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.

Romanian residential developer One United Properties is moving ahead with three new projects in Bucharest.

CBRE has announced the appointment of Katarína Brydone as Head of Investment Properties of CBRE in the Czech Republic effective 1 June 2020. Katarína Brydone succeeds Chris Sheils who spent four successful years in this position and has taken the decision to leave the business following Clare Sheils’ promotion to Managing Director of CBRE Czech Republic.

Generali Real Estate has acquired the Kotva department store in Prague for an undisclosed sum from Pražská Správa Nemovitostí (PSN) through its pan-European fund Generali Real Estate Asset Repositioning SA (GREAR).

Optimum Ventures Private Equity Fund (owned by Optima, the fund manager of the National Bank of Hungary's foundations) and an affiliate of Lone Star Funds (an American private equity firm) have entered into a conditional share purchase agreement, pursuant to which Optima will acquire a majority shareholding (61.49%) in Globe Trade Centre S.A., a Polish company trading on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Most CEE governments have already introduced measures aimed at helping employed people and struggling businesses amid the coronavirus outbreak. In most countries, at least half of the average wage will be taken over by the state, up to 80% or more in certain countries. Hungary is the only country in the region where no concrete measures have been announced yet. We looked at what workers of affected companies can expect across the region.