Before the global economic crisis the financial sector dominated the Budapest office market, banks leased the greatest number of new offices and impressive new headquarters were built for them. By now the situation has changed: the biggest players are from the ICT (information and communication technology) sector in Budapest, leading companies are building new headquarters, and the globally influential Hungarian companies are moving into larger and larger offices.

Money Makers TFI, an investment fund owned the Alior Bank group, and ProData Consult, an IT consulting services provider, decided to remain in Warsaw’s Horizon Plaza for the following years and expand their offices. Knight Frank brokered the transaction and represented Union Investment Real Estate GmbH, the property owner.

Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed to acquire tenants and develop a marketing strategy for Trinity One. The owner of the scheme is Revetas Capital.

Sixteen office buildings have been completed in Warsaw in the first half of 2016, totalling 350,000 sqm. 100,000 sqm is scheduled for completion in H2 2016, which will bring the annual supply to a new record high of 450,000 sqm. Cushman & Wakefield has published its Property Times report on the Warsaw office market for H1 2016.

KPMG has leased an office area of over 1,700 sqm in O3 Business Campus in Kraków – an office complex which is being developed by Echo Investment. The company is to move into the new office at the end of this year. The tenant was represented by the Colliers International consulting company.

Days of strong development activity on the Budapest office market are once again ahead of us. The market has been growing steadily and cautiously for years now and we have reached a point where tenants looking to immediately rent several thousands of square metres have no options left. BTS developments and large pre-lease deals have dominated property news cycles for over a year now and the time has finally come for developers with speculative projects to make their move. We take a closer look at Budapest office developments.

pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank provided an investment facility of €34 million to IMMOFINANZ. The proceeds will be utilized for the refinancing of the Nimbus office building in Warsaw. The transaction closed in July 2016. 

Adval Asset Management supported by JLL's Capital Markets team has successfully secured the refinancing of €6 million of Cascade Offices. Cascade Offices is a 4200 sqm office building delivered in 2005 and located on Buzesti Street, in the heart of the Central Business District of Bucharest. Among the main tenants, the project counts Procredit Bank, Enel and Taiwan TC.

Norway-based Libertech Group has signed a lease on more than 700 sqm of office space in Warsaw Spire. The company intends to set up its headquarters for the CEE region in Poland. Cushman & Wakefield has advised the tenant in the lease negotiations. It will also coordinate and oversee the office fit-out.

XL Catlin has signed a lease agreement for office space at UBM’s PEGAZ complex in Wrocław. The tenant was represented by Cushman & Wakefield.