What does the future hold for offices? A group of experts, that took part in the first edition of our European ESG Property Forum, claim that the whole industry is switching to remote work and smaller offices located closer to employees` homes. The event was held by Property Forum on June 1st in Warsaw.

The year 2021 has recorded over 65,000 sqm of the space in newly completed retail parks. This is the highest growth of the retail space in the Czech Republic in five years. Behind this success, there is mainly the stable interest among shoppers, long-term lease contracts and tenant expansion as also a surge of interest among investors. Nevertheless, the higher costs are now slowing the construction of the new retail parks. Therefore, a boost in the demand for space and likely push up rents as well are expected, states Cushman & Wakefield in their last report.

Hungarian investor Indotek Group has purchased the One Victoriei Center office building in central Bucharest as part of its expansion strategy for an undisclosed sum. 

Warehouse developer LCube has started preparations for the implementation of his next investment. In Mszczonów, on a plot of approx. 8 ha, a facility of approx. 35,000 sqm is to be built.

Industrial parks built five or ten years ago are as good as new facilities in many respects. Constructed in prime suburban and well-connected locations, they continue to be upgraded. Most importantly, however, they offer ready-to-occupy and relatively competitively-priced warehouse space, says Michał Kozar, Associate, Industrial and Warehouse Department, Newmark Polska.

Bank Pekao S.A. completed the €10 million refinancing project of a retail park portfolio owned by Newbridge Poland. The investor was advised in this process by the Avison Young investment team.

The office market in Cluj-Napoca is the second largest in Romania following the one in Bucharest and there are eight office buildings with a total leasable area of 130,000 sqm under development that will be completed by 2025, according to real estate consultancy Fortim Trusted Advisors, part of BNP Paribas Real Estate Alliance. 

Zacaria Group, the largest developer of logistics spaces in Sibiu, will open next year a retail park in Cisnădie, Sibiu, following an investment of more than €11 million. 

Monika Bronicka, Director and Head of Valuation and Advisory at Avison Young talked to Property Forum about the current challenges to the valuation of properties under rapidly-changing market conditions in Poland.

Atrium has sold the shopping mall Optima in Košice, Slovakia. The company wants to focus on its core markets, Warsaw and Prague from now.