Yitzhak Hagag, Co-Founder and Shareholder of Hagag Development Europe, spoke with Property Forum about the ongoing developments in Romania and the company's plan to invest around €130 million in the local property market in the upcoming years. Hagag also outlined the growing potential of the newly launched private offices division, which has already reached an occupancy rate above 60%.

Sofia's office market is moving at two speeds, with projects in the prime segment performing distinctly better than the rest of the market. These are the main insights of the latest report by Cushman & Wakefield Forton. The hybrid model of work is permanently imposed and breaks the link between business growth and hiring new space, especially in the segment of IT and BPO companies

International Industrial Properties (IIProp), a logistics platform focused on investing in industrial and logistics space, owned by Madison International Realty and Griffin Capital Partners, sold a single-let logistics property in Germany. This is the company's second transaction in Germany, following its first portfolio sale in June 2022.

The Center - West area (Politehnica, Orhideea, Cotroceni) has become the largest office hub in Bucharest, overtaking the Floreasca – Barbu Văcărescu submarket in Q1 2023, according to research by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. This area is set to maintain its leading position in the medium term, considering the current development pipeline in the city. 

Romania’s property sector has more liquidity and deals are taking place across sectors, although the country is not in a late stage of price discovery, concluded speakers of the dealmakers panel at the Spring Networking Party 2023, organised by Property Forum earlier this month in Bucharest

The renovation of Liget Center, a Wing development, is about to reach a new milestone: a new building with an all-glass facade will join the existing office buildings – Liget Center Classic and Liget Center Auditorium – in the inner courtyard. Liget Center Vitrum will offer an additional 2200 sqm of leasable area in the city centre.

Lawyers from Gide Warsaw advised B&B Hotels Polska on the opening of the chain's 11th hotel in Poland – B&B Hotel Kielce Centrum.

Romanian developer One United Properties recorded a turnover of €89.3 million in Q1 2023, up 27% compared to the same period of last year, while the net profit more than doubled to €30.8 million in the first quarter over higher residential sales and growing rental income. 

According to Dr Aleš Pustovrh at the EECFA, which conducts research on the construction markets of 8 Eastern European countries, residential construction boom in Slovenia continues and is set to peak this year. Nevertheless, with increasing interest rates on mortgage loans, residential construction will be facing significantly lower demand in the second half of 2023.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to huge destruction, the volume of construction waste has reached a critical level and continues to increase. Iryna Nastych summarised the situation in an article prepared by the Ukrainian Real Estate Club for Property Forum.