Focus Estate Fund announced its successful restructuring in Luxembourg, Europe's largest fund and asset management destination. From now on Focus Estate Fund shall operate as a Luxembourg-based Alternative Investment Fund.

Signal Capital Partners, UK-based private asset management firm, along with Griffin Capital Partners and Echo Investment will, subject to anti-monopoly clearance, launch a new student housing platform. The new joint venture is aiming to develop, as a first step, an operating portfolio of 5,000 purpose-built student beds across key academic cities in Poland over the next three to five years.

Zoltán Ligetvári has joined ConvergenCE as Investment Director, bringing nearly twenty years of expertise in commercial investment to the development team.

The first Ibis Styles hotel will open on the Romanian seaside this summer following a franchise agreement signed by Accor and Paradis Hotels & Resort, a company owned by Romanian entrepreneur Aurelian Marin.

AFI Europe has appointed Luciana Giurea as the new Head of the Residential Division, tasked with overseeing all residential real estate projects – for rent or sale – in Romania. She will also drive the development of the division within the company.

Local retail chain operator La Cocoș has opened its fourth hypermarket in Brașov. The company has leased 10,000 sqm for the new unit in the Brintex complex, in a deal brokered by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Falling interest rates and higher incomes of Romanians coupled with increasing attractiveness of residential renting will drive the home affordability index, according to research by the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA).

John Palmer, Partner Associate, Real Estate Advisory at Deloitte Poland, talked to Property Forum about the rapidly changing landscape of the land development market in Poland and its current attractiveness to foreign investors.

Mendota Invest, OTP Group's subsidiary has received a final building permit for a mixed-use complex at the heart of the Slovenian capital. Construction work will begin in March. The estimated value of the entire investment is more than €350 million. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Real estate advisory firm Avison Young announced the promotion of Michał Ćwikliński as Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Regional Managing Director, effective immediately. In this newly created role, Ćwikliński will work closely with Avison Young’s Country Management teams to oversee and assist business development, sales management, and strategic initiatives across the EMEA region.