Justyna Filipczak, Head of CEE at Cromwell Property Group, talked to Property Forum about the current investment trends, the attractiveness of retail and office properties and the company`s ESG agenda.

Slowly, the residential market should "normalize" and the classic buy/sell market will revive again due to the reduction of interest rates, but this will not happen before the end of this year and the end of summer 2024, explained in an interview for Property Forum Tereza Kouklová, Managing Partner at SFG Holding. 

Ján Krnáč, Executive Director of Cresco Real Estate, talked to Property Forum about the opportunities in the Czech and Slovak residential market. He also explained the “rent to own” scheme developed for those not able to afford a mortgage right now due to the higher interest rates.

Witold Zatoński, Founder of Syrena Real Estate, talked to Property Forum about the profitability of revitalizing older office buildings, the challenges related to such projects and the development of the PRS market in Poland.

Crowdfunding can be a valuable tool in diversifying investment portfolios for both sides but it is not easy to navigate the multitude of crowdfunding platforms and their projects on the market. Jan Večerka, CEO of Czech crowdfunding platform Brikkapp, explained in an interview for Property Forum how to effectively navigate the world of crowdfunding and what to look out for.

Arkadiusz Rudzki, Executive Vice President, Leasing & Sales for Skanska’s commercial development business unit in CEE, talked to Property Forum about the duration of the supply gap in the Warsaw office market, the current interests of investment funds and Skanska’s Scandinavian approach to implementing the ESG principles.

Steffen Szeidl, CEO of Drees & Sommer, spoke with Property Forum at Expo Real about the challenges of property development and the potential for business growth in Europe. He cites the electrification of the economy and the upgrade of the existing stock of buildings as new growth avenues for Europe.

Hungary's office market has slowed down, tenants are more cautious. Sadly, it often results in drawn-out decision-making as tenants focus on safe solutions, fearing the unpredictability of the future. In consequence, there are more renewals and fewer relocations. However, demand for experienced advisors providing high-added value is ever-growing, as the alternative – rectifying a poor lease contract after it is signed – is difficult and expensive, says Valter Kalaus, Managing Partner of Newmark VLK Hungary.

On the financing side, there is still demand for lending towards logistics. Maarten Otte, Head of Investor Relations at CTP, talked to Property Forum at Expo Real about financing conditions and the developer’s ambitious plans for the future.

Austrian developers and construction companies show a good example of how to realise truly sustainable buildings. Green residential projects are not a goal, but practice in Austria, says Rudolf Riedl, Managing Director of SÜBA Hungary who also shared his opinion on the shortcomings of the Hungarian real estate market.