The volume of real estate investment grew 139 percent last year compared to 2014. According to CBRE, the increase is the result of a combination of factors, including the profitability of real estate assets as well as the unattractive returns being produced by most financial products. CBRE writes that the retail sector recorded the highest volume of deals, with €1.2bn. Of this total, 39 percent came from the sale of shopping centers in deals such as the sale of the Almada Forum and Forum Montijo to Blackstone, and Dolce Vita Coimbra, Dolce Vita Porto and Dolce Vita Douro to Deutsche Bank. The most iconic deal was was the sale of the office Ocidental Tower from the Colombo shopping center to a Singapore-based fund. CBRE notes that 91 percent of all deals featured foreign buyers.
