Occupier activity set an all-time high on the Polish industrial market in the first three months of 2018, which pushed the country’s vacancy rate down to its lowest on record. Demand came mostly from e-commerce (24%), logistics operators (23%) and retailers (19%). Cushman & Wakefield presented a summary of the first quarter of 2018 on the Polish warehouse and industrial market.

Property Forum is joining Israel’s premier networking summit for leaders in both the real estate and technology sectors as media partner. PropTech360 will take place in Jerusalem on June 7th, 2018 at the Inbal Hotel.

The ability to analyse how a building is used and to adapt the indoor environment accordingly is a clear example of a trend that is not only here to stay but will only grow in importance. By simply monitoring occupancy, building managers and owners can reduce costs and increase lease income. At the same time, occupants can enjoy a series of features that make their lives easier and allow them to work more productively. Proptech company Spaceti, which will be featured at Prague Property Forum 2018, introduces its solutions.

Gross take-up on the Czech industrial market reached 420,300 sqm in Q1 2018., showing an increase of 41% compared to the same period of last year. The Industrial Research Forum announced the final industrial market figures for Q1 2018.

During the first quarter of 2018, the Polish retail market witnessed investment transactions totalling over €1.7 billion. This is the largest volume ever recorded in Q1 on the market. JLL summarised Q1 2018 on the retail market in Poland.

After the excellent results recorded in 2017, Warsaw's office market continued performing well in Q1 2018. Vacancy rates are decreasing while demand stands at 202,000 sqm. 770,000 sqm of office space is under construction. There is also a growing demand for flexible space, and state-of-the-art technological solutions. JLL summarised the situation on the Warsaw office market at the end of Q1 2018.

Gross take-up (including renegotiations and subleases) on the Prague office market in the first quarter of 2018 amounted to 85,700 sqm, representing a decrease of 51% compared to the previous quarter and a decrease of 19% in year-on-year comparison. The Prague Research Forum announced the office market figures for Q1 2018.

The Polish government’s bill on supporting new investments will introduce new regulations on state aid and operation of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). It is estimated that the proposed amendments will attract more than PLN 2.5 billion worth of investments in the first year of the new regulations being in force and result in 200,000 new jobs created within ten years. Michał Rafałowicz, Head of the Pomeranian Region at Cresa Poland analysed the impact of the new SEZ act.

Tenant requirements have changed significantly which means that offices need to be maintained at the highest quality in order to retain the workforce. Panellists discussed the future of the office market at the Portfolio FM & Office 2018 conference that was held in Budapest last week.

Total demand on the Budapest industrial market amounted to 103,790 sqm in Q1 2018, marking a 45% year-on-year increase. At the end of the first quarter, there were only four existing schemes with more than 5,000 sqm of available warehouse space. The Budapest Research Forum published its quarterly industrial market analysis.