London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Going through the roof: what does 2022 have in store for global property prices?

The pandemic has transformed the global property market. In this episode of the Exchange, industry leaders offer their predictions for the $10 trillion sector in 2022.
Raising the roof


Lockdown, work-from-home, staycation - these are pandemic-era words we’ve all had to get used to. They’ve defined the way we live, work and travel, and have changed the dynamics of the real estate sector - one of the world’s biggest drivers of economic growth.

The global pandemic rebound is fuelling recovery in many segments of real estate. But uncertainty is still a big theme, as rising cases and new COVID variants threaten the return of movement restrictions.

Despite the uneven recovery, investments in real estate reached an all-time high in the third quarter, topping $755 billion, (670 euros), up 50 percent year-on-year.

And investors are keeping their portfolios diversified, with the residential sector now the most active segment ahead of offices, and driving 29 percent of transactional activity.

The post-COVID home


Behind the statistics and commercial figures the property market has always been profoundly affected by how people think and feel about design.

Interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has spent decades working at that intersection between design, architecture and culture. He says tastes are changing with the pandemic forcing us to rethink our relationship with our homes.

"...architecture is a very very ponderous art form and will take decades - you know, an architect having an idea now will unlikely see the fruits of that idea for five, six years. People feel that there are very comforting ways to decorate now, and there are personal ways to decorate now, they’re decorating for themselves suddenly, rather than decorating for the estate agent that’s going to come around and value it or the work colleague that’s going to come around for a bottle of wine. Actually, people are socialising less, people are staying at home, and they are staying at home in these very comfortable, comforting, very domestic environments," says Llewelyn-Bowen.

Paris property prices soar


During the COVID crisis, some feared for the real-estate market in Paris, which has been one of the world's most flourishing for decades. But prices are up again and prestige property is even booming: Both Sotherby's and Barnes say 2021 will be a record year in France. A positive prediction, but does it match the sentiment from buyers and sellers on the ground.

You might have met the Kretz family while watching TV during lockdowns. Their Netflix show called 'The Parisian Agency' tells their real story: that of a family business specialising in luxury real estate.

2021 has been a bumper year for the Kretz family who specialise in luxury real estate.


The founder of Kretz and Partners, Olivier Kretz, told the Exchange: "People are looking for apartments with space, with gardens, because they have suffered during the confinement. Big apartments without outdoors [space], prices went down or stabilised, and the others with outdoors, prices went up.

Valentin Kretz also believes more and more people want to realise their property dreams and put their plans into action.

"I think it's really a global trend. People during COVID had the time to think about their future project and now is the time to make this project happen.

He concludes by saying property remains one of the soundest investments: "Right now the investors and rich families want to invest, and they want to invest in a safe investment so what's better than real estate?"

Betting on property


So the pandemic has changed consumer trends, and how realtors are coping with the movement of people in big cities, but what’s the sentiment like for investors looking for bright spots to cash in on?

Sean Coghlan is the Global Director of Capital Markets Research at the real estate investment firm JLL in New York. He believes 2022 could offer many opportunities with sustainability and technology driving both design and innovation.

"We have entered this new era of living, working and playing, and we are still in that period of experimentation and there is still much to be determined, which creates opportunity. Sustainability is shifting from a nice to have to the only way forward. Technology, where groups have a lot of conviction, from an investor perspective, that could fit into a lot of different areas of the market. But I think it's a theme where you're going to see groups moving on opportunities in the markets next year."

So, Investors, designers and deal makers all agree that the property market appears to be weathering the COVID storm. But the pandemic, like climate change, has only just begun to reshape the sector and our society as a whole. Grasping psychology and culture is fast becoming as critical for developers as financial analysis. To win in 2022 then, property firms will need to adapt to a very different way of thinking about the spaces where we live and work.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×