The Budapest office market vacancy rate has decreased to 8.6% in Q2 2017, which is the lowest rate ever on record.  Renewals were the major driver of the leasing activity while no new buildings were completed in the quarter. The Budapest Research Forum published its newest figures.

With a 4.8%-GDP growth in 2016 and the highest estimated growth rate in 2017 among EU member states, Romania has become an increasingly attractive destination for regional operations centres. The tax and legal regimes along with the geographic location, as well as the highly yet not so costly labour force are some of the key ingredients contributing to the country’s attractiveness, according to the Recipe for successful tax, law & real estate of regional operations centres in Romania report prepared by Deloitte Romania, Reff & Associates- Deloitte Legal together with Knight Frank. 

Vastint Poland has appointed Hochtief Polska as the general contractor of the second phase of Business Garden Wroclaw. Under the contract, six office and service buildings with a total leasable area of approx. 79,000 sqm are to be built. Construction works will commence in July this year and will end in November 2019.

Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed property manager of Krakow’s office complex Zabłocie Business Park. The scheme is owned by IMS Budownictwo, a local housing developer.

AFI Tech Park, the newest office project developed by AFI Romania, achieved a LEED Platinum pre-certification. AFI Tech Park is a business campus that will offer 56,000 sqm GLA of Class A office space, comprising of two office buildings of GF+8 and one office tower (GF+14). 

Erste Group officially opened the Sirius Offices business complex in Belgrade for tenants who are expected to enter the building soon. Erste Bank Serbia is the first tenant to move into the new business complex, which will become its main business centre in Belgrade. Beside Erste Bank, Strabag d.o.o Beograd has been secured as a second large anchor tenant, renting 4,000 square meters office space. The first phase of the investment is worth €40 million and the complex occupies an area of 18,500 square meters gross of office space. Besides office premises, Sirius Offices includes a restaurant, a shop and 230 parking places.

Redwood Real Estate Holding (formerly known as B&L Estates), a Hungarian real estate developer has recently started the construction of the 5,000 sqm, Class A+, LEED Platinum pre-certified Ecodome office building on a speculative basis

Skanska has launched the construction works of its Nowy Targ office project in the centre of Worlcaw. The building’s name relates to Nowy Targ square which is located nearby and which in the past served as the city's trading centre. The office project will provide nearly 22,000 sqm of flexible space dedicated to business with its delivery scheduled between Q2 and Q3 2019.

Colliers International has been assigned by Hili Properties to provide property management services for the Art Business Center office project, which houses the largest private hospital in Romania. Thus, Colliers International reaches a managed portfolio of over 280,000 leasable sqm and enters a new segment, that of private hospitals, marking a premiere for the local property management market.

Echo Investment has been granted a permit for the construction of the first office building which is part of the Browary Warszawskie project in the quarter of Grzybowska, Wronia, Chłodna and Krochmalna streets.