Immofinanz posted a significant increase in net profit from continuing operations (excl. Russia) for the first three quarters of 2017, to €116.3 million (Q1-Q3 2016: €-217.8 million). Rental income remained stable at €174.1 million despite the ongoing sale of non-strategic properties (Q1-Q3 2016: €174.0 million). Adjusted for new acquisitions, completions and sales (like-for-like), rental income rose significantly, by 3.9% to €138.4 million. The results from Asset Management grew 11.3% to €122.6 million; financial results moved strongly into positive territory at €88.6 million (Q1-Q3 2016: €-143.9 million). This was primarily a result of positive valuation effects from the CA Immo and BUWOG shareholdings, and lower financing costs. Overall, net profit (incl. Russia) improved to €-59.1 million (Q1-Q3 2016: €-409.5 million).

AFI Europe Romania has signed the first lease agreement for AFI Tech Park, the company’s newest business park developed in Bucharest. World Class Romania, a leader on the Romanian health & fitness field, will be the first tenant of the campus, by leasing 1,500 sqm GLA spread on the ground floor and the first floor of AFI Tech Park 1. The lease contract was signed for a period of 10 years.

Prologis has signed a new lease agreement with ESA Group for 10,740 square metres at Prologis Park Prague-Uzice in the Czech Republic. ESA Group, one of the leading logistics companies in Central Europe, will lease Building 2, making the 97,800-square metre Prologis Park Prague-Uzice fully occupied. The company is an existing customer of Prologis at Prologis Park Prague D1 East, southeast of Prague. Cushman & Wakefield brokered the transaction.

In Q3 2017, Echo Investment posted a net profit of €12 million (PLN 50 million). The main contributors were: signing final sale agreements for 238 apartments, increase in the value of projects under construction, the sale price increase of the Q22 building, dividend from EPP as well as the compensation for the expansion of Outlet Park in Szczecin.

One United Properties, a real estate developer specialised in Bucharest residential property, will issue €20 million worth of 4-year bonds through private placement, fully funded by co-management by Credit Value Investments in Poland. The money will be spent on the company existing and new residential developments.

Hansainvest Real Assets GmbH has acquired Generation Park X, the first building of Generation Park, a prime office project located in Warsaw, Poland. It is the investor’s second acquisition in Poland, as well as its second from Skanska. The transaction volume was around €83 million.

CBRE has been given a new mandate for the management of a retail, office and residential building in Wenceslas Square in Prague, where Van Graaf department store is the majority tenant. The change of the building manager occurred as part of its sale. The new owner is a fund managed by BMO Real Estate Partners, part of the Bank of Montreal.

Benson Elliot, the UK-based private equity real estate fund manager, on behalf of its pan- European fund, Benson Elliot Real Estate Partners IV L.P. (BEREP IV) has acquired four grade A office buildings in key Polish regional markets. The properties, secured in separate off-market transactions with four different vendors, follow the fund’s acquisition of the 350-room Warsaw Sheraton Hotel in October 2015.

The Czech Republic saw investment in real estate tail off slightly in the third quarter to €450 million, but following a strong start to the first half of 2017 when €2.25 billion worth of transactions were closed, total cumulative investment volumes had reached €2.67 billion by the end of September, according to Colliers International.

CBRE Global Investors have been one of the most active buyers on the CEE investment market recently. Having closed the off-market acquisition of a logistics/light industrial portfolio in the Czech Republic, Robert Snincak, Head of Investment Operations CEE talked to Property Forum about CBRE Global Investors’ investment strategy for the region.