Nottingham Guardian - EXPO REAL 2026: Maximilian Seil calls for faster action – ‘Capital already thinks in real time’

EXPO REAL 2026 closed with a slight increase in attendance. According to Messe München’s closing report, published on 7 October, more than 42,000 participants from 74 countries attended this year’s event, held from 5 to 7 October. A total of 1,777 exhibitors from 37 countries took part.

Last year’s event attracted around 42,000 participants and 1,742 exhibitors. Exhibitor numbers therefore rose by around two per cent, almost returning to the level recorded in 2024, when there were 1,778 exhibitors and more than 40,000 participants. These figures demonstrate the trade fair’s enduring appeal, but do not, in themselves, establish that the property market is experiencing a strong recovery.

The EXPO REAL Trend Index, published ahead of the event, illustrates just how subdued sentiment across the property market remains. In a survey of 430 exhibitors and visitors conducted by market research institute IfaD, 40 per cent took a cautious or very cautious view of market conditions. Only 25 per cent were optimistic, compared with 44 per cent in 2025. High construction costs, limited access to capital and lengthy procedures remain major obstacles.

At the same time, the exhibition broadened its scope. With ‘InfrastructureNow’, investable infrastructure became a dedicated focus for the first time. The ‘Transform & Beyond’ area addressed digitalisation, artificial intelligence and the decarbonisation of real estate, among other themes.

For Maximilian Seil, however, technological change must above all make a tangible difference to the way property transactions are executed. This raises a question: ‘Why is property still being sold the way it was 20 years ago?’

BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG: Mr Seil, what are your impressions of EXPO REAL 2026?
Maximilian Seil: Too many people are still talking about prices. For some time now, the real question has been this: why is property still being sold the way it was 20 years ago?

BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG: What exactly do you mean by that?
Maximilian Seil: Large portfolios are often marketed as large packages by default. We believe in the opposite approach. We segment portfolios and create a distinct pool of buyers for each individual asset. That increases reach, liquidity and competition.

BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG: What role does technology play in this?
Maximilian Seil: The next step is Live Buyer Matching. Our platform will show, in real time, which buyers are a genuine match for each asset, based on region, investment size, return profile and acquisition history. Sellers will no longer have to wait weeks for someone to tell them who they might know. They will be able to see where the capital actually is.

‘Identify problems sooner, structure solutions sooner, bring capital to the table sooner’

BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG: Another issue is non-performing loans, or NPLs. How do you expect the situation to develop?

Maximilian Seil: NPLs are going to become significantly more important. But in my view, we are far too slow to discuss them, and we leave it far too late. Banks need to act immediately rather than waiting for conditions to improve. Ultimately, hesitation leads to a worse outcome. Banks currently lose too much time between the first signs of a problem and a structured solution. During that time, it is often not just the financing position that deteriorates, but the asset itself. Identify problems sooner, structure solutions sooner, bring capital to the table sooner – that will be crucial.

BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG: So greater speed on both fronts – in sales as well as special situations?
Maximilian Seil: Exactly. In sales just as much as in special situations. The industry needs to stop asking, ‘Who might buy at some point?’ and start asking, ‘Who can act today?’

BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG: What is your final assessment of EXPO REAL 2026?
Maximilian Seil: Discussions about real estate are becoming more focused on technology, but the industry spends too much time mired in inertia and hand-wringing. The special situations market is growing, and the pressure is immense. Genuine liquidity and speed are competitive advantages. But only private and semi-professional investors can put those advantages to work. The industry is still thinking in terms of outdated processes that are no longer fit for purpose. Capital already thinks in real time – about where it can be deployed.

Background and current conditions: non-performing loans and real estate risks
According to the European Central Bank, a loan is classified as non-performing if repayment is considered unlikely or if scheduled payments are more than 90 days overdue. This classification does not automatically mean a total loss. Possible solutions include amending the terms of the loan or selling the debt to investors.

The Bundesbank painted a nuanced picture on 24 September 2026: the proportion of non-performing loans at German credit institutions had risen sharply since 2023, but had nevertheless recently stabilised at around two per cent. Pressures were particularly evident in corporate lending and loans secured against commercial property. Developments in residential mortgage lending to private borrowers had, by contrast, been more moderate so far. Behind the gloom across the entire property industry, however, lie bureaucracy that has spiralled completely out of control and the catastrophic way in which the Federal Republic of Germany is governed by its political leaders and their servile lackeys. In any reputable company, such conduct would result in immediate summary dismissal.

About Maximilian Seil:
Maximilian Seil is the founder of SEIL Group. The owner-managed group operates from Frankfurt am Main and London, focusing on real estate, technology and corporate special situations. Its core activities include segmenting large residential property portfolios and the structured marketing of individual properties from extensive holdings.

T.Matic