Potential for the real estate industry

As part of the "First Class Discussions," in addition to the panel discussions themselves, participants were presented with facts and figures for all Northern European real estate markets. In 2009, around 600,000 square meters of storage and logistics space was leased or sold in Hamburg and Bremen, underscoring the importance of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region as one of the world's most important logistics centers. In the same year, Stockholm, with 2 percent, recorded the lowest retail vacancy rate in Scandinavia. Top returns as high as 12.5 percent in the office market can be achieved in the Eastern European region, for example in St. Petersburg.

Attending Real Estate North also paid off for the speakers taking part in the "First Class Discussions." Dr. Thomas Kaiser-Stockmann, a partner with Mannheimer Swartling in Stockholm, noted the very high level of those participating and made excellent contacts at the fair. Mikael Glud, Executive Director of CB Richard Ellis in Denmark, is certain that more companies from his country will participate in next year's Real Estate North. Timo Nyman, Senior Director of Nordea Bank in Finland, was also very satisfied with the fair. "The format of the fair was good and perfectly suited the Scandinavian mentality. I made some very interesting new contacts at Real Estate North. We will be happy to come back again as an exhibitor next year."