2017 was a great year for the CEE property market and the scene is set for 2018 to be even better. However, there are always risks to be wary of. Andreas Ridder, Chairman CEE at CBRE revealed Property Forum his expectations for the CEE investment market in 2018.

The fourth quarter of 2017 was very strong for the office market in Prague. Demand significantly increased and annual gross demand reached a new record. Five new office buildings were completed and the vacancy rate decreased to 7.5 %, while prime headline rents grew, JLL reports.

Prologis announced its full-year 2017 activity for its business in Central and Eastern Europe. Last year the developer reached a record-breaking occupancy of 97.4 percent, leased of 1.6 million of space, delivered 15 buildings and launched 9 new developments.

Romanian developer One United Properties plans to launch a residential project (One Mircea Eliade) with 250 apartments and the construction of a 24,000 sqm office building (One Tower) next to Bucharest’s Floreasca Lake, on the site of the former Automatica site.

AFI Europe Romania has received the building permit that allows for construction works to begin on AFI City, the first residential project developed by the company in Romania. The building process has been divided into phases, the first one being scheduled to begin in the next 2 months.

Golub GetHouse has signed the purchase agreement of the property located at Jagiellońska Street 82 in the Warsaw district of Praga-Północ. The investment plot with a total area of 11,533 sqm is located opposite the Kozminski University. In the first stage of the project, a modern student house with cca. 430 beds and with student amenities will be constructed. The investment will be covered by the Golub GetHouse Property Fund II FIZ and in partnership with CA Ventures company, specializing in the construction of student houses in the USA.

The supply of new Class A office space delivered in Bucharest in 2017 was absorbed almost entirely by demand, as per a report by CBRE regarding the office market in 2017, which also says 90% of the office space area completed in 2017 has already been leased.

The Polish warehouse market remains in great shape. New year-to-year records are being broken. Gross demand amounted to 4 million sqm, of which 75% was made up of new lease agreements and expansions. This is a 32% improvement compared to 2016. High demand side results are due to the accelerating economy, including internal consumption growing month by month, and an increase in investment by companies. Developers responded quickly to high demand from tenants, resulting in 2.36 million sqm delivered on the market and 1.39 million sqm under construction at the end of 2017. The high level of absorption caused the vacancy rate decrease to 4.5%, according to the report summarising 2017 in the warehouse space market in Poland, prepared by AXI IMMO experts.

Apleona GVA coordinated the refurbishment works at Radisson Blu Wroclaw on behalf of owener Union Investment. The refurbishment works lasted two months. The 12,000 sqm hotel offers accommodation in 162 rooms.

Each new office leasing contract signed in Bucharest last year created at least 130 new jobs. Dimitrie Pompeiu and South sub-markets made the top, with more than 200 new jobs per transaction, according to the latest JLL market report.