Total demand on Budapest’s industrial market amounted to 81,820 sqm in Q1 2021, indicating some 3% increase on the volume measured in the corresponding period of the previous year. Pre-leases dominated the demand with a share of 45%, according to the BRF’s quarterly report.

Belgian logistics developer WDP announced that it is buying several land plots near Bucharest and aims to develop a new logistics centre in Transylvania. The company is currently finalising the acquisition of new land positions in the Bucharest region in the amount of €10 million, WDP announced in an interim statement for Q1 2021.

Property Forum’s latest online panel aimed to answer some of the many questions around the future of workplaces. Four experts, with the moderation of Csanád Csűrös, CEO of Property Forum, discussed workplace strategies for the post-COVID-19 world and their implications on the real estate industry.

Eurovea 2 obtained one of the largest real estate loans in Slovakia in recent years. Funding in the amount of €116 million will be used for the construction of the extension of the Eurovea shopping centre and the adjacent Pribinova X office building. Construction work by JTRE on both buildings is in full swing. The loan is provided by a syndicate of banks led by Tatra banka, together with Slovenská sporiteľňa and UniCredit Bank. The contract documentation was prepared by Dentons.

Close to a year into the pandemic, we have reached an inflexion point. COVID-19 has accelerated the world in ways that will undoubtedly alter the course of business for decades to come, transforming conventional notions of where and how we work. While approved vaccines hold the promise of a return to normalcy when the pandemic recedes, exactly what will our world of work look like and how can companies set themselves up for success? New reports from JLL explore the next chapter of the future of work. They demonstrate that companies with the agility to adapt to new and changing conditions across work, the workforce and the workplace will successfully build their competitive advantage in a post-pandemic world.

Central Point in Warsaw has now reached its target height of 86 meters. The building, located at the intersection of two subway lines, consists of 21 floors and will offer nearly 20,000 sqm of space. Commercialization of Central Point will be handled by teams from JLL and CBRE on behalf of the owner, Immobel.

Companies from the logistics, retail and production sectors agree that the economic environment this year is more challenging than the year before, according to the CBRE Confidence Index. However, industries have different views on the future. Already 9 out of 10 logistics companies believe that their turnover will increase or remain unchanged in the next 12 months. In retail and production, this opinion is shared by 60% of companies. Conversely, when it comes to the conditions of running a business in the coming months, companies in the logistics sector have greater concerns. Only 28% of logistics operators anticipate an improvement, while for companies involved with retail and production, the comparable figure is 36%.

Office properties continued to be both the most abundant and attractive investment assets on the Hungarian commercial real estate market in 2020, according to DLA Piper Hungary’s latest annual report.

New research released by JLL shows that the investment allocation to living assets is set to grow throughout 2021, following the robust performance of the market throughout 2020, which resulted in €83.4 billion being invested into the sector. 59% of investors set to increase investment allocation to European Living assets in 2021, but nearly 80% highlight lack of suitable product as a main barrier to investment.

Immofinanz recorded an increase in rental income and results of property sales in 2020 despite the COVID-19 crisis. FFO 1 (before tax and incl. the S Immo dividend) rose by 0.6% year-on-year to €126.1 million, supported by cost savings. Profit before tax equalled €-160.4 million (2019: €350.1 million). After the deduction of €-5.5 million (2019: €-2.5 million) in income taxes, net loss amounted to €-165.9 million (2019: €352.1 million).