According to the latest report by JLL, Disruption or Distraction, the flexible office space sector in Europe has more than doubled since 2014, and could grow by up to 30% per year over the next five years. These forecasts - based on an analysis of 20 major European markets - also include Warsaw, which dominates the Polish flex market.

Czech investment group Enern, owned by online supermarket Rohlik.cz, together with US investor Lincoln Property Company, has acquired the Palác Karlín building in Prague from Danish company Kirkbi Invest A/S for an undisclosed sum.

Romanian developer Wallberg has secured a €5.8 million loan from Garanti Bank to finance the development of the XCity Towers project in Timisoara. XCity Towers it will be built in several stages, with a total of 955 apartments in 8 buildings. The total value of the project will exceed €62 million, of which the first stage will amount to €36 million.

The Gatehouse Offices, the first office building of Warsaw Brewery, will be acquired by a fund managed by GLL Real Estate Partners. The project of Echo Investment, which will obtain the occupancy permit in Q4 2018, will be sold for €76.5 million.

Orbis Hotel Group, a strategic partner of AccorHotels, continues its expansion in Romania by signing a management contract for ibis Politehnica Hotel in Bucharest with its partner and investor Novum Business Services SRL.

Victoria Ploiesti West Retail Park is planned to be opened in March 2019, according to Activ Property Services, the property’s exclusive agent. The project is a proximity retail park with 2,690 sqm of GLA, including some major tenants such as Mega Image (591 sqm), Pepco (543 sqm) and Zoomania (496 sqm).

Colliers International is extending its range of services dedicated to investors. Dorota Wysokińska-Kuzdra has joined the company where she will head the new Corporate Finance CEE department as a Partner. The new business line will provide advice on customers’ financial needs, including debt financing, mezzanine financing, raising capital and gaining capital partners, and also offering support in acquiring companies and entering the stock exchange.

Talent availability is the primary factor when choosing a new location, according to a survey that Cushman & Wakefield in conjunction with CoreNet Global conducted every year since 2016. C&W surveyed global corporate real estate executives across a variety of industry sectors focusing on their key office location strategies and decision drivers worldwide.

GTC’s latest development, GTC White House has achieved the highest, Platinum certification level under the LEED for Building Design and Construction rating scheme. As of today, this is the second office building which was awarded with this certification in Budapest. The certification process was advised by Colliers International Hungary’s Green Building Advisory Team.

According to Cresa, Warsaw’s total office stock has risen by more than 3.75% over the year to 5.42 million sqm and the absorption rate is down by 1.4% compared with Q3 2017. The vacancy rate is at 10%.