregate since spring 2025. This is shown by the new European Real Estate Index (EREI) presented today by the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH). This novel data service hinges on more than 43 million listings on online real estate platforms and provides monthly comparisons of residential asking prices and advertised rents across 1,154 European regions in near-real-time.
Michael Koetter
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Research Articles
Research Articles Explore cutting-edge research based on CompNet’s micro-aggregated firm-level data and related analytical tools. These articles cover empirical and theoretical…
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Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) – Member of the Leibniz Association
EREI-Update: Rents remain high in Spanish cities Pressure in the Spanish rental market made Prime Minister Sánchez call for early elections. The latest European Real Estate Index…
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