Nama will this week finalise its biggest asset sale to date — the Project Tower loan portfolio, connected with the Cork-based developer Michael O’Flynn.

Foreign investors aretaking advantage of sharply reduced prices, with the sale of the Burlington, Fota Island Hotel and others attracting American and Chinese investors. Realistic prices are helping to attract these overseas buyers and breathing some life into a moribund market. Tommy Barker says major property sales were also a good sign and it’s likely that receivership sales will feature more strongly in 2013.

Significant increases in real estate investment turnover in the UK, Germany and Spain in the third quarter of 2009 propelled an upturn in the European commercial real estate investment market, according to the latest data from CB Richard Ellis Group.