By Igor Strehl, CEO Dunaj Family Office

2026 will be a year in which realism and opportunity are more closely intertwined than ever before. The major trends in the European real estate market are clearly visible – and their impact is particularly pronounced in Austria. Three trends stand out.

By Igor Strehl, CEO Dunaj Family Office Consulting.

The summer of 2025 was not only hot in terms of temperatures, but also in debates surrounding the real estate market. In particular focus: fixed-term rental contracts. The Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK) is demanding that institutional landlords in the future should only be allowed to offer unlimited contracts. In addition, the minimum statutory lease term is set to be raised from three to five years this autumn. The goal is to create more stability for tenants.

In the world of real estate investing, many seek income and long-term value appreciation. You don’t own a single unit; you own a share of the entire project. When it comes to long-term investing, the Austrian Bauherrenmodell is a quiet anomaly. It doesn’t promise overnight riches or spectacular flips. It isn’t driven by hype or short-term speculation. Instead, it offers something rarer: a thoughtful, tax-efficient path to long-term wealth creation — and a chance to help solve a housing shortage along the way.

At their core, real estate funds are collective investment vehicles. One fund, dozens of properties, hundreds (or thousands) of investors. Legally, these funds may take the form of a stock company (AG), limited liability company (GmbH), or a partnership. Crucially, they are tightly regulated and supervised by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA).