Property Forum’s next virtual event will take a closer look at the immediate and long-term effects of the coronavirus lockdown of real estate financing in CEE. Hear the economic outlook of Commerzbank’s Senior EM Strategist and listen to the discussion of influential bankers. Participants will also have the chance to ask questions and share their personal experiences.

Hungarian residential developer Cordia is introducing a new, secure, online service that covers the entire home buying process, including virtual viewing and remote contract signing.

The preliminary investment volumes for the CEE region for Q1 2020 have reached ca. €3.7 billion, despite the onset of COVID-19 in CEE at the beginning of March. This volume was significantly boosted by the ca. €1.3 billion acquisition of the Residomo portfolio in the Czech Republic by Heimstaden, however, it still represents a y-o-y growth of 68% over Q1 2019 (ca. €2.2 billion) and 28% over Q1 2018 (ca. €2.9 billion).

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Management Board of CA Immo has decided to reschedule the 33rd Annual General Meeting from originally 7 May 2020 to 25 August 2020. As a result, the resolution on the appropriation of net profit for 2019 and a dividend payment will also be postponed.

A new weekly EMEA COVID-19 research report from Cushman & Wakefield, 'COVID-19 Impacts For EMEA Real Estate', outlines the sweeping impact the COVID-19 crisis is having on the European hotel market in 2020.

In its first of a series of global sentiment surveys, Savills has assessed the initial impact of COVID-19 on transactional and occupier markets around the world, with 67% of countries currently reporting a moderate negative impact, and 29% citing a severely negative impact.

Romanian developer Zacaria Group is offering industrial space free of charge for local authorities and non-governmental organizations to help manage the emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Transilvania Business reports. Furthermore, the company, for the first time, offers short-term rentals for companies that have to expand or temporarily move their activities due to the coronavirus crisis.

Even though it is too early to estimate precisely, the pandemic of COVID-19 will certainly have an impact on the global economy and, the probability of a global recession in 2020 is considered high. It appears that we will witness consecutive declines in global and regional GDP in the current and next quarter of 2020.  CBS International, a member of Cushman & Wakefield Alliance, summarized the potential implications of the COVID-19 crisis on the Serbian property market.

Arcadis published the annual results of the international construction costs comparison (International Construction Costs 2020). Arcadis ICC Index 2020 monitors 100 cities around the world, assessing their construction costs and market conditions. This year's study also includes an insight into the construction industry in view of the current coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing climate change. According to the ICC Index 2020, Prague has higher construction costs in the CEE region than Warsaw (Poland), Belgrade (Serbia), Bucharest (Romania) and Sofia (Bulgaria), but lower than Zagreb (Croatia).  

Panattoni is extending a production plant making specialised telecommunications systems at Panattoni Park Szczecin I. Next to the existing 32,000 sqm, the developer will build a further 24,000 sqm. As a result, this June the logistics and industrial complex will be 80 percent completed, and by year-end Panattoni intends to embark on the construction of the final 42,000 sqm phase of the park, completing the entire project planned to total 220,700 sqm.