Although real estate development, investment and lending to the sector have taken a beating due to the pandemic's effects on the global economy, according to the results of the latest edition of KPMG’s Property Lending Barometer, property lending has gained an increased importance for banks in 2021, as on the one hand real estate loan portfolios are deteriorating, and, on the other, market conditions continue to gradually improve. Moreover, the tougher times mean that lending institutions within the region are able to pick and choose what types of developments and investments to grant loans to under stricter terms and conditions.

The shortage of skilled workers and engineers is the biggest obstacle to the business activities of design and construction enterprises, a market survey of the National Federation of Hungarian Building Contractors (ÉVOSZ) finds. While the number of people employed in the construction industry is growing each year, the number of vacancies is dropping rapidly, indicating that the labour supply is unable to keep pace with the development of the industry. The federation has therefore initiated a programme to call industry professionals working abroad home.

Investment sentiment among property companies has improved since the start of the pandemic and developers are adapting to emerging demands, suggested speakers during the post-COVID-19 investment and asset management strategies panel of SEE Property Forum 2021, Property Forum's annual event in Bucharest.

Property Forum is excited to announce the winners of its first-ever SEE Property Forum Awards. The winners of each category were selected by our jury committee, comprising the crème de la crème of the Romanian real estate industry. The awards, celebrating the best projects, most impactful transactions and most inspiring personalities of the Romanian market, were presented at our Awards Gala and Exclusive Networking Party in Bucharest last night, part of our annual SEE Property Forum conference.

The future of work is hybrid – this was the main message of Pauline Kwasniak, a Polish-born, Irish-raised digital marketer, founder and event professional who headlined workcloud24’s latest webinar. The organiser summarised the key takeaways of the event.

Property Forum is excited to announce the shortlist of nominees for its first-ever SEE Property Forum 2021 Award Ceremony which celebrates the best projects, most impactful transactions and most inspiring personalities of the Romanian market. The winners will be selected by a jury committee comprising leading real estate professionals and the recipients will be announced as part of an Awards Gala and Exclusive Networking Party on 20 October, part of our annual SEE Property Forum conference.

CEE is a competitive market based on the number of certified buildings, but companies need to accelerate carbon reduction projects, noted speakers in the ESG strategies panel of CEE Property Forum 2021, Property Forum’s first real-life event back in Vienna since 2019 which was attended by over 400 people coming from countries all over the region and beyond.

Commercial real estate investments in Romania amounted to €570 million in the first nine months, down 29% compared to the same period of 2020, according to JLL Romania. The Bucharest market attracted 70% of the total investment volume, mainly in the office segment. 

Retail parks and regional shopping centres are driving the sector’s growth, suggested speakers during the future of retail panel of CEE Property Forum 2021, Property Forum’s first real-life event back in Vienna since 2019 which was attended by over 400 people coming from countries all over the region and beyond.

Rents and house prices in the EU have continued their steady increase in Q2 2021, going up by 1.3% and 7.3% respectively, compared to Q2 2020, according to Eurostat data. Looking at long-term trends, CEE countries are among those that have registered the highest house price growth since 2010.