The Polish warehouse real estate market has slowed after a record period of growth that was achieved during the pandemic. Gross demand for warehouse space in Poland for Q1 2023 totalled more than 982,000 sqm, a 35 percent year-on-year drop and an 18 percent decline compared to the five-year average. According to JLL's analysis, however, Q1 2023 was better than the corresponding periods in 2019 and 2020. Most of the new demand was in Poland's major logistics regions.

Panattoni has started the construction of Panattoni Park Poznań East II with an area of approximately 35,000 square meters. The project will be financed by Santander Bank, allocating a sum of €18 million.

The metamorphosis of the Marynarska Business Park office complex implemented in Warsaw’s Służewiec district by PineBridge Benson Elliot and Syrena Real Estate is nearing completion. Work has been finalised on the outdoor area, replacing a 6,000 sqm concrete car park with a green park open to the city, covered with green hills. The project is changing its name to Diuna.

Older buildings are making way for new ones, and the trend of redeveloping plots in the centres of large cities in Poland is intensifying. Furthermore, the plans include not only new development projects that arise after demolitions but also transforming existing office buildings into residential projects, including those in PRS (Private Rented Sector) formula, says Avison Young Polska. 

European businesses have for years been shifting manufacturing to remote locations, targeting Asia Pacific in particular. Recent global turmoil has, however, disrupted supply chains, revealing the length and complexity of processes enabling the sourcing, transport and consumption of various products. Furthermore, the growing significance of sustainability is compelling companies to rethink their business strategies. This is naturally shifting the focus of business to nearshoring and… to Poland. Cushman & Wakefield estimates that warehouse occupancy and operating costs in Poland are even over 50% lower than in some Western European countries.

Sierra Balmain has published its first ESG report. Among its achievements, the company highlights e.g., reducing electricity consumption by 40% in managed facilities, implementing projects designed to benefit local communities, as well as an effective equal opportunities policy in its own organization.

Green certificates were something sufficient years ago, but in the present market reality, they fail to cover the social and governance parts of the ESG principles. Some of them are also seriously outdated – this is how one can summarize a panel discussion on developments at last month's European ESG Property Forum 2023 in Warsaw.

The largest online perfume and cosmetics store in Europe has leased over 28,000 sqm of warehouse space in MDC2 Łódź South Park.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield URW announces the appointment of Jakub Skwarlo to the role of COO Central Europe, with responsibility for overseeing the company’s business in Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. He will be based in Warsaw and also join the company’s Executive Committee.

Avison Young presented the results of the investment market in Poland for the first 5 months of 2023. The volume of closed transactions announced to the public from the beginning of this year to the end of May amounted to only around €800 million, while in 2021 and 2022 in the same period, its value amounted to over twice as much. There were no large transactions, which in the first quarter of 2022 accounted for 75% of the total volume. Many buyers are trying to take advantage of the market situation and are bidding well below property valuations, hoping to get a good deal, but owners are taking their time to sell. Avison Young experts - Paulina Brzeszkiewicz-Kuczyńska (Research and Data Manager) and Marcin Purgal (Senior Director, Investment) - expect that in the second half of this year, the commercial real estate market in Poland will be dominated by opportunistic and value-add assets in every sector.