Estonia-based Bidrento, a start-up company that automates the management of rental properties, has secured €800,000 in a follow-up funding round to speed up the expansion to Poland.

Liberty Technology Park is one of the first technological parks in Romania, currently hosting a vibrant IT ecosystem. The 17,000 sqm office compound has been acquired by White Star Real Estate and its partners in 2019, planning to create a true mixed-use project, harmoniously blending the existing business community with new complementary areas. The first phase will include two residential buildings, currently under construction, followed by a separate building designed for a kindergarten and three office buildings, with generous retail spaces on the ground floor. Real estate consultancy company Griffes will oversee the commercial and leasing strategy of the project. 

The first two warehouses of industrial real estate developer HelloParks have become 100 percent occupied over a few months. The Maglód and Fót developments, which opened earlier this year, are the first industrial buildings in Hungary to meet the sustainability requirements of the Excellent certificate in the BREEAM New Construction category. In addition to Maglód and Fót, HelloParks’ megapark in Páty is also being developed at full capacity. The nearly two-year-old company plans to deliver two more projects in 2022. As a result, the total gross leasable area offered by the HelloParks megaparks in the county will be increased to 160,000 sqm by the end of this year representing a total investment value of €190 million.

The boundary between online and offline shopping is becoming increasingly vague. There is an evident retail trade trend toward the omnichannel, i.e. combining various sales channels tailored to the consumer's individual needs. This requires the development of e-commerce which has significantly accelerated recently. In the last 5 years, the share of online sales in Central and Eastern Europe grew by 9 pps to 15%, and in 4 years' time is bound to amount to 20%, according to CBRE's forecasts. Poland and Czechia are leaders in terms of online shopping growth in the region. E-commerce's market share in these countries in 2026 may be as high as almost a quarter.

Following the completion of the mandatory offer by CPI Property Group in relation to S Immo, the Supervisory Board and the acting Chairman of the Management Board, Dr. Bruno Ettenauer, have mutually agreed that Mr. Ettenauer's Management Board contract terminated at the end of 6 September 2022.

Grzegorz Kawecki, Vice-President of the Management Board, Marvipol Development talked to Property Forum about the current slowdown in the Polish residential market, interest of the PRS investment funds and the forecasts for the rental sector.

JRD Development completed its largest residential project in Prague's Strašnice district. 156 flats and 1320 sqm of commercial space were built in the energy-efficient complex of three buildings. The project, called Green Port Strašnice, has already been approved and is almost sold out, the developer announced.

The first phase of the Millennium Gardens office building has opened its doors with an occupancy rate of over 90%, following an investment of €150 million from Revetas Capital for the development of the North Tower. Millennium Gardens is part of the portfolio of assets of Revetas Capital in Hungary, the pan-European real estate investment advisor that also manages 12 retail parks across the country. The project is being developed by TriGranit, which has more than 20 years of experience and has successfully implemented more than 50 landmark projects.

JLL has introduced a seven-person international Sustainability Services and ESG team. The team will focus on consultancy in both topics due to the constantly rising demand for sustainability services in the real estate sector.

Dr. Erwin Hanslik MRICS, Taylor Wessing’s CEE Head of Real Estate & Construction and head of the firm's Prague and Brno offices, talked to Property Forum about the legal challenges real estate investors and developers in the Czech Republic have to face.