Facility managers are no longer the ones that only change the light bulbs or make sure the toilets are clean. FM has grown up and is creating a work environment that supports its users to be able to work productively. Lara Paemen, Director of IFMA Europe, who recently spoke at Property Technology Forum Europe in Warsaw, talked to Property Forum about new trends in facility management.

High retail space saturation will attract new tenants to Poland. It is a hallmark of a mature and stable market where retailers are able to make store turnover and expansion plans a lot more easily, says Szymon Łukasik, Head of Retail at Cresa Poland.

Modern, comfortable living units, unlimited access to specially arranged spaces for individual and group learning, a game and entertainment centre, a cinema room, and a kitchen for group cooking. This is a brief description of the Livinn Kraków student house at ul. Romanowicza 4 in Kraków, now underway as part of the revitalization and modernization of the former Telpod factory building.

Futureal Group celebrated the launch of its €300 million Etele Plaza’s construction with a foundation stone laying ceremony. Buda's biggest shopping centre is a key element of the group’s property development projects s in Budapest’s 11th district.

Metrohouse Franchise, the 100% subsidiary of Hungary’s Duna House Holding. has signed an agreement in Warsaw to acquire 100% ownership in Gold Finance Sp. z o.o. The total investment was €908,000 (PLN 3.9 million), out of which the purchase price was PLN 3.5 million, plus MF acquired shareholder loans from the sellers with the face value of PLN 0.4 million.

Romanian developer Zacaria Group will invest €28 million in a business park in the city of Craiova. OTP Bank Romania will provide financing for the 53,000 sqm project.

Crosspoint Real Estate, an international associate of Savills in Romania, has assisted the sale of the Bank of Cyprus building from SIF Banat Crişana to a firm belonging to a Romanian businessman. Crosspoint negotiated on behalf of SIF Banat Crişana both in the acquisition stage of the building, and later at the sale stage to the private investor.

Prague is becoming increasingly more expensive than Bratislava. Employees continue to earn more in the capital of the Czech Republic, though the cost of living is also rising, especially in regards to housing. This is evidenced by the results of research done by JLL, which compared the prices of apartments in both capitals.

Park Inn by Radisson announced the opening of a 166-room hotel in Poznan, Poland. This brings the group's Polish portfolio to 16 hotels and more than 3,500 rooms in operation or under development. Radisson Hotel Group's international brands are represented in almost all key cities of Poland - including Warsaw, Krakow, Katowice, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, and now also in Poznan.

JLL advised Metro in the process of consolidating its distribution centres into a one roof concept in the new project developed by WDP in the North area of Bucharest, Stefanesti. This is the largest transaction on the Romanian industrial market in this year.