Commercial property investment activity exceeded €8 billion across Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania in the first three quarters of 2019, 54% above the five year average, according to Savills latest research report. Investment turnover in CEE has been rising steadily since 2013, by 24% per annum on average, reflecting increasing investor confidence in the region, underpinned by above EU average economic expansion, falling unemployment and growing consumerism.

On 3 December 2019, Balkans Property Forum 2019, a conference and networking event for real estate professionals from all over Southeastern Europe will be held in Belgrade. Over 150 guests will come together in the Serbian capital to discuss key issues and explore the latest trends influencing the future of the real estate industry.

The UK is Romania’s fourth biggest service export destination, after Germany, Italy and France, with around 8% of total, though it also generates nearly 12% of the IT service exports, underscoring the deep ties to the office market in Bucharest and other parts of the country. In case of a hard Brexit, just a modest 10% decrease in trade flows with the UK would shave around 0.1% of Romania’s GDP and bring potential pressures on good office buildings, as among companies tied to the UK economy are blue-chip tenants, according to data from Colliers International Romania.

According to data by JLL, the value of office investment transactions concluded from the beginning of 2019 came in at nearly €2.8 billion, equating to 2018's total performance. What is particularly noteworthy is that office regional markets achieved record-breaking results of over €1 billion.

According to CBRE’s recent research, The Proptech Index 2019, 70% of occupiers from Central and Eastern Europe intend to raise their level of real estate technology investment in the next few years, mostly in a more people-centric direction. A new generation of consumers and workers (mostly Millennials and Gen Z) are incentivizing employers and landlords to recognize that technology is crucial in their workplace.

According to Savills, more than €700 million has been invested in the senior living sector across the UK and Europe since the beginning of the year, which is the highest level ever recorded. In Poland, the market in this sector is on an early stage of development but has great potential.

The volume of real estate investments in Romania exceeded €585 million in the first nine months, shows the latest research report of CBRE. The office market attracted more than half of the investments, Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca being the most dynamic cities, with almost 90 percent of the investment volume.

Prosperity on the real estate investment market in Poland is still noticed. Good economic situation and attractive yields in comparison to the Western Europe has attracted foreign investors even from distant countries and continents. Will the momentum be kept? What are the forecasts for the end of 2019?

The largest supply of modern office space in 15 CEE countries was recorded in Warsaw, Budapest and in Prague, while the biggest increase of new supply in H1 2019 was noted in Bucharest. The most active tenant sectors are IT, professional services, banking, and BPO/SSC. More and more office buildings can boast of prestigious certificates, modern technological and ecological solutions and innovatively designed space, according to Colliers International’s latest report.

According to the latest CEE investment report by Skanska, Colliers International and Dentons, the region is expected to keep up the momentum. A favorable economic situation and a very good performance of the CEE cities drive demand for new investments, including in the office market. The office stock has been growing over recent years and now totals 21.8 million sqm throughout the entire CEE. Forecasted completions by 2021 will increase it by another 20% - to 26.5 million sqm. Last year’s investment in real estate markets in CEE reached approx. €13.2 billion, with over €5 billion in the office market.