Witold Zatoński, Founder of Syrena Real Estate, talked to Property Forum about the profitability of revitalizing older office buildings, the challenges related to such projects and the development of the PRS market in Poland.

AG Capital has announced that Park Lane Developments, its commercial development company, broke ground on its latest project – the AYA Business Centre in Sofia. The building is planned to become the new home for MFG (Management Financial Group). 

Public transport remains the most important amenity among office-based employees from Generations Z, Y, X, and Baby Boomers, according to a CBRE Romania survey. Furthermore, more than half of them would attend events organised in the office space leased by their employer. Meanwhile, the office workspace remains popular among Gen Y employees.

Interest in leasing offices in Poland is growing. In the third quarter, both in Warsaw and on the regional markets, the demand for office space was the highest this year. In the regions, 2023 will close with a result similar to the record from 2019. 

Globalworth has been granted significant funding in the form of a €145 million bank loan for three flagship properties in Warsaw.

At the corner of Pańska Street and Wronia Street in Warsaw, the construction of the underground part of the first phase of the mixed-use project Towarowa 22 is coming to an end. In addition to offices, the Office House building offers retail spaces and attractive green areas. This is a promise of a joint project by companies belonging to the Echo Investment Group and AFI Europe.

New office supply reached nearly 236,000 sqm in Poland’s key regional cities in Q1-Q3 2023, says Savills. Gross take-up for the same period amounted to over 531,000 sqm, an increase of 19% year-on-year.

Real estate investor and developer GTC has recorded a like-for-like rental revenue growth of 6% in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the same period of last year. At the same time, the gross margin from rental activity slightly rose to €92 million.

Higher construction costs and the unfavourable economic situation in Europe are impacting the future development of new offices in the region, especially in capital cities like Prague, Bratislava, Budapest and Bucharest.

Studio A - Skanska’s latest investment in Warsaw - will contribute 26,600 sqm of office space to the local office market. The building is scheduled to be commissioned in 2025.