Investment volume on the Romanian market in the first half of 2018 amounted to approximately €386 million, down 27% from the same period of the previous year, when the investment market reached a value of €530 million, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox calculations and estimates. This decline comes amid a substantial number of transactions that had not been fully completed by June 30, while their eventual closure in the second half of the year will push the market to a level of transactions comparable to that achieved in 2017, of almost €1 billion.

JLL and LaSalle Investment Management published the latest edition of the Global Real Estate Transparency Index - GRETI. The world's most transparent markets include the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, France, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and Finland.

With the growth of the Bucharest office market to 2.3 million sqm, office buildings become more and more important in the recruitment and retention of employees. The new wave of employees is more demanding in terms of office life concepts and expects a building to offer, besides a modern working space, a community to belong to. According Colliers International Romania, in the coming years, property management services will influence the level of employee satisfaction.

Investment flows into the CEE-6 region rose 4% y-o-y in H1 2018, marginally exceeding the pace of 2017’s record year, according to Colliers International’s latest report.

Properties worth up to €3.88 billion have switched owners since January in Poland. JLL analysed the investment transactions concluded in the commercial real estate sector in Poland.

The total investment volume in Slovakia for H1 2018 reached just under €500 million, a significant amount compared to the €535 million for the entire 2017 and record-breaking €850 million in 2016. This is the result of several mid-volume level deals slipping from 2017 Q4 to 2018 Q1/Q2, as well as increased liquidity and investment activity on the Slovak market, according to JLL.

The end of the first semester has brought to light great achievements from regional cities in all real estate segments on the Romanian market. Bucharest has also performed well and, according to the real estate consultancy company Colliers International Romania, the prospects for the remainder of the year remain strong.

Office developers have for years been struggling with the speed of new technologies. While the innovation cycle in high tech lasts for around 18 months, the development process for office buildings still takes around five years. To ensure tenants and users have easy access to new solutions, Skanska has created an all-in-one operating system for office buildings and workplaces, which can be upgraded over time just like a smartphone.

An entire section will be dedicated to the future of the Czech and Slovak markets at the upcoming CEE Property Forum 2018 in Vienna. International experts and top local players will provide an overview of the two markets, among others. To check out the list of confirmed speakers, click here.

Almost 425,000 sqm of modern office space was leased in Warsaw in H1 2018 while an additional 700,000 sqm of offices remain under construction. Rents increase on a par with decreasing vacancy rate. New coworking concepts begin to gain traction as well. JLL summarised the situation on the Warsaw office market at the end of H1 2018.