Fit-out company COS has launched the Research & Development (R&D) workspace centre Masia in northern Bucharest, following an investment of €1.6 million.  

The complex is one of the largest in the local office market. It was developed by the Hungarian company Wing and now has become a multi-tenant office building. However, there is still 7,500 sqm of space available to prospective tenants.

Doron Klein, the CEO of AFI Europe Romania and The Czech Republic, has been appointed as Deputy CEO of AFI Europe group, in addition to his current position. 

Colliers’ latest report finds that varying return-to-office approaches post-COVID, underlying fundamentals of city functionality, approaches towards ESG-compliance differences and how markets have reacted to shifts in inflation and interest rates have created a significant divergence in office investment volumes, pricing, and appetite globally. In Europe, vacancy sits at a steady 8.1% and office occupancy rates have returned mainly to pre-pandemic levels of 65% on average across Europe.

The first phase of Skanska's H2Offices has earned a Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Core and Shell version 4 certification with 84 points, which is currently the highest score in Hungary. Based on its accessibility features, the building also obtained the highest rating of Access4You certification, meaning Gold level.

Investment transactions in Romania’s commercial property market totaled €120 million in Q1 2023, which was almost double compared to the same period of last year. The deal volume was driven by industrial and office projects, according to a Colliers report.

CA Immo has successfully signed and closed the sale of the Serbian office complex Belgrade Office Park to a domestic investor. With two buildings and an underground car park, the complex comprises approx. 27,200 sqm of total lettable space. The building, which is located close to the city centre, was 97% let as of April 30, 2023, with annualized gross rental income of around €4.4 million.

Andreea Păun, Managing Partner of Griffes, spoke with Property Forum about the outlook of rents and new office developments in Bucharest as well as the demand trends. This year, Griffes aims to close 10% more leasing deals with a combined value of more than €20 million.

The Supervisory Board of CA Immo has decided on the reclassification of Hungary to strategically non-core, and simultaneously authorised the Management Board to initiate all relevant activities related to exiting the market, either through platform sale, sub-portfolio sale, or individual asset sales. The company wants to concentrate on its core portfolio, located predominantly in Austria and Germany. Last autumn the firm abandoned another CEE market, Romania.

Modern office buildings are an important part of ESG strategies for many companies. However, the real estate market in the Czech Republic is not yet fully prepared for the new ESG-related requirements. Even construction projects planned over the next few years will not resolve this issue, since meeting strict standards and certification requirements is both procedurally and financially demanding, Colliers reports.