Sofia's office market faces shifting demand and moderating construction, according to a report by the real estate company MBL for the second quarter of 2023. Changing work patterns and preferences for hybrid models have raised concerns about the future demand for office space. The capital's vacancy rates decreased slightly, while rental rates remained stable. Investors are approaching the market with caution due to inflation and remote work practices. Despite the moderate activity, there is a potential for modern, well-located office spaces to attract higher occupancy and investment interest.

The Bulgarian residential market was growing at a slower pace in the first quarter of 2023, compared to the same period last year. On an annual basis, the increase was 9.5%, and 1.6% on a monthly basis. The data is part of the annual House Market Index by Eurostat on residential property prices and rents in the European Union.

The Hungarian Parliament voted in favour of the law on the public construction and investment regime with 136 votes in favour, 49 against and 9 abstentions. The law, among other things, makes the use of BIM mandatory for projects at or above the EU public procurement threshold, requires greater control over design and construction than before, and puts the whole life cycle of public works on a new footing.

The total industrial and logistics stock for the CEE-12 region has grown to exceed 65 million sqm, with 25 million sqm situated in and around the 12 capital city markets. Poland maintains the largest I&L market and is approaching the 30 million sqm mark, reveals a new report by Colliers.

In March-April 2023, the Ukrainian Real Estate Club conducted a survey of almost 100 representatives of Ukrainian companies that continue to operate in the market and do business during the war. Of course, all market participants, regardless of their region of operation, felt the negative economic consequences. Despite this, the market is rather optimistic and proactive, as evidenced by the survey results, Olga Solovei (URE Club) reports for Property Forum.

There is growing interest in mixed-use projects in the Czech Republic. These are spaces that combine offices, shops, housing, and various forms of social activities. Unfortunately, the construction of such spaces in the Czech Republic still lags behind that in neighbouring countries. The main reason for this is the very long building permitting processes. In Poland, for example, it takes only a few months to get a building permit, whereas here it usually takes years.

Real estate decision-making and people-centric strategies are becoming more integrated, according to CBRE’s 2023 European Occupier Survey. For the first time, CBRE carried out the same survey for global companies having an operation in CEE to point out major differences in workplace culture across the various geographies.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of hybrid working, the office market in Sofia has been developing extensively in recent years. Demand continues to increase, mainly due to IT and outsourcing sector representatives, and supply still cannot fully meet it. However, property developers in regional markets are still exercising caution when initiating new investments. These are some of the main conclusions of Colliers' latest report on offices in regional cities in Bulgaria.

The scale of the destruction suffered by Ukraine as a result of the war is difficult to comprehend. The housing stock has been severely damaged, with Ernst & Young's research indicating that the scale of damage to Ukrainian real estate exceeds the volume of all new housing commissioned over the past seven years. No wonder that speaking about the Ukraine Recovery Program, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal noted that it will be the largest reconstruction project since World War II. The Ukrainian Real Estate Club and Property Times summarised what is known about the program in an article prepared for Property Forum.

Older buildings are making way for new ones, and the trend of redeveloping plots in the centres of large cities in Poland is intensifying. Furthermore, the plans include not only new development projects that arise after demolitions but also transforming existing office buildings into residential projects, including those in PRS (Private Rented Sector) formula, says Avison Young Polska.