Tim Wilkinson MRICS, Head of European Acquisitions, Indotek Group, who chaired the panel said there is different sentiment for asset classes right now. He explained the question right now is how the capital will be allocated in the market.

Shay Baruch, CFO, GTC Romania & Bulgaria, spoke about the risks of an economic downturn for the real estate market.

Victor Constantinescu, Managing Partner, Romania & Co-Head of Real Estate, Kinstellar explained that there is hesitation on the pricing of real estate assets in the CEE, but there is capital set to be deployed in the region. He cited production as one of the segments driving demand for real estate.

The industrial sector is seeing high demand from the manufacturing sector, especially due to the nearshoring trend, said Gijs Klomp MRICS, Business Development Manager, WDP. He said that the growth has been gradual as companies needed more time to move.

Aurelia Luca, EVP Operations Hungary and Romania, Skanska pointed out that the office is evolving but is still a good investment as an asset class. She added that the environmental policy plays a strategic role in the transaction discussions.

Edmund Piess, Sustainability Director, Holcim Romania spoke about the solutions to decrease the cost ratio for sustainable buildings that are being developed with new advanced materials.

Speaking about Romania, Sorin Preda, Founder & CEO, Global Vision, pointed out that it is imperative that we continue to develop the infrastructure and expand investments into new cities. Preda explained that 80% of Romania’s GDP is generated by the first 10 cities.

Diversification is paramount for investors in Romania that could look at secondary cities, but there are more opportunities in the region as well, explained Andrei Văcaru, Head of Capital Markets CEE, iO Partners