Whilst significant ink has flowed in relation to the ‘E’ pillar from the vast ESG spectrum, the ‘S’ pillar is beginning to catch up in prominence particularly in the office sector across the UK and Continental Europe. Post-Covid behaviours have had a massive impact on the office offering and workforce demands - the office is by no means dead, but its role has certainly had a significant rethink, writes Mirela Calota, Director, Deal Advisory - Real Estate and Infrastructure at KPMG, in an article prepared for Property Forum.

In the area of ​​residential real estate, the year 2023 has booked a record as a period of significant sales decline, reports Valuo.cz in its residential real estate analysis. The market has fallen to its lowest level in eight years.

The beginning of February has brought a sharp fall in bank rates in the Czech Republic, and housing loans are thus the cheapest in more than a year and a half, E15.cz reports.

The decline in residential real estate prices in Slovakia has almost stopped. Available monthly statistics are indicating when the residential property prices' bottom hit has happened, the National Bank of Slovakia reports.

The Regional Research Forum has presented Brno and Ostrava office market data for H2 2023. Renegotiations are the main driver, however headline rents are staying unchanged.

As the European Commission expands its Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives, most of the focus has been on how they affect large banks and corporations. However, the financial and corporate accountability rules are very relevant for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially in the real estate sector. Strategic policy and research consultant Lisa Chase has summarised the policy framework for Property Forum.

In 2023, the European Central Bank's interest rates have reached their highest level in 23 years and they are not expected to decrease in the near future. This development has had a significant impact on various sectors, but on top of the podium is the construction and real estate industry. As interest rates rise, investors in both the residential and commercial segments are compelled to reassess their strategies, potentially leading to reductions in investments. Many have realised that now is the perfect time to optimise their portfolios by finding the right digital tools.

Only 60,900 sqm of office space was completed in the Polish capital in 2023, the lowest total in the history of the Warsaw office market. Savills also notes that development activity in Warsaw picked up in the second half of last year in response to a prolonged period of undersupply. In the most optimistic scenario, approximately 445,000 sqm of new office space will be delivered onto the Warsaw market in 2024–2026. 

In 2024, the Polish commercial property market will be largely impacted by growing ESG regulatory pressure, says Cushman & Wakefield in its latest report. Following the entry into force of the EU reporting standards and the revised EPBD, investors will be required to place an increasing emphasis on implementing practical sustainable solutions for their property portfolios.

The modern developer-led warehouse stock in the Czech Republic has reached 11.70 million sqm. The Industrial Research Forum has announced industrial market figures for Q4 2023.