ARTICLES LABELLED WITH TAG investment

The investment volume achieved in 2016 totalled almost €1.2 billion with 46 transactions recorded in core CEE hotel investment markets. In comparison, 2015 reached just over €700 million with 45 transactions. Austria was the star performer with almost €800 million transacted, which made up 67% of the total investment volume. In other CEE markets volume was lower than in 2015 with a particular decline in Poland which more than halved in volume. The Czech Republic accounted for 18% of total CEE investment share; most of the investment took place in Prague which saw 7 transactions including the Hilton Old Town, Park Hotel and Chopin Hotel.

The Octava FIZAN fund is in the process of acquiring a portfolio of 11 office and retail assets in Poland, including Onyx in Kraków and Centrum Krakowska 61, Renaissance Tower and Eureka Park in Warsaw, from two BPH FIZ funds. Savills is advising the buyer on the transaction, which is expected to be finalized by the end of H1 2017. The parties did not reveal the value of the acquired assets, but the estimated value significantly exceeds €100 million.

Atenor announced the sale of the third building of its Váci Greens campus in Budapest to Hungarian real-estate fund OTP Prime Ingatlanbefektetesi Alap. Building B contains 25,300 sqm of office space and 399 basement parking spaces. The structure was completed in March 2016 and is currently 65% leased. 

Even though all figures available as well as market sentiment point to further growth on the Hungarian commercial property market, its players still keep looking over their shoulders for potential threats to this growth. According to the speakers of the Portfolio - RICS Valuation and Investment 2017 conference, global politics and potentially rising interest rates pose the biggest threat for CEE. We report from Budapest. 

pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank, Helaba and ING Bank have jointly underwritten an increase to an investment facility, totalling €67 million, to refinance Focus Mall Zielona Gora in Poland. This facility is in addition to a €164 million facility granted by the same banking consortium in 2016, for the Karolinka, Pogoria and Platan Shopping Centres in Poland. The assets are owned by Rockcastle Global Real Estate Company Limited. The transaction closed in February 2017. 

Warimpex announced the partial sale of its hotel portfolio to Thai investor U City Public Company Limited (U City). The transaction includes eight hotel participations – two of which are partially (50 per cent) owned by UBM Development AG (UBM) – which comprise approximately 50 percent of Warimpex's total real estate assets and which have a property value of approximately €180 million (excluding the stakes of UBM in that portfolio). 

Globalworth purchased a logistics project located near Pitesti, Romania, rented by Dacia from ELGAN, a company owned by businessman Simon Roth, for €42.5 million. Colliers International advised the seller.

Poland remains the powerhouse of Central and Eastern Europe attracting close to half the capital invested in the region over 2016 as activity grew 5% over the year to €5.2 billion. According to Cushman & Wakefield, with the uncertainty around upcoming elections in major European countries and the ongoing Brexit challenges, Poland and the CEE region will maintain their strong position as a focus for any pan-European investment strategy.

Orbis has concluded a preliminary agreement for the sale of two Polish hotels, Mercure Jelenia Góra and Mercure Karpacz Resort for a total net price of app. €6.1 million (PLN26.5 million) to an individual investor.

Peakside Capital has completed the acquisition of Argo Alpha, a Prague office building comprising 12,600 sqm of GLA. The transaction price has not been disclosed.