Property Forum’s series of virtual events, organised in partnership with the RICS, continues with a free online panel discussion providing a market update for Bulgaria. Attendance is free but registration is mandatory.

While house prices in Budapest rose 14.1% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2019, they fell 2.0% in nominal terms on a quarterly basis, the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) reported. The central bank has not recorded a q-o-q drop in house prices since Q4 2013.

The construction industry seems to have been relatively less affected than some other industries (like tourism) as most large projects continue during the lockdown measures across the region. The Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association has published a COVID-19 update on the construction sectors of Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia.

Colliers International has been appointed to manage the first stage of the Face2Face Business Campus in Katowice, which is being developed by Echo Investment. The commission brings the Silesian portfolio of Colliers’ property management department up to more than 40,000 sqm of office space.

Panattoni has bought 14.8 hectares of land in Central Poland to build Panattoni Park Stryków IV. The project, which will feature 74,000 sqm at full build-out, will be developed at the intersection of the A1 and A2 motorways. Construction kick-off is planned for Q3 2020.

Is the lockdown completely rewriting CEE's risk map? How does COVID-19 affect real estate financing? How can I close an ongoing transaction without travelling? These and similar questions were discussed by the experts at Property Forum’s latest online investment panel.

7R, a Polish warehouse developer, is implementing new technology to manage the risks connected with flat roofs. The "Smart Roof" platform, developed by Sense Monitoring, helps to prevent roof overload by alerting the building's manager in advance of potential danger. 7R will apply the system in the 7R Park Gdańsk II logistics complex in Kowale, where a monitored roof will cover over 60,000 sqm of modern warehouse space.

Construction work on Villa Offices, the highest commercial building in Warsaw Brewery mixed-use complex, has been completed by developer Echo Investment. WeWork will soon open its headquarters in the new office building.

Romanian developer One United Properties has completed the structure of its One Herăstrău Towers mixed-use project, which will include 139 residential units, in addition to offices and commercial space on 5,055 sqm. The project is 85% pre-contracted ahead its completion planned before the end of the year.

Bucharest and the major university centres in Romania, such as Cluj-Napoca, Timişoara, Iaşi, Braşov or Craiova, are well-positioned to attract new business in the services sector, despite the Covid-19 pandemic that slowed down the transactional activity and led companies to work from home, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.