ImmoScout24 takes over Exploreal: A turning point for the Austrian market!

ImmoScout24 takes over Exploreal: A turning point for the Austrian market!

In 2023, the Austrian real estate investment market experienced a significant decline of 49 percent compared to the previous year. Amid these challenges, ImmoScout24 has taken an important step in its long-term strategy and completed the acquisition of Exploreal, a leading data provider in the real estate sector. This merger is intended to create a digital ecosystem for the real estate market and significantly strengthen ImmoScout24's data expertise. The company acquired 100 percent of the shares in Exploreal, which has been active with a property developer database since 2018.

The integration of Exploreal brings with it several main products, including EXPLOREAL classic(+), which offers comprehensive data on all new residential construction projects in Austria, and EXPLOREAL smart, a tool for professional real estate pricing. In addition, EXPLOREAL search(+) will provide access to land register data. These tools are valuable to real estate professionals because they allow for more efficient marketing and more accurate valuations of properties. The takeover is seen as a key step in the development of the Austrian real estate market.

Market trends and forecasts

In 2024, the Austrian real estate market could show some positive trends. According to CBRE, a total of 2.7 billion euros were invested, which represents a decrease of seven percent compared to the previous year. In Vienna in particular, the investment volume rose to 1.9 billion euros, which represents an increase of seven percent year-on-year. Private equity and construction companies are showing increasing interest in large-scale project developments, which is illustrated by projects such as the Althan Quartier and the Lamarr department store. Development projects do not count towards the transaction volume due to cash flow issues, but do contribute to the future investment landscape.

The stabilization of prime yields also signals positive developments for the market. Office properties are the strongest asset class with a market share of 32 percent and an investment volume of 850 million euros. Demand for residential properties has increased to 25 percent and mixed-use properties are also in high demand at 17 percent. Despite the reluctance of international investors, the market remains dominated by domestic players, which account for over 80 percent of the market share.

Outlook for 2025

A further increase in interest in the industry is forecast for 2025, depending on the availability of suitable products. Private investors show a preference for smaller investments and higher equity ratios, while institutional investors have sold properties worth over 1.2 billion euros. At the same time, further yield compression is expected, indicating a dynamic environment in the real estate sector.

Digitalization is increasingly seen as a crucial factor for greater transparency in the real estate market. The integration of Exploreal's data will make it possible to make market trends more visible and identify potential needs for action. Completions of new housing units have fallen from over 40,000 annually to around 27,100 from 2025 as a result of these developments, highlighting the need for relevant data for buyers and sellers.

Overall, ImmoScout24's acquisition of Exploreal not only strengthens the company's data expertise, but could also significantly improve transparency and efficiency in the Austrian real estate market as the market moves towards a slow but positive recovery.

Further information on these developments can be found at Real estate editorial team and ImmoFlash.