Skanska has sold the Nordic Light office building in Budapest, Hungary, to the real estate funds of Erste Alapkezelő Zrt. – one of the subsidiaries of Erste Asset Management GmbH. The value of the transaction is €67 million. The transaction has been recorded in December, with the transfer of the property scheduled for the first quarter of 2017. Skanska has also started its newest office development in the Hungarian capital.

Nordea Bank AB Branch in Poland is one of the new tenants of Olivia Star, a newly constructed building of the Olivia Business Centre in Gdańsk. It leased two floors there occupying nearly 2600 sqm. Colliers International supported the Scandinavian firm in this transaction.

Prague's office market has witnessed several records this year: the lowest annual office supply in history and one of the highest demand volumes. By the end of 2016, Prague´s office market will have 3,245,000 sqm of modern offices. At the same time, the Czech capital recorded the lowest annual office supply in history with only 33,600 sqm in 6 projects, On the contrary, over 180,000 sqm of new office space will be delivered to the Prague market next year. 

Warsaw’s office stock topped 5 million sqm in 2016. High growth dynamics and changing market conditions have led to inter- and intrazone tenant migration in the past two years. Building age is still central to the choice of a suitable location. Cushman & Wakefield presented its findings in a report on the future of the Warsaw office market.

Skanska has attained an occupancy permit for the third building of Silesia Business Park in Katowice. The office complex is one of the biggest office parks in Katowice and already has lease agreements signed for over 23,000 sqm of space.

On 1 December 2016, international real estate developer HB Reavis and Savills Investment Management on behalf of a Global Pension Fund client, concluded the sale agreement of two of buildings within Gdanski Business Centre in Warsaw. In one of the largest transactions of the year in Poland and also in the CEE region amounting to €186 million, Savills Investment Management has acquired buildings A and B of the Gdanski Business Center, totalling 48,000 sqm.

Skanska Property Poland has signed an agreement on the rights of perpetual usufruct, a right granting long-term use of real estate, on the land plot near Rondo ONZ in the business centre of Warsaw. Currently, the Ilmet office building is located on this plot. In addition, the company has bought the Warsaw One project, which was designed by the previous owner. In the transaction process the seller was advised by Knight Frank.

Mentor Graphics Corporation, a manufacturer of design software and electronic equipment, has signed a lease agreement on 4 417 sqm in building B of Silesia Star in Katowice. The client was represented by Cushman & Wakefield in lease negotiations and the coordination and supervision of fit-out works in the new office.

During the third quarter, three new office buildings were completed with a total area of 39,570 sqm – reports JLL in their latest Budapest Office Market Pulse. The increasing development activity has had an effect on the vacancy rate as well: the Budapest office market’s vacancy rate made a slight increase to 10.9% as a result of the vacant space in the newly completed buildings and in the buildings from where the tenants moved out.

Panalpina Polska, an air and sea freight company, leased a 630 sqm office in the West Station I building. A team of BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland experts advised the tenant during the negotiation process with HB Reavis. Panalpina Polska will be moving in the first quarter of 2017 and taking up space on the 12th floor of the building.