Romania has elected a new president in a landmark vote, with independent and pro-European candidate Nicușor Dan defeating far-right rival George Simion with 54% of the vote. The result marks a major political shift, as neither of Romania’s traditional parties advanced to the final round. In Poland, the second round of the election is to take place amidst the fiscal clarity issues.

CA Immo completed the sale of the IP West office building in Budapest. The buyer is BYD, a Chinese company that develops and manufactures rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles, rail transit systems, and other new energy technologies, as confirmed by Colliers. The agency represented the buyer in the transaction and provided project management services. The sale was also supported by CBRE and CERHA HEMPEL Rechtsanwälte.

Facility management group B+N Referencia Zrt has recently completed a deal in Italy in a move designed to expand its presence in the local market.

Alto Real Estate has secured financing for its flagship project in Bratislava. The developer has announced the successful signing of a loan agreement to secure financing for the SKY PARK Tower project, the latest work of the world-renowned architectural studio Zaha Hadid Architects in Slovakia.

BNP Paribas Bank Polska, mBank, and Santander Bank Polska have awarded a PLN 760 million (ca. €181.8 million) loan to finance the Noho One residential complex in Warsaw. Dentons law firm advised the banks.

The 2024 results signalled a return to stability in Poland’s real estate market, accompanied by a renewed sense of optimism. Total transaction volume more than doubled compared to 2023, reflecting a strong resurgence in market activity. This positive momentum is expected to continue into 2025, supported by anticipated interest rate cuts, improved liquidity, and the emergence of numerous new opportunities across all real estate segments, says Avison Young. 

Erste Group Bank AG and Banco Santander S.A. announced that they have entered into an agreement for Erste Group to acquire a 49% stake in Santander Bank Polska Group S.A. for PLN 584 per share (approximately €6.8 billion) and a 50% stake in Santander Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. for approximately €0.2 billion from Santander Group. Together, this amounts to a total cash consideration of €7.0 billion.

Czech development company Concens Investments has changed its brand name to Gridarch and registered office in connection with its growth. 

Develia has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire 100% of shares in Bouygues Immobilier Polska, the  Polish branch of Bouygues Immobilier, a property developer in France. The price set in the preliminary agreement is €66.5 million (approx. PLN 283.6 million). The acquisition will allow Develia to increase the number of residential units under development and enhance the growth potential of its land bank in Warsaw, Poznań, and Wrocław.

CPI Property Group has sold another hotel on Prague's Wenceslas Square, reports SeznamZprávy.cz. After the Juliš Hotel, this is the building that houses the Ramada Hotel and the largest Central European bookstore.