For Vienna-based investor GalCap Europe, last year was a busy one with three additional deals closed compared to 2019. Managing Partner Paul W. Hallam talked to Property Forum about the experiences of last year and shared the company’s investment strategy for 2021.

GLP, an investor and developer of logistics buildings and warehouses announced plans to introduce its ESG-focused European specification, as outlined in its best-practice European Design Guide, to all new logistics facilities in Poland.

COVID-19 has had a great impact on the economy as well as consumers’ behaviour, which has naturally influenced the property market. Pandemic unexpectedly accelerated changes noticed for the last few years, such as the diminishing role of traditional shopping centres in favour of convenience retail, the boom of e-commerce market or working from home. According to Avison Young, investors have quickly accommodated to new conditions and even despite many uncertainties, investment volume has achieved third-highest level in the history – €5.3 billion.

CBRE, which has been managing the 22,805 sqm Visionary office building in Prague 7 for CA Immo for two years, has received a mandate to manage the Austrian company’s remaining office portfolio in the Czech Republic.

CTP has completed the certification of its industrial real estate portfolio in Central and Eastern Europe. In total, 292 CTP buildings at around a hundred different locations in six countries have confirmed their BREEAM In-Use status at the Very Good level or higher. A number of properties have reached the Excellent level. This ranks the company as the greenest developer of industrial real estate in CEE.

Skyliner, one of the highest office towers in Warsaw developed by Karimpol, has obtained an occupancy permit. The skyscraper was designed by APA Wojciechowski. Tenants will start moving into the building in the first half of 2021.

Tenant activity in 2020 was 31% lower than in 2019, with developers being much more cautious about launching new developments than in previous years. As a result, this could lead to a supply gap in the Warsaw market. Advisory firm JLL summarizes the Warsaw office market at the end of 2020.

Gross take-up on the Prague office market in Q4 2020 amounted to 98,700 sqm, representing a 17.6% increase on the previous quarter but a 33% decrease in a year-on-year comparison. The Prague Research Forum announced the office market figures for Q4 2020.

JSE-listed EPP, the largest owner of shopping centres in Poland, announces the appointment of Agata Sekuła as the company’s Executive Management Team Member responsible for sales and acquisitions. Agata will join EPP from 1 March 2021 and be responsible for executing the EPP’s divestment and investment plans, with particular focus on acquiring institutional co-investors for EPP’s retail portfolio.

Total demand on the Budapest office market reached 86,310 sqm in Q4 2020, representing a 57% decrease year-on-year. The vacancy rate has increased to 9.1%, representing an increase of 1.0 p.p. quarter-on-quarter, according to BRF’s latest figures.