Mulberry Development, a real estate developer controlled by businessman Ovidiu Sandor, has announced the launch of the second phase for ISHO Offices, a mixed-use project in Timisoara.

Last week an affiliate of U.S. private equity firm Starwood Capital Group (SOF-11 Starlight 10 EUR) announced that it intends to make a voluntary partial public takeover offer for the acquisition of up to 5% in Immofinanz. The Executive Board of Immofinanz determined that the offer price is too low.

Ikea plans to build its third store in Romania next to the city of Timisoara. The Swedish retailer has reportedly applied for a permit to build a roundabout that would allow access to the future store. Ikea also plans to open stores in Brasov and Cluj-Napoca.

Real estate developer Werk Property Group is planning to invest €14 million in Vox Vertical Village, a residential project in Timisoara. The development of the 120 housing units is scheduled to start soon with completion scheduled for the end of 2019.

NEPI Rockcastle has started construction works on a new shopping mall in Satu Mare. NEPI’s eighteenth shopping centre in Romania is expected to be inaugurated at the end of 2018.

Immofinanz has sold the Brno Business Park office buildings via a share deal to Infond investment fund. The transaction was closed on March 9, 2018. bpv Braun Partners advised Immofinanz on the sale. Infond has been advised by Hladky Legal, Knight Frank and Redbaenk.

Golub GetHouse has embarked on the construction of a student residence in Kraków. Unibep S.A. is the general contractor for the investment, which involves renovating the former Telpod factory and adapting it for the needs of modern, high-standard university accommodations. The industrial interiors will contain 290 functional housing units with various layouts – for one, two, three or four persons, offering a total of over 700 beds. Golub GetHouse is implementing the project in partnership with Chicago’s CA Ventures International, a company specializing in student housing construction in North and South America. The investment is financed from Golub GetHouse’s real estate fund.

Eston International’s portfolio grew by a REIT evaluation as the Hungarian advisory firm became the official property valuer of Graphisoft Park in January 2018.

On 29 March 2018, the fourth edition of SEE Property Forum in Bucharest, organized by Property Forum in partnership with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) will gather leading real estate professionals and top executives from South Eastern Europe to analyse the potential of the Romanian real estate market from a global perspective. Nearly 50 speakers and more than 250 visitors will come together in the Romanian capital, creating a unique networking opportunity.

Development is booming in almost all segments of the Romanian market, but developers still need to overcome a number of legal and regulatory challenges before they can start building. Then, once construction is complete, they must realise that tenants have become more aware and more “choosey”. Răzvan Gheorghiu-Testa, Partner at Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații and Head of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group reviewed some of the issues that may arise when developing or leasing a new building in Romania.