1. Greece: Goldman Sachs sells majority stake in hotels
Greek operator Domes Resorts agreed to acquire an international hotel portfolio that is majority-owned by American financial services giant Goldman Sachs.
No price was disclosed for the deal in which Domes will acquire London-based hotel firm Casa Collective and its 11 hotels, located in Greece, Italy, Egypt and Turkey. A Domes Resorts statement said the transaction “is intended to support the continued expansion of the platform through franchise, management and strategic development collaborations,” with plans to add at least four hotels to the acquired portfolio.
2. UK: OpenAI signs headquarters deal ahead of London expansion
American technology firm OpenAI is launching its first permanent London headquarters office, as part of a larger planned expansion in the region. The San Francisco-based owner of artificial intelligence programs like ChatGPT plans to move next year into an 88,500-square-foot space in the King’s Cross neighborhood.
OpenAI has described London, where it now employs about 200, as a “key hub” for its global research, and it plans to make the city its largest research center outside the United States. Phoebe Thacker, global head of data research and London site lead at OpenAI, said the United Kingdom “has an incredible depth of talent and a strong track record in AI.”
3. France: Logistics property investment declines
French logistics properties registered €226 million in sales in the first quarter, marking a 64% drop from a year earlier, according to consulting firm Arthur Loyd Logistique. Analysts are closely watching for the effects of geopolitical tensions and the return of inflationary pressures.
“First-quarter performance primarily reflects sellers’ wait-and-see attitude, and few deals were brought to market,” said Arthur Loyd’s investment director, Nicolas Chomette. Deals should pick up in coming quarters, as ongoing negotiations “confirm investors’ sustained interest in this asset class,” according to Franck Poizat of BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory France.
4. Germany: Munich starts year with strong office leasing
Unlike most other major German markets, Munich’s office leasing got off to a healthy start in 2026, totaling 157,000 to 172,000 square meters in the first quarter, based on varied figures from brokerage firms.
Munich leasing was well above year-earlier levels. Two deals, by technology firm JetBrains and electric utility firm E.ON, exceeded the 20,000-square-meter mark. In addition, the number of leases in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 square meters increased, fueled by activity in industry categories such as manufacturing and information technology.
5. Canada: Necessity-based retail drives British Columbia growth
Retail in British Columbia is experiencing a post-pandemic resurgence that real estate professionals credit to the sector’s ability to pivot as consumer demand changes.
Projects dedicated to retailers in the province are being bolstered by the success of dense projects where transit is a lynchpin, according to industry professionals. This allows the sector to capitalize on the record population growth in the westernmost province of Canada in recent years, as well as decelerated activity in the residential market.
6. US: Lifeline and looming threat: How AI is changing the office market
While artificial intelligence could automate much of the workplace, leading to fewer workers and less office space, it's also prompting the creation of companies that are major users of real estate.
ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, Databricks and other AI companies have collectively become the largest pursuers of space across the U.S. market, helping to lower record-high levels of office availability and leading a post-pandemic recovery. But no one knows whether AI will lead to a commercial real estate boom or bust — or both. Just as the technology is acting “as a catalyst for both growth and decline” in the job market, it can have differing effects on office property, according to real estate services firm CBRE.
This report was compiled from CoStar’s news publications in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany.