Latest technological innovations may cut time and cost significantly in preparing real estate projects. Property Forum asked Béla Markovich, CEO of construction giant Mapei’s Hungarian subsidiary about the ways the company uses VR and AI to reach higher efficiency and about R+D activity to produce eco-friendly construction materials.

Cosmin-Savu Cristescu, Managing Director of Romanian developer Redport Capital, spoke with Property Forum about the start of a new mixed-use investment of  €150 million in northern Bucharest and the continuation of the residential growth trend that has been recorded since 2023.

Occupiers are increasingly forced to adjust to rapidly changing demands from employees. They also have to manage rising costs and meet environmental demands. Property Forum asked James Bartolo, Partner, Head of Multi-Market Tenant Representation EMEA at Knight Frank about the incentives for office workers and the ways companies coop with these tasks.

Real estate development is a long-term venture where the end results (including profitability) are often unpredictable, especially in the current challenging global environment. Property Forum talked to Norbert Schőmer MRICS, Country Director at Atenor Hungary and the recently appointed Chairman of RICS in Hungary, covering the topics of ESG, changes in the office market, affordable housing and education, among others. He also provided an update on Atenor’s ongoing projects in Hungary and shared his priorities as RICS Chairman.

John Palmer, Partner Associate, Real Estate Advisory at Deloitte Poland, talked to Property Forum about the rapidly changing landscape of the land development market in Poland and its current attractiveness to foreign investors.

Jarosław Fiutowski, Member of the Board responsible for ESG strategy and innovation at Ghelamco Poland, talked to Property Forum about the renewable energy in office buildings,  the awareness of ESG issues among tenants and the related stance of Western investment funds.

Demand for lounge-style offices is on the rise across the office world. Fit-out costs have also increased which forces developers and construction companies to prepare projects more thoroughly than before. Property Forum asked Dávid Havas, Development Director at Fitout Zrt. about the latest trends in creating a lovely atmosphere to retain the best employees and use design and build concepts to keep costs low.

The development pipeline of logistics centres is still powerful around Budapest but some of the players seek other opportunities near regional industrial cities. However, landlords need to adapt to market changes while adjusting their rental conditions. Property Forum asked Gábor Halász-Csatári, Head of Industrial & Logistics Agency at Cushman & Wakefield about the latest trends in meeting demands and the pivotal role of fulfilment services in Hungary.

Sylvie Geuten-Carpentier, Managing Partner at Mitiska REIM, talked to Property Forum about the current state of affairs in the Polish investment market, recent activities of Mitiska in CEE countries and the rising attractiveness of the retail park sector.

Some of the historic heritage buildings are crying for conversion for commercial use in many cities across the CEE region. Property Forum asked Mihály Schrancz, CEO and founding partner of newly-founded development company Realis Development Plc., about the risks and special preparation for such projects.