Even though we are currently in the late phase of the real estate cycle, no significant drop is expected in the coming period. Jos Tromp MRICS, CBRE’s Head of EMEA Research shared his projections for the European property investment market at Portfolio Property Investment Forum in Budapest. These were his key statements and predictions.

A fleeting trend or a well-thought-out strategy? Cushman & Wakefield presented a report on the use of commercial buildings’ rooftops.

Romanian developer Speedwell has launched the construction works of Record Park, a mixed-use development and urban regenerating project in Cluj-Napoca. The €42 million project is due to be completed in H2 2020. The project is being developed on a plot of 17,300 sqm and will have a total built area of 36,000 sqm.

Futureal Group has exited its €19 million mezzanine financing provided to Caelum Development for the development of ParkLake shopping centre in Bucharest, Romania. The 70,000 sqm GLA project was developed by a joint venture between Sonae Sierra and Caelum Development. Futureal Group will intensify its activity in Romania through its residential investments subsidiary, Cordia. The company has recently announced a €50 million worth of investment plan in Bucharest for the next year, part of a long-term roadmap for the local market. Cordia division plans to deliver about 500 apartments per year, designed for medium and medium high segments.

Wing has begun preparations for the construction of another office building in one of Budapest’s most dynamically developing districts, right next to the recently inaugurated Telekom HQ. With a total floor space of 40,000 sqm, the Liberty Office Building will offer premium office and retail space. A distinctive feature and main appeal of the people-oriented building, constructed to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certification requirements, is a plant-filled, two-storey high rooftop greenhouse spanning the wing along the boulevard and a skybar with a panoramic view to the Buda mountains.

In the third quarter of 2018, the Polish warehouse market was bolstered by 683,400 sqm of new supply. At the end of September, storage space in Poland exceeded 15 million sqm, which means that in the last 5 years the total surface volume has doubled. Almost 2 million sqm remains under construction, of which more than 25% in Central Poland.

Ghelamco presented Warsaw Unit, its latest Warsaw project, previously known as Spinnaker. The 180-metre skyscraper is scheduled to be completed in early 2021. The project’s budget is nearly €200 million.

Prologis has started development of a new 16,700 square meter facility at its fully occupied Prologis Park Wrocław V. The company has already signed the first pre-lease agreement for 6,000 square meters in the new building with a logistics operator in the aviation industry.

Poland's industrial sector remains in great shape. Up to 2.8 million sqm of space was leased and 1.3 million sqm delivered to market from the beginning of January to the end of September 2018. Nearly 2.1 million sqm of industrial space remains under construction, according to JLL.

With reduced tolerance for risk in property acquisitions, the use of title insurance has increased. Fifteen years after its introduction, it continues to play a growing role in the CEE real estate market. Jean-Bernard Wurm, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Secure Legal Title, London talked to Property Forum about the title insurance market in CEE.