The mindset of end-users is quickly changing in the world of real estate and developers looking to stay in the race need to keep up with current trends. This trivial statement is especially true in the case of a dynamically growing market such as Romania, which has gone through significant changes in recent years. Sorin Visoianu, Country Manager of Operations at Immofinanz told us what he thinks is driving the Romanian commerical property market.

Skanska has sold Maraton, an office building located in Poznan, Poland, for €62 million. The property has been acquired by a real estate fund managed by Union Investment. It is the second sales transaction between Skanska and Union Investment in the Polish regional markets. The first sale between the two companies was Dominikanski in Wroclaw. Maraton is Skanska's second office project in Poznan following Malta House.

Vienna-based real estate investment company S Immo AG has launched another project in Bratislava, the Einsteinova Business Center. The property is located right near the Danube in the Petržalka district and is directly connected to the old town via a pedestrian and tram bridge. An office building offering 23,500 sqm of lettable space is being built on the site, which encompasses roughly 11,600 sqm. The building is planned as a green building and should receive BREEAM certification with a level of “Excellent”.

Diófa Asset Management has purchased the South Pest Business Park from Wing Zrt. The new owner is Magyar Posta Takarék Property Investment Fund, which is Hungary's second largest domestic open-ended fund. The city logistics scheme, located in the 9th district, is 90% occupied.  The South Pest Business Park was transacted for app. €29.1 million (HUF9 billion).

London has been ranked as the most attractive European city for real estate investment for the sixth consecutive year, according to CBRE’s annual Investor Intentions Survey being launched at MIPIM 2017. At 6th place Warsaw is the most attractive CEE city among investors. Prague placed 8th, with Budapest (10th) and Bucharest (14th) also making in the top 15. 

Spanish investment fund, Azora Europa l, has sold Galleries Louvre, their prime office property in Prague 5, to Redstone Real Estate, a private equity platform. The counterparties agreed not to disclose the price. The property is a mid-sized office building offering approximately 4,800 sqm of prime administrative space and is fully and long-term let.  

Budapest was among the 50+ cities that showcased its strengths and potential to real estate professionals at MIPIM 2017 with an emphasis on new developments and investment opportunities. Two panel discussions were held during the first two days of the event, both of them moderated by Portfolio Property Forum, the media partner of the Budapest stand. Here are some takeaways from the first two days in Cannes. 

Echo Investment has sold West Link to Griffin Premium RE, a new platform created by Griffin Real Estate. The companies have just signed preliminary agreements as a result of which Griffin Premium RE will control and ultimately purchase the Wrocław-based office building West Link and invest into Echo Investment’s commercial projects in Warsaw – Beethovena and Browary Warszawskie.

In recent years, Łódź has enhanced its position as an important destination for companies from the business services sector in Poland. Numerous global brands, such as Accenture, Fujitsu Technology Solutions, Infosys, TomTom and Xerox, have established their business services units in Łódź. JLL summarised 2016 on the office market in Łódź.

BNP Paribas Real Estate generated revenues of €704 million in 2016 and announced a net profit of €155 million before tax. Nearly half (43%) of revenues came outside of France.