New data from CBRE has revealed that investment in the UK’s living sector totalled £4.4bn in the first half of the year, marking a 48% increase on H1 2025 investment levels.
According to its latest market analysis, CBRE said £1.9bn was invested in living during Q2 2026, 27% up on Q2 last year.
Multi-family build to rent (BTR) topped CBRE’s charts for investment volumes, with £1.8bn invested in Q2, more than doubling the £821m of recorded transactions during the same period last year.
CBRE’s data also paints a healthy picture for the sector’s forward pipeline, with more than £1.3bn of multi-family and single-family BTR assets currently under offer.
JLL data released yesterday (15 July) reveals that investment in the UK’s BTR alone totalled around £3bn in H1, up 28% year on year and 6% above the five-year average. Meanwhile, BTR data published by Savills earlier this month claims Q2 was the strongest second quarter on record for investment volumes.
All three firms accredited the rise to major transactions including Morgan Stanley and Ridgeback’s purchase of the private rented sector arm of London & Quadrant Housing Trust for more than £1.05bn, as well as Greystar’s recent acquisition of 904 homes at Elephant Park for around £500m.
Andrew Saunderson, head of UK living capital markets at CBRE, said: “The first half of 2026 has not been without its challenges, with geopolitical uncertainty continuing to shape market conditions.
“Nevertheless, our figures show the multi-family sector continues to attract investor interest, underpinned by strong occupier demand and resilient fundamentals. Investors remain disciplined and selective in their approach, but the level of assets currently under offer points to ongoing demand for well-located, high-quality opportunities.”
