The industrial and logistics property market in the Rhine-Main region recorded a take-up of 196,100 square metres in the first half of 2026. This represents a 20 per cent decrease compared to the same period of the previous year. Analysis by the global property services provider CBRE suggests that this reduced take-up does not primarily indicate declining demand, but rather is the result of an extremely limited supply of available large spaces.
Marc Snehotta, Team Leader Industrial & Logistics Leasing Frankfurt at CBRE, notes that there is a particular shortage of short-term available space in the big-box segment. This makes it difficult to successfully convert enquiries into deals. Market activity in the first half of the year was mainly characterised by the letting of smaller and medium-sized existing spaces. Large-volume transactions were an exception, as speculative project developments remain scarce and only isolated new spaces are expected in the short term.
Persistent Supply Shortage and Rent Development
Demand in the market remains stable across various user groups. The persistent supply shortage is also reflected in vacancy trends. The vacancy rate in the big-box segment is merely 0.5 per cent, which is equivalent to almost full occupancy. In parallel, the upward trend in rents continued. The prime rent increased by six per cent within one year to EUR 8.90 per square metre per month. Sarina Schekahn, Head of Industrial & Logistics Leasing at CBRE in Germany, anticipates that upward pressure on rents will persist due to the tight supply and stable demand.
For the full year 2026, Oliver Fritz, Director Industrial & Logistics Leasing Frankfurt at CBRE, forecasts a continuing modest number of large-volume deals. Suitable spaces remain in short supply. Accordingly, supply will be the decisive factor for further market development, as long as no additional speculative development pipeline is established. CBRE expects a total take-up of approximately 420,000 square metres for the entire year 2026.
