The development of the industrial and logistics market remains strong in 2021 in terms of leasing transactions and deliveries of new projects. Demand for new spaces across Romania is driven by automotive and retail players. 

According to Savills, the food sector is becoming the new core in retail property investment. Last year, for the first time, investments in supermarkets, hypermarkets and food discount stores accounted for a record 21% of total European retail activity, up from a five year average of 7%.

More and more tenants are moving into the recently completed office building in the project of My Place. The second and last office building belonging to the multifunctional project developed by Echo Investment in Warsaw's Dolny Mokotów has become a new location for companies from different industries such as technology, finance, beauty and creative sector i.e. marketing and advertising. KAN, ArsThanea, Synektik, Networks! or Bozza have joined Echo's list of tenants.

One of the world’s largest IT companies has picked New Apollo, currently under construction by HB Reavis in Bratislava’s New Nivy zone, as the new home for its Slovak operations. The new tenant will occupy almost 30,000 sqm of the building’s 48,000 sqm.

In Q1 2021 Accolade signed new lease agreements in Poland of total GLA amounting to more than 61 000 sqm. Thanks to this quarter, Accolade´s portfolio has increased by 6 new tenants and the total rental space increased year to year by over 150 000 sqm, ultimately hitting the 750 000 sqm mark. 

During the last six years, between 2015 and 2020, the Serbian construction industry rolled out into one of the strongest growth cycles in recent history. The powerful surge in construction outputs surpassed all initial expectations, and there are a number of converging factors behind its formidable result. The recovery after the recession gradually transformed itself into a fully-fledged construction boom, which more than doubled Serbia’s construction output, from €2 billion in 2015 to €4 billion in 2019. Even the pandemic in 2020 didn’t change the very positive outlook, although it did cause a slowdown and negative consolidation of construction outputs by some 5% at constant prices. The expected growth should return in 2021, however. The EECFA (Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association) has released its latest article about the Serbian construction industry, written by Dejan Krajinović, Beobuild Core D.O.O.

Colliers has become the exclusive advisor responsible for the commercialisation of the Fregata office complex, which is being built at Bronowicka Street in Szczecin. The completion of the first building is planned for 2023. 

Gergely Biró is the new CEO of Hungary’s OTP Real Estate Fund Management. The aim of the change is to further increase the fund manager's share in the domestic market with new, innovative investment solutions following the consolidation of the portfolio and to enter the regional markets with its products in the coming years.

Deutsche Hospitality has opened its first IntercityHotel in Budapest. The 312-room hotel, realised by the Hamburg-based B&L Group, will be Deutsche Hospitality's first property in Hungary. Located right next to Keleti Railway Station, it will also feature resplendent latest generation IntercityHotel interior design by the Milan-based architect Matteo Thun.

EuroCenter owner and developer Wing has selected Bernecker Kft. to carry out general contractor tasks for the modernisation of the 46,000 sqm shopping centre located in the northern Buda area. The shopping centre has closed for the duration of the renovations and is scheduled to reopen in spring 2022, boasting a modern appearance and ready to meet 21st-century customer demands. Construction work begins in late April.