Ziv Gigi, GTC’s Executive Director for SEE, spoke with Property Forum about the new tenants attracted to the City Gate complex in Bucharest, the importance of amenities in boosting the work environment and the growing demand for ESG-ready projects.

Viorel Lăcătuș, Country Manager in Romania for Atenor, talked to Property Forum about the company’s ongoing residential and office developments in Bucharest and the growing interest of tenants for the sustainability certifications of buildings.

Despite the pandemic, travellers and businesses have seen several large-scale real estate-related developments at Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest during the past few years. There will be more huge investments over the coming years. Property Forum asked Rene Droese, Chief Development Officer about each of them, including reopening Terminal 1 and preparations for a new Terminal 3.

Emma Toma, Head of Office Division at AFI Europe Romania, talked to Property Forum about the company’s investment plans in the office, retail and residential areas, as well as the solutions implemented in all projects in the area of sustainability.

Adrian Pop, General Manager of ADP green building, talked to Property Forum about the demand for sustainability assessments of buildings and the company’s expansion into the ESG services segment, which is increasingly requested by real estate companies. In 2022 alone, the company completed 108 BREEAM certifications, more than double the previous year, for commercial projects across Romania.

Hungarian property developer and investor Indotek Group currently owns real estate in Hungary and eight foreign countries and is actively screening opportunities in five others. The portfolio consists of office, retail, hotel and industrial properties. Property Forum asked Krisztián Hornok, Managing Director of International Transactions and Asset Management about the reasons for the large-scale expansion and ways of handling risks in this region.

Wood is a building material that experts believe has a great future for many reasons. Firstly, it plays a significant role as a renewable material it is also a key in mixed-use buildings and contributes significantly to ESG or carbon neutrality targets. Thus, the demand for wooden buildings and prefabricated wooden products is not decreasing, quite the opposite, says Martin Skalický, Chairman of the Advisory Board at Progresus Invest Holding in an interview with Property Forum.

Cristina Dumitrache, Chief Business Development Officer at Rustler Property Services Romania, spoke to Property Forum about the launch of two new business lines, Brokerage & Consultancy and Project Management, that help the company offer integrated services to real estate companies, but also the role of a manager in mobilizing teams and innovative solutions for the industry.

Monia Dobrescu, Partner at Mușat & Asociații, spoke to Property Forum about real estate companies’ growing interest in alternative financing options and Romania’s tax framework for real estate investments.

Business and leisure travel is back in CEE, including Hungary, which makes investments more profitable than it was expected a year ago. Property Forum asked Silvija Lovreta, Senior Director of South Eastern Europe - International Hotel Development at Marriott International about the extensive development pipeline and ways the company meets environmental challenges. On behalf of Marriott's local partner for the development of the first Moxy hotel in Budapest, Forestay Group, Bálint Botos also commented on a few questions.