The Czech Republic has become the top performer of the Central European region in terms of the volume of investment that has flowed into commercial real estate since the beginning of 2017. Unlike the preceding years when Poland was the clear number one, the largest amount has been invested in the Czech Republic, even though the country’s market is roughly one half the size of its larger neighbour’s market. 

JLL‘s Slovak Capital Markets team has successfully closed the sale process of the Quadro office building in Bratislava, Slovakia. JLL team acted on behalf of CEE Property Development Portfolio 2, a.s., (CPDP2) a real estate investment and asset management company, part of the Česká spořitelna Financial Group. The Quadro building was acquired by Slovakia-based property company backed by Israeli and US capital. The value of the transaction remains confidential. 

Prologis has secured a 146,500 square metre lease with Tesco Stores Slovakia at Prologis Park Galanta-Gáň. The transaction includes 55,000 square metre new lease of a recently completed build-to-suit facility and a 91,500 square metre lease renewal.

Real estate activity during the first half of 2017 was very dynamic in Bucharest as well as throughout Romania. New deliveries, extensions and transactions have led to considerable growth in the main sectors – industrial, retail, office and investment. According to Colliers International, the upward trend will continue for the remainder of the year and will be doubled by new demands.

pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank provided an investment facility of €63 million to CBRE Property Fund Central and Eastern Europe (CBRE PFCEE), an investment fund focusing on retail assets in Poland and Slovakia, managed by CBRE Global Investors. CBRE PFCEE will use the proceeds for the refinancing of the shopping centre “Wars Sawa Junior” in Warsaw. The transaction closed in August 2017. pbb acted as arranger and sole lender under the facility. 

Polish hotel group Orbis, the CEE partner of French group AccorHotels, has signed a management contract with local company Constructii Erbasu S.A. for an ibis Styles hotel in the northern part Bucharest.

AFI Europe Romania published its Q2 and H1 2017 financial results, generating a Net Operating Income (NOI) from its income producing assets in Romania of €12.5 million in Q2 and close to €25 million in H1, representing respectively 10.4% and 11.5% higher results compared to the same periods in 2016.

According to CEO Thomas Kurzmann the first half of 2017 was dedicated to advance planning and permitting on development pipeline projects as well as acquisition of enew office locations in the fastest growing office markets of Budapest, Bucharest and Sofia. GTC published its financial results for H1 2017.

The new office and retail scheme located at Wronia 31 has as of 1 July joined the portfolio of properties managed by BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland. The property with the total leasable area of approx. 16,000 sqm is located in Wola’s heart in the direct vicinity of Plac Europejski. Ghelamco is the investor and developer responsible for the scheme.

1.72 million sqm of industrial space was leased in Poland in H1 2017 which is the best result in market history. Net take-up totalled 1.3 million sqm which is the third best result in Europe. Total demand is likely to be 3 million sqm by the end of 2017.JLL summarised H1 2017 on Poland's industrial market.