During the third quarter, three new office buildings were completed with a total area of 39,570 sqm – reports JLL in their latest Budapest Office Market Pulse. The increasing development activity has had an effect on the vacancy rate as well: the Budapest office market’s vacancy rate made a slight increase to 10.9% as a result of the vacant space in the newly completed buildings and in the buildings from where the tenants moved out.

Panalpina Polska, an air and sea freight company, leased a 630 sqm office in the West Station I building. A team of BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland experts advised the tenant during the negotiation process with HB Reavis. Panalpina Polska will be moving in the first quarter of 2017 and taking up space on the 12th floor of the building.

Polish Enterprise Fund VI (PEF VI), a private equity fund managed by Enterprise Investors, has signed an agreement to sell 100% of shares in Profi Rom Food, the largest supermarket chain in Romania, to Mid Europa Partners, a private equity firm focused on buyouts in Central and Eastern Europe. The total equity value of the transaction is €533 million and the transaction is subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals. This is the largest deal ever completed by a private equity fund in Romania and the largest retail deal in the country’s history. 

CTP continues expanding in Central Europe, with the recent acquisition of Westlog DC (Distribution Centre) 10 km from Budapest’s city centre. The park is situated west of the city, directly on the M1 motorway, near the junction of the main north-south M7 and the M0 ringroad.

Cushman & Wakefield was appointed manager of Galeria Orkana in Lublin. The shopping centre is owned by real estate group CPI Property Group. Galeria Orkana is a two-level shopping centre located in Lublin at the junction of Władysława Orkana and Zwycięska streets. It offers building area of 17,000 sqm of floor space for about 50 retail stores, restaurants and service outlets of top brands. It also provides 220 underground and surface parking spaces. Constructed in 2006, Galeria Orkana has been managed by Cushman & Wakefield since August 2016.

CTP is nearing completion of phase I of a new 25,000 sqm production facility which is being constructed for a new client, UK-based Stow, one of the leading suppliers of added-value warehouse racking and storage systems. The company's core activity is the development and manufacturing of racking systems for the storage of palletised or small goods and longer items, as well as mezzanine structures. 

2016 brought about yet another turnaround on the Hungarian commercial property market. Real estate professionals from the country and all over CEE came together in Budapest at Property Investment Forum 2016, organised by Portfolio. The biggest and most important event of the Hungarian real estate market was held for the 12th time this year, attracting over 700 visitors and nearly 100 speakers.

As of November 1 2016, Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed to undertake property management and leasing services at Mammut Shopping and Entertainment Centre in Budapest. The over 104 000 sqm, Mammut Shopping and Entertainment Centre,comprising two phases, is the largest shopping centre in Buda, with over 350 units and parking premises. The first phase, Mammut I. was handed over in 1998, the second phase, Mammut II. was delivered in 2001. 

Prologis has signed a new lease agreement for 13,800 square metres and will deliver two new facilities totalling 21,000 square metres at Prologis Park Budapest-Sziget for Waberer’s. The transactions with new customer Waberer’s include 13,800 square metres at DC7A, a 21,500 square metre speculative facility that is now fully let two months after completion and 21,000 square metres at DC7B and DC8 to be developed to the customer’s specifications and scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2017. 

GLL acquired the multi-purpose heritage building that combines retail-, office- and service functions on 13,750 sqm at Vörösmarty Square in downtown Budapest. The seller of the recently completed UNESCO World Heritage listed premium asset is Hungarian developer Horizon Development.  The property has been added to the portfolio of Bayerische Versorgungskammer and will be managed by Munich-based real estate fund manager group GLL Real Estate Partners.