According to the State Employment Service, as of September 1, 2023, the number of vacancies in the construction industry exceeded the number of registered unemployed. Representatives of the largest developers in the capital speak of a shortage of workers. Olga Solovei summarised what is happening in the labour market in the construction sector of Ukraine in an article prepared by the Ukrainian Real Estate Club for Property Forum.

Join Property Forum's exclusive investment survey to voice your thoughts on the most pressing issues concerning the Romanian market. From inflation concerns to market expectations, your input will contribute to identifying trends, guiding decisions and shaping the course of Romania's investment journey. By sharing your perspectives, you not only contribute to shaping the future of the industry but also stand a chance to secure a free ticket to the highly anticipated SEE Property Forum & Awards Gala 2023 event.

According to a survey conducted by Savills involving real estate investors with total Europe and Middle East assets under management (AuM) exceeding €500 billion, almost a third of investors are looking to adopt a more aggressive, value-added investment strategy over the next 12 months. This is up from 14% on last year’s survey, with only 28% expecting to deploy a more defensive strategy over the next 12 months, down from 55% last year.

The warehouse sector in the CEE region, although experiencing temporary problems, retains its attractiveness. The directions of its further development may vary depending on the location - this is how the panel discussion  „Full speed ahead – What's driving logistics developments?” could be summarised in brief. It was a part of the CEE Property Forum 2023 conference, which was held in September in Vienna by Property Forum.  

The condition of the housing markets in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia remains good, but high interest rates have reduced the availability of mortgages, which has affected the demand for flats. Poland has broken out of this pattern, where, despite high financing costs, developers are breaking sales records. However, all these countries have one thing in common - the low activity of players in the PRS market, whose offer could be an effective response to the low creditworthiness of buyers. These are just some of the conclusions reached by the participants of the residential panel at CEE Property Forum 2023, which was organised in Vienna in September.

Introducing the first of its kind, RICS World Built Environment Forum – Europe is taking place at the Procuratie Vecchie in Venice on 19-20 October 2023. At this two-day forum, organised by RICS in collaboration with Generali Real Estate, over a hundred professionals from across the region are taking part, offering a unique opportunity to network, collaborate and exchange industry best practices. Property Forum is proud to be joining the event as a Media Partner and readers have the chance to secure tickets with a 10% discount using the WBEFPF code.

Romania Green Building Council (RoGBC), together with the Association for Promoting Energy Efficiency in Buildings (ROENEF), have announced the launch of the Green Gala Awards 2023, the event that rewards excellence in the field of sustainability of the built environment. The competition aims to award projects implemented as a result of innovative actions and initiatives that add value to both the community and the environment.

SEE is still a land of opportunities but things go too slowly. The size of a single country is too small for international institutional investors who prefer to buy large portfolios rather than individual assets. However, sizeable local players were optimistic about the change in foreign investors’ attitudes at the panel devoted to the investment market in this region at CEE Property Forum 2023 in Vienna.

“In times of change, Expo Real once again confirms how important personal exchange is for the real estate industry”, says Markus Arnold, CEO and sole owner of Arnold Investments. This is also the reason why the company is on site with an international team from ten countries and an unchanged large exhibition stand.

Despite the slowdown, the CEE investment market remains strong with local investors playing a more vital role than ever. The most active dealmakers discussed what sells today and will drive market activity tomorrow at CEE Property Forum 2023 in Vienna.