The changing dynamics of office utilisation and the need to balance efficiency and collaboration are hot topics not only for employers but for office providers as well. Resistance of employees returning to the office environment is still both a concern and a challenge. Office investments and a new age of working were the main discussion points at a dedicated panel of Prague Property Forum 2024.

According to data from Colliers, a trend called shell & core is gaining momentum in the Czech Republic. This is a strategy of constructing and building out industrial buildings to the stage of providing basic structures and infrastructure.

In 2024, the total investment volume in Poland amounted to €364 million, marking the weakest result for the first quarter in recent years. Interestingly, 25% of the invested capital comes from Polish investors. The warehouse sector remains the leader, accounting for 38% of the total investment volume. Unchanged, the vast majority of office transactions took place in Warsaw, while commercial investments were dominated by retail parks. Additionally, the market also saw two transactions in the residential sector in Warsaw, and two hotels were sold in seaside tourist cities, says Paulina Brzeszkiewicz-Kuczyńska, Research and Data Manager at Avison Young.

The 4-day workweek is becoming an increasingly hot topic. Although in Poland it still appears to be a thing of the future, recent years have shown how quickly labour market trends are changing. AI is also broadly expected to have a significant effect on the workplace. BNP Paribas Real Estate experts are wondering, how will all of this impact the commercial real estate market.

What are the challenges of attracting foreign capital in the Czech real estate market? Is the Czech market overpriced? What about yields, are they accurately projected? And last but not least, is the more expensive land always better? Top Czech dealmakers have discussed these topics during the second panel discussion at Prague Property Forum 2024.

Property Forum is excited to announce the fourth edition of its annual listing of the 50 most influential people in the Romanian real estate market. To access the publication, fill out the pop-up window that shows up when opening any Property Forum news story. 

The office vacancy rate increased to 13.8% in the first quarter of 2024, representing a 0.4 pps growth quarter-on-quarter and 1.5 pps increase year-on-year. However, the net take-up showed a healthy 25% growth, the Budapest Research Forum (BRF) reports.

Since the start of 2024, there has been a slight recovery in the Bratislava market of new residential buildings. According to Bencont's report for Q1 2024, 285 apartments have been sold.

Real estate investments in Romania reached €205.75 million during Q1 2024, up 33% year-on-year, driven by the retail sector, shows a Fortim Trusted Advisors report.

The Czech property investment market has been quite quiet during the past months. Sales are rare; banks are taking a rather conservative approach to potential investments and transactions, which is coming across the real estate market. The first panel discussion of last week‘s Prague Property Forum 2024 dived into financing strategies and options for market awakening.