Virtual Property Forum, Europe's first comprehensive online property conference was held last week. We summarised some key insights of the panel discussion about investment strategies for the post-lockdown world, moderated by Otis Spencer (P3).

Bucharest has been named one of the top 10 European Tech Cities of the Future for 2020/21, according to fDi and TNW. The Romanian capital ranks as #7 making the Central & Eastern European city with the highest score. Five other cities – Warsaw (#15), Sofia (#20), Prague (#22), Tallinn (#23) and Krakow (#24) have made it into the top 25.

The European construction industry will be hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, according to Euroconstruct's latest forecast for 19 European member states.

72 speakers and several hundred attendees will be joining the next online event organised by Property Forum and RICS, Virtual Property Forum 2020. With three speeches and eleven panel discussions, this event will provide a comprehensive overview of the trends currently driving real estate markets in the CEE region and beyond.

In Q1 2020, S Immo’s rental income rose by around 10% in annual comparison to €31.1 million (Q1 2019: €28.4 million). The FFO I – a key figure for operating performance – advanced by 27.8% to €13.8 million (Q1 2019: €10.8 million). At the same time, the results on property valuation turned negative to reach minus €31.5 million in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic (Q1 2019: plus €9.9 million). This corresponds to around 1.3% of the IFRS real estate assets. All in all, the company saw a loss for the period of €21.4 million as of 31 March 2020 (Q1 2019: profit for the period of €15.1m million).

As of 29 May, CPI Property Group collected 76% of rents in April 2020. The company published unaudited financial results for the first quarter of 2020.

Reduced output in March & May in the automotive sector could change the typical activity curve in 2020, with busier summer months ahead to make up for lost time. Colliers International has just launched its recent research piece in which e it discusses the importance of particular months for the manufacturing sector in the EMEA region as well as presents the outlook for the coming months.

In Q1 2020, Echo Investment commissioned four housing projects and two office buildings, sold 399 apartments and handed over 190 to clients, started the rental process in the second Resi4Rent building in Wrocław and secured the purchase of attractive plots of land on which 4,000 apartments can be built. During this time, the Group’s next profit exceeded PLN 40 million.

Immofinanz’s rental income in Q1 2020 rose by 13.4% to € 74.0 million, above all due to the expansion of the portfolio through acquisitions and completions as well as a growth of 1.9% in like-for-like rental income. The results of asset management increased by 18.1% to €59.5 million, and the results of operations were 18.0% higher at €43.5 million. However, the revaluation results of €-45.0 million from standing investments and goodwill reflect the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Net profit for Q1 2020 was, therefore, negative at €-37.6 million.

European real estate investment activity is set to plummet by 50% before rebounding sharply within the next 12 months, according to Savills, who predicts that neither the speed or the depth of the crash will be as bad as the global financial crisis when volumes across the continent plunged by 72% between 2007-2009.