[Digest] Housing speculation in the EU: Corporate landlords, real estate trusts, abusive speculative behaviour and impacts on prices and transactions

The presentation of the study took place on 13 July 2026 and focused on the financialisation of housing in the EU and the role of institutional investors and corporate landlords in rental housing markets. Two of the authors gave insights on:

• The process through which housing has increasingly come to function as a financial asset alongside its social function as a home.
• Different forms of speculation with emphasis on valuation-driven business models that rely on asset appreciation and landlord practices that undermine tenants’ rights and housing security.
• Evaluation of current policy responses to address housing financialisation and speculation in the EU and Member States.
• Policy recommendations to foster EU-level coordination supporting alternative, non-financialised housing models that ensure affordability.

The presentation was followed by questions from the Members and a stimulating debate.