Property Forum and The Poland Observer are joining forces at Expo Real 2026 for a dedicated conference session exploring the investment outlook for Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. Taking place from 15:00 to 16:30 on 6 October, the 90-minute programme will bring together real estate leaders to discuss where opportunities could emerge across the region as the market heads towards 2027.

Around 20 million sqm of modern retail space across the CEE-6 and Baltic markets is more than 15 years old, driving a new wave of refurbishment, repositioning and selective redevelopment, according to Colliers' ExCEEding Borders Retail 2026 report. Total modern retail stock across the analysed markets stands at approximately 33.3 million sqm, of which more than 10.6 million sqm is already over 20 years old. The ageing profile reflects the development boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Budapest has the highest share of stock over 15 years old at 84%, followed by Riga at 76% and Warsaw at 70%, with Tallinn, Bratislava, Prague and Vilnius all exceeding 60%.

Property prices in the Budapest agglomeration rose by an average of 11.5% in the first eight months of 2026, with the average square metre price reaching 872,000 forints. Buyers paid an average of 87.7 million forints per property, around 11 million forints more than in the same period of 2025. The share of transactions completed below 50 million forints fell from 28% to 19%, while properties priced below 100 million forints dropped from 81% to 69% of all sales. House prices per sqm rose by 13% to 814,000 forints, while flat prices climbed 9% to just above 1 million forints per sqm.

Total investment volume across the seven CEE markets tracked by Cushman & Wakefield reached approximately €5.4 billion in the first half of 2026, broadly unchanged year on year, according to the firm's CEE Investment Market Update for H1 2026. The stable headline figure masked a marked shift in activity towards Poland, which accounted for 56.7% of regional volume, up from roughly one-third a year earlier, recording its strongest first half since 2018.

Property Forum is thrilled to announce the shortlist of nominees for the SEE Property Forum Awards 2026, celebrating the most outstanding projects, landmark transactions and influential personalities shaping Romania’s real estate market. The winners will be selected soon by a jury committee comprising leading real estate professionals, and the recipients will be announced at our Awards Gala on 20 October, part of our annual SEE Property Forum conference.

The first stop of the Paraguay Real Estate Investment Forum (PREIF 2026) drew significant interest from the Lithuanian investment community when it took place in Vilnius on September 24, setting the stage for the forum's second edition in Warsaw on October 1.

Property Forum is proud to launch the fourth edition of its annual list spotlighting the 50 most influential people in Polish real estate - a recognition of outstanding leadership, innovation and impact across Europe's most dynamic market. The publication, along with all other editions from across CEE, is now available on the Property Forum website.

Property Forum is excited to announce that nominations are now open for the CEE Property Forum Awards 2026! This is your chance to showcase your team’s outstanding projects, deals and personalities, and gain recognition among industry leaders. To submit a nomination, please fill out the nomination form. Nominations will be accepted until October 26th.

Romania’s real estate market and investment opportunities will take centre stage at EXPO REAL 2026 in Munich. Hosted by AHK Romania with the support of Property Forum, Spotlight on Romania @ EXPO REAL 2026 will bring together investors, developers, public authorities and other industry stakeholders on 5 October for an evening of market insights and networking.

Romania's four main university cities, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași and Timișoara, account for more than 361,000 students, representing 62% of the national total, yet combined public and private student accommodation across the four cities totals only around 80,000 beds. That equates to one bed for every 4.5 students, according to data compiled by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. Of the identified stock, approximately 94% of beds are in public university halls, with the remaining 6% in privately developed student accommodation.