Global real estate - one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions - should become net-zero in less than three decades. With as much as 80% of the predicted building stock for 2050 already in existence today, this best illustrates the scale of the challenge. Meanwhile, the commercial real estate market has not, as yet, officially acknowledged either the costs of necessary property upgrades or the costs of delaying or not taking any action. At the same time, due to a lack of market standards, benchmarks and a system of data collection, valuers can hardly factor ESG risks in property valuations. This impasse has significantly increased the risk of a carbon bubble, says Cushman & Wakefield. 

Almost 60 hectares of land plots suitable for the development of real estate projects were transacted in the Bucharest – Ilfov region in the H2 2022 – H1 2023 period, with former industrial platforms accounting for some of the largest transactions, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

České dráhy (ČD) sold the remaining part of the land at the Smíchov railway station in Prague for just under CZK 2 billion (€82 million). Over 126,000 sqm of land will be bought by the Sekyra Group. According to the Czech news agency (ČTK) Czech Railways said that it had received a total of CZK 2.4 billion (almost €98.6 million) for the Smíchov land. A new district of Smíchov City is to be built on the land.

State-owned Czech Post (Česká pošta) has sold three unneeded properties in Prague's Krč district in an electronic auction. Together they will fetch almost CZK 400 million (€16.4 million). The winner must pay the price within 30 days, writes E15.cz.

FLE has successfully signed and closed the acquisition of the ca. 12,500 sqm DAFA warehouse and light production facility in Natolin (Grodzisk Mazowiecki Region), located in Warsaw logistic Zone II. The transaction was construed as a sale and long-term lease back. The price has not been disclosed. 

Romanian property holding Meta Estate Trust has sold its 40% stake in Redport Properties, the developer of The Level Apartments project in Bucharest, for more than €2.7 million. Additionally, the holding has decided to gradually reinvest €2 million by acquiring 10% of Redport Capital for future developments.

Thirty interested parties are bidding for the Jindřiška Tower in the centre of Prague, which was offered for sale by the Prague Archbishopric at the end of last year. The Prague City Council has also submitted an offer. The price is expected to be €4.09 million. The archbishopric also decided to sell the Clara Futura hotel in Dolní Břežany for €12.6 million to the investment fund Investika, writes the Czech Press Agency ČTK.

Consolidation of the residential business, maintaining a high rental level in all completed Resi4Rent projects, starting new "destination" projects – this is a summary of the operational activities of Echo Investment Group in the first half of 2023. The Group's development plans are supported by a high cash balance of over PLN 662 million. 

With interest rates forecasted to decrease across Europe in 2024, real estate investment activity is set to increase in Romania as well as in other countries in the region. Andrei Văcaru, Head of Capital Markets CEE at iO Partners talked to Property Forum about the movers and shakers of the Romanian investment market.

Trei Real Estate has just presented its mid-year financials for 2023. Despite a difficult market environment for developers, Trei continues its developments of residential real estate in Germany, Poland and the United States as well as of retail real estate in Poland. The development pipeline amounted to a total value of €1.9 billion by 30 June 2022, which represents a drop of c. €100 million since 31 December 2022. The decline is essentially explained by the completion of three retail parks in Poland as well as by the completion and the highly successful sale of the “Atlantic Beach House” residential project in Charleston/South Carolina, whose disposal generated around 35 per cent IRR for Trei. Out of the total development pipeline of €1.9 billion, the residential use class accounts for €1.7 billion while retail developments in Poland account for €200 million.