The current forecast for total construction volumes in Hungary shows increases of 8% and 12% for 2017 and 2018, respectively. The barriers for the realization of the developments are the rise of construction costs and the lack of skilled labour force. CBRE expects that these issues raise risks of delivery delays and decrease of developers’ profit margins.

Paris claimed top spot in Colliers International’s Hotel Investment Attractiveness Index, an analysis of the investment climate of 20 European cities, despite predictions that investors and tourists would lose faith in the city due to political uncertainty and the perceived threat following various national security breaches. Prague was ranked in 10th place in the index, boosted by the low level of development costs and high number of tourist arrivals.

CPI Property Group announced that its subsidiaries have acquired a retail portfolio with the value of approx. €650 million consisting of predominantly 11 shopping centres located in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania with a total leasable area of approximately 265,000 sqm from two funds managed by CBRE Global Investors. The closing of the deal was completed on 29 March, 2017. 

SEE Property Forum 2017, a real estate conference co-organised by Property Forum and RICS, has been held for the third time in Bucharest. 50 speakers and more than 200 visitors came together in the capital to analyse the potential of the Romanian real estate market from a global perspective.

Nearly half a million square meters of modern office space was delivered to the office market in the key Polish regional cities in 2016. The leader’s position was retained by Kraków, Lesser Poland’s capital, followed by, amongst others, Wrocław and the Tri-City. According to the report’s authors at BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland, current pipeline projects will also support the high growth dynamics in 2017.

Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as sole letting agent for Astrum Business Park, a Warsaw office complex comprising 30,000 sqm of leasable space, by owner IRYDION Sp. z o.o.

Obtaining a green certificate for modern office buildings has become a must in recent years. Still, developers, operators and tenants don’t fully realise what does a certification actually stand for and what kind of effect green solutions actually have on operating costs and productivity. The latest Green Talk, co-organised by RICS and HuGBC, focused on green buildings in Hungary. 

Panattoni Europe is to build another facility for DSV Solutions. The 25,000-square-metre logistics centre will be erected in Pęcice, as part of Panattoni Park Janki II. The cornerstone ceremony initiating the project took place on 23 March, and completion of the investment is scheduled for August 2017.

Sky Office Center, located at 31 Rzymowskiego Street in Warsaw, has received the BREEAM In-Use International Certificate for “Building Management” and for “Asset Performance”, owner Hines Poland announced. The facility received the “Excellent” grade in both cases.

Resilient European economies, the continued popularity of Mediterranean leisure destinations and Europe’s importance for business travellers, should drive hotel occupancy and revenues in 2017, according to the latest PwC European Cities Hotel Forecast. Most European cities, including Budapest and Prague, are expected to see additional revenue growth in 2018.