In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Immofinanz has decided to reschedule the 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was originally planned for 22 May 2020. The AGM will now be held on 1 October 2020 in Vienna. This change will also result in the postponement of the resolution on the use of profit for 2019 and a dividend payment.

JLL and CBRE have been selected by Immobel Poland as agents responsible for the commercialization process of Central Point in Warsaw. The investment is being built on the corner of Marszałkowska and Świętokrzyska Streets and above an intersection of the two metro lines of Warsaw.

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.

At the end of 2019, the total modern office stock in Łódź amounted to 528,300 sqm with more than 90,000 sqm currently under construction. Cushman & Wakefield has summarised 2019 on Łódź’s office market.

AFI Europe Romania announces the rescheduling of the opening date for AFI Brasov, the largest shopping centre project to be delivered in Romania in 2020. Initially planned for the spring of this year, the opening date is now scheduled for the autumn of 2020, should the overall social conditions allow it.

The coronavirus pandemic could be the catalyst for increased working from home in the future, a survey by Colliers International has revealed.

Hines Poland Sustainable Income Fund (HPSIF), an investment fund managed by Hines Polska, finalised the sale of its real estate portfolio, comprising six distribution parks and the Nord Point office building, to CGL Investment Holdings Corporation Limited. Investing in commercial properties in order to increase their value and then selling them is one of Hines’ core business areas. In 2020, the company plans to expand in the Polish market.

In 2019, Lublin’s total office stock amounted to 191,200 sqm with no new office projects delivered to the market in the last 12 months. In 2017-2018, the city’s office stock expanded by nearly 40% following a period of robust local development activity. Cushman & Wakefield summarised 2019 on Lublin’s office market.

According to the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which measures the activity level of purchasing managers in a given sector, Hungary's manufacturing industry was hit much harder by the coronavirus crisis than the same sector in other CEE countries. The Polish and Czech PMI show that these economies were less affected by the downturn in March than the economy of Hungary.

The business environment in China was the first hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, but the fast decrease of new cases in the past weeks brings hope for recovery in the second half of the year, with a positive impact on the real estate market as well. Based on China’s evolution, a similar outcome could be expected in Romania too, mainly driven by e-commerce, after the outbreak peak is surpassed and the number of new cases drops. Moreover, the current situation can bring growth opportunities for certain industries including segments of the real estate market, according to Colliers International.