REALOGIS: Major deals kept take-up stable in Cologne's industrial and logistics real estate market in 2025, rents stagnating

• Take-up of 244,800 m² just below 5-year average
• Top rent at €8.00/m², average rent at €6.85/m²
• Lettings in existing space reached 109,900 m²
• New buildings on greenfield sites fell to 62,400 m²
• Logistics and freight forwarding is  the largest user industry with 101,100 m²

Cologne, 19 February 2026 – The REALOGIS Group, Germany's leading consulting firm for industrial and logistics real estate as well as commercial properties, registered take-up of 244,800 m² on the Cologne industrial and logistics real estate market in 2025 as a whole. Compared to the previous year, this corresponds to a decline of 33,200 m² or 12% (2024: 278,000 m²). The 5-year average of 250,660 m² was missed by 2%. The fivelargest deals by Sellvin AG (26,026 m²), Dachser (23,300 m²), Barnet Europe (21,000 m²), ParcelJet (20,000 m²) and DSV (19,560 m²) accounted for 45% of totaltake-up.

Rents: Prime rent stagnates for the second year in a row, average rent also unchanged

The prime rent in the cathedral city remained unchanged after 2024 at €8.00/m² last year. However, this exceeded the 5-year average of €7.39/m² by 8%. The average rent was calculated at €6.85/m² for the end of 2025. This also corresponded exactly to the value of the previous year. The 5-year average of €6.16/m² was exceeded by 11%.

Take-up: Stock is the largest type of space, brownfields gained in importance

Lettings in existing space reached 109,900 m² or 45% market share (2024: 172,400 m² / 62%). Compared to the previous year, this is a decline of 62,500 m² or 36%. The transactionsby Sellvin AG (26,026 m²) and ParcelJet (20,000 m²) together accounted for 42% of the take-up of existingspace.

New buildings on former brownfields followed with 72,500 m² or 30% of take-up, after this category had not played a role in recent years. Two of thefive largest revenue drivers, Dachser and DSV, were responsible for 59% of leasing activities here.

New-build properties on greenfield sites reached 62,400 m², which corresponds to 25% of totaltake-up (2024: 105,600 m² / 38%). The segment recorded a decline of 43,200 m² or 41%. The closing of the transaction by Barnet Europe (21,000 m²) accounted for around 34% of the segment's take-up.

Market structure: Cologne largely tenant-driven

Lease deals totalled 238,300 m² or 97% (2024: 278,000 m²). Owner-occupiers accounted for 6,500 m² or 3%, after no transactions were registered in the previous year.

Building types: BigBoxSurfaces are great, other properties are growing significantly

BigBox space accounted for 147,900 m² or 60% market share (2024: 234,200 m² / 84%). Compared with the previous year,  take-up in this segment fell by 86,300 m² or 37%.

Other properties that cannot be classified as BigBox spaces or classic business parks accounted for 60,100 m² or 25% (2024: 25,400 m² / 9%) and thus a significant increase.

Lettings in business parks doubled compared to 2024 to 36,800 m² or 15% (2024: 18,400 m² / 7%).

Industries: Logistics / freight forwarding in the lead, trade lost sales shares

Despite a decline of 16,000 m² or 14%, the most sought-after user sector was the logistics / freight forwarding sector. It generateda letting volume of 101,100 m², which corresponded to 41% of take-up (2024: 117,100 m² / 42%). The financial statementsof Dachser, ParcelJet and DSV contributed 62% to this result.

At 80,100 m² or a share of 33%, retail companies rented significantly less than in the previous year (2024: 121,300 m² / 44%). Within retail, e-commerce was just ahead of traditional retail with 40,800 m² or 51% (2024: 42,500 m² / 35%). The largestdeal by Sellvin AG (26,026 m²) contributed 64% to the e-commerce result. Traditional retail reached 39,300 m² or 49% (2024: 78,800 m² / 65%).

The industry / production sector accounted for 41,000 m² or 17% oftake-up (2024: 38,100 m² / 13%). The deal by Barnet Europe (21,000 m²) accounted for 51% of the industry's volume. Other sectors concluded rentalagreements for a total of 22,600 m², a share of take-up of 9% (2024: 1,500 m² / 1%).

Size classes: Areas from 10,001 m² continue to dominate the market

The size class from 10,001 m² accounted for 175,700 m² or 72% (2024: 234,200 m² / 84%). The fivelargest deals were concluded in this area. They accounted for 63% of take-up. Compared to 2024, this still corresponds to a decrease of 25%.

Areas between 5,001 m² and 10,000 m² accounted for 31,400 m² or 13% (2024: 19,200 m² / 7%). Average spacebetween 3,001 m² and 5,000 m² was 10,200 m² or 4% (2024: 16,400 m² / 6%).

Contracts in the range of 1,000 m² to 3,000 m² added  up to 23,400 m² or 9% (2024: 8,000 m² / 3%). The smallest areas of less than 1,000 m² totalled 4,100 m² or 2% (2024: 200 m² / 0%).

Key figures at a glance

• Take-up: 244,800 m²
• Top rent: €8.00/m²
• Average rent: €6.85/m²
• Existing areas: 109,900 m² | New building on a greenfield site: 62,400 m² |New building on brownfield: 72,500 m²
• Tenants: 238,300 m² | Owner-occupier: 6,500 m²

REALOGIS. The No. 1 in industrial and logistics real estate

The REALOGIS Group is Germany's leading address for advising and brokering industrial and logistics properties as well as commercial properties. As an owner-managed company with locations in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Germany South/North, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart, the company, founded in 2005, has in-depth market knowledge and more than twenty years of experience in the German real estate sector.

Around 70 employees support national and international companies from logistics, industry, trade and e-commerce as well as private and institutional investors. The range of services includes the mediation of tenants for existing and new properties, the support of investors in acquisitions and project developments, advice on the search for or sale of land as well as the development and implementation of holistic real estate strategies, from location analysis to the realisation of assets that are no longer necessary for operation.

Contact MediaTarga Communications
Arne DegenerT +49 151 196 933 90E ad@targacommunications.de