SLOVENIA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Blaž Ogorevc, Miha Štravs and Blaž Murko, Odvetniki Šelih & partnerji, o.p., d.o.o.
Introduction In 2024, Slovenia’s real estate market contin - ued to perform in the context of global, regional and local macroeconomic indicators, EU-driven sustainability goals, and a – slowly but surely – growing need for legal and financial innovation. Despite broader uncertainties and the lingering effects of previous years’ inflation and interest rate volatility, Slovenia remains an attractive and comparatively stable destination for real estate investment within Central and Eastern Europe. The Slovenian legal framework is established, infrastructure well-developed, and the strate - gic location within the EU remains a strong suit. These factors offer a relatively low-risk environ - ment and collectively support Slovenia’s appeal among both institutional and private investors. Residential One of the key themes shaping the market in 2024 is the notable slowdown in the residential segment, both in terms of pricing and transac - tion volume. The number of residential transac - tions dropped significantly in 2024 compared to the previous year, though the prices did not quite follow that trend. This correction follows several years of significant growth and reflects both reduced affordability due to prior inflation and cautious buyer sentiment in the face of broader economic uncertainty. That said, investor appetite for rental housing remains healthy, particularly in Ljubljana and oth - er university cities, where supply continues to lag significantly behind demand over a longer period now, which has caused the rental prices to rise above affordability levels. Several governments have long promised an aggressive approach in tackling this situation but have not delivered. In March 2025, the Housing Fund of the Repub - lic of Slovenia however announced a new (and largest until now) set of waves of investments
into new rental units. Supported by legislative measures, both in the housing law and state financial support view, this should bring several thousands of units across Slovenia. Contrary to the state fund, private investors are more focused on Ljubljana when developing new residential properties. The leading investor in this part is Slovak Corwin, but there are also other notable players, local and foreign, active in the market. Some private investors are also active in developing luxury residential quarters in tourism- based areas, such as the coast or Lake Bled. Build-to-rent and co-living models are not ful - ly developed but might be gaining traction as developers will need to seek to address the shifting demographics and preferences, includ - ing a growing number of single-person house - holds and urban professionals. Public authorities should also step up when exploring new poli - cy mechanisms, such as rent regulation pilots and support for co-operative housing models, which could improve long-term affordability and increase access to adequate housing. Office Space On the one hand, statistical indicators show that the office segment has demonstrated certain resilience in keeping low vacancy rates and was not bruised heavily due to hybrid work models and downsizing trends. On this part, Slovenia’s office market has remained relatively stable. Prime rents for Class A offices in Ljubljana range from EUR16 to 20 per square metre per month, and these rates have held steady throughout 2024. On the other hand, the past years have seen a growing mismatch between supply and demand for large prime office premises. The lack of the latter – though surely in combination with other
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