A new window for Real Estate Monetisation: Danish companies could unlock significant capital

Copenhagen, June 2026 - The Danish commercial real estate market has entered a new cycle characterised by sustained investor interest across property types. For companies with capital tied up in real estate, current market conditions present a compelling opportunity to unlock that value and reinvest it in their core business. This is one of the key findings in a new report from CBRE, which examines the potential of Real Estate Monetisation in Denmark.

Denmark lags behind the Nordics - but the potential is significant

CBRE’s report indicates that Danish companies are already actively working with both disposals and sale-and-leaseback transactions. Over the past decade, companies across the Nordic region have sold properties for more than EUR 26 billion, with Denmark accounting for 34% of the total volume.

At the same time, the report identifies considerable untapped potential in the Danish market. Sale-and-leaseback transactions account for just 35% of corporate real estate sales in Denmark, compared with 50% across the Nordics as a whole. This underlines that Danish companies, to a greater extent than their Nordic neighbours, continue to favour traditional disposals over more structured monetisation strategies - a tendency the report attributes to a combination of market conditions, investment strategies and a preference for outright ownership.

“The Danish commercial real estate market has entered a new cycle, with sustained investor demand across property types. This creates an attractive and timely market window for companies looking to optimise their real estate portfolio and unlock up capital for their core business. We are seeing a broad range of sectors actively considering monetisation as a strategic tool.”
- Katja Haizmann Larsen, Associate Director & Research Lead, Capital Markets

The market is shifting - and the timing is favourable

According to CBRE, current market conditions make this a particularly compelling moment to act. At a time when geopolitical tensions are weighing on financial markets and tighter credit conditions are putting pressure on corporate liquidity, real estate monetisation is emerging as a stable and attractive financing alternative. Investor demand in the Danish commercial real estate market has remained resilient despite global turbulence. This gives companies that have previously been cautious about sale-and-leaseback options a strong reason to revisit their real estate strategy and respond accordingly.

Real estate monetisation can take the form of either a disposal of non-core assets or through a sale-and-leaseback transaction, where a company sells a property and remains in occupation as a tenant. The objective is not simply to release value tied up in real estate, but to redirect capital towards the areas where it can generate the greatest strategic value. That may include debt reduction, acquisitions or investment in core business activities.
"Sale-and-leaseback is far more than a financial instrument. It is a strategic lever that enables companies to release tied-up capital without losing operational control of their properties. When structured correctly, such a transaction can strengthen the balance sheet, lower the cost of capital and provide the resources needed to accelerate growth in the core business."
- Mads Skaarup, Senior Director, Capital Markets

A shifting sector landscape

Office properties have historically dominated corporate sales in Denmark, but industrial and logistics assets have driven the majority of transaction activity in recent years. In 2025, retail emerged as the largest segment by transaction volume.

Looking ahead, CBRE expects the next wave of Real Estate Monetisation activity in Denmark to be increasingly driven by research- and development intensive companies, including those in the pharma and life science sectors. In these industries, owned real estate often ties up significant capital that could otherwise be directed towards innovation, talent development and growth.