Investment properties wanted: what buyers are really looking for in 2026

The short answer

Buyers of investment real estate assess eight points: rental stream, remaining term (WALT), creditworthiness of the tenant, difference between contract and market rent, state of maintenance, energy label, alternative usability, and the legal status of the property. Those eight points together determine the yield a buyer demands – and thus the price.

The eight criteria

  • Gross rental stream. The basis of every valuation: annual rent divided by the required yield.
  • WALT. The Weighted Average Lease Term of the rental contracts. Below three years, buyers factor in a risk premium.
  • Tenant quality. Payment behaviour, industry, and whether the tenant has branches elsewhere.
  • Over- or under-rent. If the rent is 20% above market, a buyer expects a decrease upon renewal and incorporates that into the offer now.
  • State of maintenance. Roof, facade, installations, and paving are the four items that most often cause setbacks.
  • Energy label. Offices must have at least label C; financiers often set additional requirements for lower labels.
  • Alternative usability. What happens if the tenant leaves? A building with multiple use options receives a lower risk premium.
  • Legal status. Ground lease (erfpacht), VvE (Owners' Association), zoning, soil, and any public law restrictions.

Calculation example: what one year of term does

A commercial space with €75,000 annual rent and six years left on the contract is valued by a buyer at an 8% BAR (Gross Initial Yield): approximately €937,000. The same space with one year left on the contract is more likely to be valued at 9.5%: approximately €789,000. A difference of nearly €150,000, without a single brick changing.

Our own practice

We purchase properties for our own portfolio in the Eindhoven, Helmond, Tilburg, Den Bosch, and Breda regions. In our acquisition files, we see that sellers who provide an updated rent roll, a maintenance overview, and the energy label in advance receive, on average, a sharper offer than sellers who have to look this up during the process. That is no coincidence: every loose end is a risk that we must price in.

Want to offer your property yourself?

See how a commercial real estate buyer arrives at an offer, or read the full explanation on selling an investment property.