Echo Investment – a Polish developer – and Echo Polska Properties – an international fund operating as a REIT - signed agreements to jointly buy and jointly develop a real property at ul. Towarowa 22 in Warsaw from Griffin Real Estate, a Polish private equity fund. The buyers will pay €120 million for the property – €78 million upon signing the agreement, while the remaining amount will be paid after certain planning conditions are met.

Echo Polska Properties – an international fund operating as a REIT –is purchasing seven office buildings with almost 112,000 sqm of GLA from Echo Investment, a Polish developer. The total value of the properties as at the agreement amounts to almost €264 million. The sold properties are: O3 Business Campus in Kraków (phase I, II and III), Tryton Business House in Gdańsk, A4 Business Park in Katowice (phase III) and Symetris Business Park in Łódź (phase I and II).

This year has witnessed new players entering Central and Eastern European markets which, when combined with investments from the region's traditional players, has further increased CEE investment activity. Colliers, Skanska and JLL has released a joint report that analyses the region’s potential as an investment location.

Global law firm White & Case has signed a lease agreement for 2,500 sqm of modern space in the Q22 office building. The firm will relocate to its new office by the end of 2017 and will occupy floors 37-38 as well as part of floor 39. JLL represented White & Case during the process of selecting a new office and negotiating the lease terms.

Futureal Group has announced that their latest retail development in Budapest, Etele Plaza is now in negotiations with a number of anchor tenants and they are hoping to confirm the first brands by end of Q1 2017. Located in the south-western part of Budapest, Etele Plaza is expected to attract up to 40,000 shoppers a day. This will be the first large-scale retail development in the Hungarian capital since the opening of Árkád 2 in 2013.

CTP has announced the appointment of Ana Dumitrache as co-country head for CTP Romania who will co-ordinate operations with CTP CEO, Remon L. Vos. Mrs. Dumitrache will be responsible for funding, finance & accounting, focusing on business development in particular, and will support the overall operations of CTP in Romania. Her target within CTP will be to replicate her success in the banking industry, bringing strength and professionalism to the team, creating bridges with partners and supporting the dynamic growth of the company. 

Clothing company LPP SA, owner of brands such as Reserved, Tallinder, Mohito, House, Crops and Sinsay, decided to move into the Waterside building in Gdansk by leasing an office of more than 1,000 sqm. Knight Frank, acted as sole agent on behalf of the property’s owner, the Deka Immobilien fund.

KRM Poland, a distribution branch of the shoe retailer Ecco, has significantly expanded its warehousing and operations at Bokserska Distribution Center in Warsaw. The company is introducing its e-commerce platform to the facility and will occupy more than 10,500 sqm. Knight Frank, the manager of the property, advised the owner, UK & European in the transaction.

Skanska has laid the cornerstone for its third Kraków office project, High5ive. In the first phase of the project two buildings will be constructed by Q4 2017 with a GLA of 23,500 sqm. Upon completion the entire complex will offer 70,000 sqm of leasable space. 

Futureal Group has successfully refinanced its Corvin Corner office building by signing a credit agreement with Erste Bank Hungary for €10.2 million