2016 could be the first year that European office employment levels surpass the previous peak of 2008, according to Colliers International’s latest research ‘EMEA Offices: Is Flexibility the Future?’. The report shows that office-based employment levels in the EU have grown by 5 million, representing a 4.3 per cent increase over the last 10 years and surpassing the previous peak of 2008. 

The size of office space lease and sale transactions in Moscow involving foreign companies decreased from 40% to 20% in Q1 2016 compared to Q4 2015. Although foreign companies continue to sign new deals, they are choosing smaller offices and re-negotiating current leases to decrease the amount of occupied space, according to a report by the international consulting company Colliers international.

TriGranit has started its first year backed with a new owner, TPG Real Estate. In Q1 2016, new leases and renewal agreements reached 25,777 sqm GLA, the average occupancy rate is over 95% in TriGranit managed assets and the company has 20,000 sqm GLA office development in progress. Due to the strong performance of the BPO sector in the region, the company plans further office developments in the near future in each of its core countries: Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. 

Flow East, the Anglo-Czech property owner and heritage campaigner announced that it has signed two new leasing agreements with Modrá pyramida stavební spořitelna and AON Central and Eastern Europe resulting in the 100% occupancy of its 13-building central Prague office portfolio.

According to the latest report by Cushman & Wakefield Q1 2016 saw a rapid growth in the supply of office space in Warsaw, which more than doubled the results for the same period in 2015. Due to the record-breaking levels of supply vacancy rates have increased by 1.9 pps to 14.1%. Although statistics show a fall in net absorption, this is probably a temporary decrease in the light of last year’s exceptionally high growth. Cushman & Wakefield expects the office market to continue its growth in the remaining months of 2016, with pipeline supply estimated at 330,000 sq m.

Immofinanz raised the occupancy level in its office standing investments by roughly seven percentage points to nearly 82% by the end of the 2015/16 financial year (as of 30 April 2016). Rentals in the office segment totalled approx. 388,000 sqm, or 29% of the total area, according to preliminary numbers. Of this total, 307,000 sqm are located in standing investments and 81,000 sqm in development projects. Roughly 40% of the standing investment rentals represent new contracts or contract expansions, while the remaining 60% are contract extensions with existing tenants. 

International real estate developer HB Reavis bought the freehold interest in 61 Southwark Street from Aberdeen Asset Management for £44 million.

The Prague Research Forum announced its office market figures for the first quarter of 2016. Gross take-up amounted to 92,200 sq m, representing a decrease of 43% compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 26% in year-on-year comparison. In Q1 2016, the vacancy rate decreased by 0.7 percentage points to 13.9% compared to the previous quarter.

IT and business service centres were the most active tenants on the Prague office market last year, having signed lease contracts for 84,000 sqm and reaching 31 % of net take-up. In 2015 the largest leasing transaction represented by an agent (JLL) was concluded in the history of Prague´s office market – SAP leased nearly 25,000 sqm in Metronom office building in Prague 5. SAP will move its 2,000 employees working for three operations under one roof. 

Vacancy rates have further declined on the Budapest office market as a result of modest development activity and strong demand from tenants. The Budapest Research Forum has published its quarterly office market analysis.