Weak week for the real estate sector on the stock exchange, pending the meeting of the European Central Bank (ECB) next week. Analysts provide that the ECB will leave the rates unchanged, without providing significant monetary policy signals for the months to come. With the inflation returned to 2% on a sustainable basis and the economy that is resisting the higher US duties storm, the new macroeconomic forecasts will probably show a picture very similar to that of June. The data of the euro area released this week have widely confirmed that the economy remains on the right way: the unemployment rate dropped to 6.2% in July from 6.3% in June and inflation remained close to the objective of the ECB; The estimate of the overall inflation is 2.1% in August, it is increasing only marginally from 2% in July, while the underlying inflation remained stable to 2.3%.
The trend of the sector on the stock exchange
The real estate sector has experienced a negative week at European level, with the Stoxx 600 Real Estate index which fell by 1.9%, under-performing the trend of the Stoxx Europe 600 (+0.3%).
A better performance was scored by Italy, where the FTSE Italia All Share Real Estate index showed a 0.5% drop-down trend on a weekly basis, better than that of the FTSE MIB index (-1.1%).
Real estate securities listed in Milan
Among the listed real estate companies in Piazza Affari, there was a positive week for Brioschi (+1.6%). Little moved Gabetti (+0.3%) and restoration. Next Re (-5%), inhabit in (-1.3%), Aedes (-1%) and PGD (-0.6%).
Macroeconomic data
On the macroeconomic front, Istat made it known that the fourth quarter closed the year 2024 with 284,812 real estate sales in Italy. The intermediary volumes increased by 2.7% compared to the fourth quarter 2023, speeding up the growth just mentioned that it had been recorded the previous year (+0.5% on the 4th quarter 2022). The notary conventions for mortgages, funding and other obligations with the establishment of real estate mortgage (98,608 in the 4th quarter 2024) increased by 16.9% compared to the same period of 2023, when the mortgages had marked an almost diametrically opposite drop (-14.5 compared to the fourth quarter 2022).
The prices of houses in the United Kingdom rose by 0.3% in August 2025 (compared to +0.4% in July and +0.3% expected by analysts), according to the Halifax House Price Index. The average price of the properties is now 299,331 pounds, a new record. Annual growth stands at +2.2%, after +2.5%of the previous month and against expected for +2%.
Sector studies
During the week, interesting data arrived from Idealista, who ascertained that the most expensive property in Italy is a castle located on the Tuscan hills, in the municipality of Castelfiorentino, and is on sale on idealist for the price of 42 million euros. The castle of Castelfiorentino, which is located about thirty kilometers from Florence, is surrounded by 22 hectares of land, has a 250 square meter swimming pool and a private lake of 5,000 square meters. The property also includes a private chapel, an internal courtyard, a farmhouse, a farm and a vineyard that produces Chianti DOCG. In second place in the ranking is another castle, located in Val di Chy, in the province of Turin, and offered for sale for 31 million euros. This is the castle of Partone, dating back to the ninth century and declared a national monument in 1981. The third step of the podium is occupied by a large estate in Massa, immersed in the green Tuscan countryside, which is located a short distance from the sea and the city.
