The Polish industrial market set three records in H1 2018, according to Cushman & Wakefield. The leasing volume hit 2,100,000 sqm – the highest in the first six months of a year, the vacancy rate fell to an all-time low of 4% (573,000 sqm) and the volume of warehouse space under construction set a new high of 2,250,000 sqm across 66 projects.

Business services centres occupy more than 2.5 million sqm on the Polish office market according to new estimates by JLL. Traditionally, the business services sector has the highest percentage of occupied office space in Kraków (61%).

Chapman Taylor’s design for a mixed-use community in Budapest has been unveiled. The urban regeneration masterplan would transform a derelict former slaughterhouse complex into a dynamic residential and office district with complementary retail and leisure provision and two underground levels of parking.

PKO Bank Polski has granted an investment loan of €186 million to EPP for the refinancing of two assets, the Galeria Echo shopping centre in Kielce and the O3 Business Campus in Kraków.

Ikea will open a new pop-up store on Wenceslas Square in Prague’s heart on 20 September. The 800 sqm shop will focus on showing customers a range of options they have for their living rooms.

2017 was an exceptional year for Romania, but the market looks a bit stagnant right now. Răzvan Gheorghiu-Testa FRICS, Partner and Head of the Real Estate Practice Group at Ţuca Zbârcea & Asociaţii talked to Property Forum about market dynamics, legal challenges and the impacts of technology.

Atenor became the new owner of a Warsaw office complex comprising 2 office buildings with a total area of approx. 32 000 sqm, located in Mokotow. This is the first acquisition completed by the company on the Polish market.

Office supply on the Tricity market keeps breaking new records with the average annual growth at 9% for the last five years. Tricity is currently Poland’s third-largest regional office market (excluding Warsaw) and continues to strengthen its position, according to Cresa’s report.

The Property Management Department of Cushman & Wakefield Echinox has expanded its service line by creating the first Training Academy in Romania, called Drawing Business Value Academy, dedicated to tenants in commercial buildings and office buildings occupiers, in partnership with DBV Management & Training, a training and consulting company. The aim of the Academy is to increase the tenants' performance in shopping centres by improving the quality of service and customer relationship and the experience of office buildings occupiers through the development of a community

The record-breaking era of the Polish retail sector is over now. The market is shaped by limited supply, increased competition, the growth of e-commerce and the aftereffects of the ban on Sunday trading. As pointed out by experts at BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland, in H1 2018 developers operating on the Polish market completed and delivered approx. 191 000 sqm of modern retail space, out of which 110 000 sqm appeared on the market between April and June. As expected, further 300 000 sqm of new supply will be delivered by the end of the year.