In January 5 years have passed since the European Parliament approved the Green Deal. The construction industry is accountable for 39% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The pressure to reduce emissions from clients, banks and legislation is only increasing, comments Jakub Škaloud, Project Manager and Head of the Building Differently team at VCES, one of the general contractors of Czech buildings.

Investment activity in the commercial real estate market in the Czech Republic has shot up sharply in the last quarter of 2024. After rising yields in 2022 and 2023, "prime yields" have stabilised in 2024 and the market has found a new price equilibrium, according to Colliers' regular quarterly survey. 

According to an analysis by Savills, office development in Prague has been declining rapidly since 2021. This trend is confirmed by 2024 figures.

The Hungarian construction industry experienced a mixed performance in 2024, with the final quarter showing a significant increase in the value of started projects, largely due to the Mohács Danube Bridge project.

In 2024, 13,295 new dwellings were built, 29% fewer than in the previous year. The number of dwellings built on the basis of building permits and simple declarations issued was 20,494, 4.7% fewer than in 2023.

Romania's construction industry maintained a high level of activity in 2024, despite a slight 4% decrease compared to the previous record year, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS). However, compared to 2018, the volume of construction works was 78% higher during 2024.

In 2024, more than 20% of real estate transactions conducted via the ABFSwap fintech platform, which provides tools for cryptocurrency transactions, were related to property sales. This prompted the company to conduct an analysis of the current market, identifying key trends, and barriers, and collaborating with experts to propose solutions for further market development.

Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, the proportion of imports on Ukrainian construction sites has remained relatively stable, with any monetary growth primarily attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates. The Ukrainian Real Estate Club has convened insights from representatives of various development companies to conduct a thorough analysis of the current share of imports, the evolution of procurement strategies, and the materials and components that predominantly remain imported.

The fourth quarter of 2024 has not brought a significant change to the Czech industrial and logistics real estate market. While demand has returned to almost pre-Q1 volumes, the amount of new project completions has remained low, according to the regular quarterly survey conducted by Colliers. 

Property transactions are taking longer and longer, according to a report released by data provider Drooms. Among the key trends expected to drive the European commercial real estate market in 2025, the report also highlights the increasing significance of ESG criteria and the ongoing internationalization of the industry.