International law firm Noerr, together with Vienna-based Austrian law office Arnold, have advised Signa Retail on the sale of Kika’s Eastern European business to XXXLutz. The parties signed the contracts on the sale of the 22 locations in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia on April 26, 2019. The transaction has included both the operational retail business with over 1,500 employees and the 22 properties.

Group BIG CEE Serbia entered into a partnership with Fashion Company to acquire one more commercial centre in Serbia, Fashion Park Outlet Indjija. BIG Group acquired the majority of shares (67.5%) in this project, with Fashion Company as the main partner, which holds remaining rights (27.5%).

Leading Cities Invest, a KanAm Grund Group fund, has entered the Polish market by acquiring the Renaissance office building in central Warsaw from a fund managed by GLL Real Estate Partners. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

The EBRD is supporting capital market development in Romania with a €50 million investment in the second benchmark-sized €500 million corporate bond issued by NE Property B.V.

Investment fund Focus Estate Fund has set the goal to expand the geography of its presence in Central and Eastern Europe. In the next two years, the Fund plans to more than double its portfolio by strengthening its position in the niche of medium-sized commercial real estate in Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as by entering the Slovak market.

Allianz Real Estate intends to invest as much €500 million in CEE property over the next two years, according to a Bloomberg article.

Futureal Group has sold its Advance Tower located on the Váci road office corridor to Erste Real Estate Fund. This is the first transaction in the Hungarian market, which includes a WELL pre-qualified office building having a beneficial impact on employees’ health and comfort. The real estate fund has acquired the first phase of the complex developed by the group, while the second phase could join its portfolio under a forward deal.

In order to finance its further growth, Globalworth successfully completed a capital increase of €500.5 million. The EBRD invested a further €25 million to support the company’s planned growth. The Bank became a shareholder in Globalworth in December 2017 and currently holds a 5.8 per cent stake in the company.

SGI SA has sold the Lastadia Office in Szczecin to a company managed by Greenstone Sp. z o.o. Lastadia was delivered to the market in 2013 and offers ca. 12,500 sqm of GLA. It is located at the banks of Oder River along Wały Chrobrego and is fully let to international and Polish tenants.

JLL advised Atrium European Real Estate Limited in the disposal process of two Polish shopping centres, namely Atrium Felicity and Atrium Koszalin to the ECE European Prime Shopping Centre Fund II, managed by the independent fund managing company ECE Real Estate Partners. The parties signed on 9th May 2019 an agreement concerning the sale of both assets for €298 million, representing around 3% premium to book value as at 31 March 2019. The transaction is subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions precedent and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2019.