Flow volume into the CEE-6 commercial real estate markets picked up in Q2 2019, registering a cycle-high €3.3 billion for the quarter. Following on from the weaker Q1, H1 2019 volumes at €5.5 billion were thus just -3% down on H1 2018’s record, according to Colliers International's data.

In Q2 2019, developers operating on the six largest markets in Poland sold the total of 15,100 units, i.e. 8% less than in the previous quarter. The new supply in that period equalled 14,900 units – hence, the offer volume remained at the level of the previous quarter. The latest JLL’s report entitled “Residential Market in Poland Q2 2019” shows that prices of residential units are still growing, but at a much slower rate. This makes it possible for developers to maintain margins at a satisfactory level.

Eastern Poland continues to attract increasing interest from both Polish and overseas investors. Its cities, including Lublin, Białystok and Suwałki, are gaining favour with logistics and manufacturing firms planning to expand, according to Kamil Żach, Land Specialist, Industrial and Logistics Agency at Cushman & Wakefield.

During Q2 2019, gross take-up on the Czech industrial market, which includes renegotiations, reached 380,500 sqm showing an increase of 21% over the Q2 2018. The Industrial Research Forum announced the final industrial market figures for Q2 2019.

Total demand on the Budapest office market reached 163,390 sqm in Q2 2019, representing an almost equal amount of take-up compared to the same period of last year. New leases accounted for 42.7% of the total leasing activity, according to BRF’s latest figures.

Gross take-up on Prague’s office market in Q2 2019 amounted to 100,600 sqm, representing a 9% decrease on the previous quarter The Prague Research Forum announced the office market figures for the second quarter of 2019.

The information on investment transactions in the Czech real estate sector for H1 2019, collected by Cushman & Wakefield, indicates a significant increase in volume. The figure achieved – €1.743 billion – shows that the decrease in 2018 was just a sway and not a real trend. The real estate market is expected to thrive in the latter half as well and its total performance could exceed €3 billion.

Around 77% of Bucharest’s modern office space is within 10 minutes’ walking distance from a metro station, according to the latest data from Colliers International. The interest in office developments is still focused on northern and western locations, as the largest office deliveries by the end of 2020 will be near Aurel Vlaicu (73,200 sqm) and Politehnica (58,400 sqm) metro stations.

In the first half of the year, developers delivered 215,000 sqm of new retail space in Poland, with six international brands making their debuts in the country. JLL summarised conditions on Poland's retail market at the end of H1 2019.

The second quarter of 2019 reconfirmed the increased interest for office space in Romania. Over 115,000 square meters of office space was leased over this period at the national level, a value similar to that registered in the second quarter of 2018.