London is not the only city seeing consistent growth, particularly in property investment. Germany has also experienced the highest volumes of investment since 2007, according to recent figures. The deals in Germany account for nearly half of Europe’s commercial property investments, with home-grown deals involving German buyers amounting to almost half of those deals. 

The positive growth spurred on by German buyers has in turn attracted the attention of international investors, with companies such as Blackstone, Colliers, and Morgan Stanley acquiring high-profile portfolios of offices as well as retail sites such as shopping malls.

However, the European Capital Flows Q1 2014 report does indicate that London, as a ‘safe haven’, remains a prime choice by Asian investors as well as sovereign wealth funds and insurance and pension funds. 

The ability for Chinese insurance companies to invest externally – which previously was not allowed – means that there is a flow of funds from that region that is being targeted at European property deals. Already the impact is being felt in London where large-scale, high-profile deals are on the cards between Chinese companies and owners in Canary Wharf and the City. 

The attractiveness of certain areas of the European property market to non-EU investors may in turn strengthen the economies of the respective countries and bring in further investment. Other countries that are injecting capital into Europe include Malaysia and Taiwan. Some analysts believe that less risk-averse investors, and particularly some private equity funds, may begin to target certain countries that have been avoided up until now, such as Spain and Italy, in the hope that those economies have seen the worst. 

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