Property Forum’s next virtual event, CEE Valuation & Investment Forum 2020, will cover the most burning topics of property investment and valuation. Leading international experts will share their own experiences and best practices related to managing the unprecedented market situation that COVID-19 has created.

Since the first COVID-19 cases in Poland were diagnosed, analyses and reflections on the impact of the pandemic on the real estate industry have been conducted. One of the most interesting issues is the situation on the office market, especially if we take into account the changing needs of companies and their employees. Property managers and owners try to be constantly updated to meet the expectations of tenants and support their business. Marta Wiewiórowska-Kudła, Leasing Manager at Hines Polska summarised how this market has developed recently and what may change in the future.

The current state of the Serbian, Croatian and Slovenian property markets was the topic of our latest online panel. The adaption of new technologies, especially in the retail and hotel sectors, is crucial to handle the shock of the coronavirus lockdowns. Five experts, with the moderation Mia Zecevic, CEO of the Novaston Real Estate Platform, shared their knowledge on the implications of the current crisis in the Balkans region.

In the Serbian economy, the construction industry has been one of the sectors least affected by COVID-19, with only smaller decrease recorded in production volumes and logistical capacity. The Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association has published a COVID-19 update on the construction sector of Serbia.

COVID-19’s direct impact on ongoing construction activity in Romania has been minimal since no restrictions were in place specifically targeting construction works. Several indirect factors, however, are expected to limit the amount of construction activity. The Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association has published a COVID-19 update on the construction sector of Romania.

The industrial market in Poland has been growing at a very quick pace for several years, with record-breaking transaction sizes, new warehouse locations and growing net take-up levels. The focus of analysts is usually on demand as everything starts from tenants looking for warehouse and manufacturing space for their business operations. The warehouse market has been led in recent years by the e-commerce industry, which has been reporting annual growth of over 20%. However, other leading sectors are still logistics and distribution, household appliances, the automotive sector and manufacturing. Experts from Cushman & Wakefield summarised what is the impact of investment funds on the industrial market and why warehouses attract investors.

Since the start of this year, Penta Real Estate has closed the sale of three office buildings in its portfolio. After selling Rosum in Bratislava, the company completed a transaction in Poland within a single month by selling the office complex D48 and the office building BCT1 in Košice.

Atrium European Real Estate published an update on trading for the three months ended 31 March 2020 and an update on trading in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. A progressive reopening has been launched from 4 May in Poland and is planned from 11 May in the Czech Republic and 3 June Slovakia, although it is too early to say when the company’s assets will return to full operation.

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak seems to be having a severely negative impact on market sentiment across the CEE region, according to the latest RICS Commercial Property Monitor. Q1 2020 figures show that both rental and capital value expectations have been downgraded across the region with retail expected to see the sharpest decline and industrial proving to be the most resilient asset class.

The coronavirus outbreak continues to affect people and economies deeply. In the latest online panel organized by Property Forum, three real estate professionals discussed the impacts of the coronavirus crisis on the Bulgarian property market.