High inflation brings something that has not been seen in Czechia for a long time - a halt in the growth of residential property prices, especially flats. Prices of older flats are even falling. Frozen demand will soon hit construction companies. The housing market has slowed down considerably, and players are waiting for further economic development, says David Frič from STEM/MARK (the Euroconstruct member institute in Czechia).

After the start of the pandemic in 2020, and its surge in 2021, the past 12 months have brought renewed market activity in an attempt to offset the previous slowdown. The retail sector, construction, and the IT sector managed to avoid the recession and maintain their position as the least affected industries by the pandemic. The investment market in Bulgaria for the second half of 2022 recorded twice as high activity in terms of volume as in H1 2022, according to the Sofia City Report by JLL with the support of IPC Partners Bulgaria and Avalant. Foreign investors are less cautious to expand to unload their cash given the limited amount of opportunities.

Immofinanz Group delivered very good operating performance in 2022 in spite of the challenging environment. Sustainable FFO 1 from the standing investment business rose by 21.7%. Rental income increased by 5.4% to €300.2 million and the results of asset management by 7.2% to €226.1 million. The Group also has a very solid capital base with an equity ratio of 47.9% and conservative debt with a net LTV of 40.7%.

The composition of Croatia’s construction output is changing. While the residential segment may soon experience a slowdown, health-related construction - public and private renovations and new builds alike - is seeing a considerable boom, write Michael Glazer (SEE Regional Advisors) and Tatjana Halapija (Nada Projekt), Croatian members of the EECFA (Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association).

The Echo-Archicom 2030 strategy is to follow a road map that lays out year by year how both companies are to decarbonize through zero-emission developments while further increasing the role of greenery in the group’s projects and supporting appropriate city development. The developers also intend to provide their employees with equal career and training opportunities, maximize construction site safety and strengthen its corporate governance.

The mood among investors at MIPIM was mixed: we all expected that the beginning of this year would not be rich in transactions and new projects, and it is true - we are seeing an investment slowdown across Europe, writes Marcin Purgal, Senior Director, Investment at Avison Young. However, in this time of uncertainty, we can say that Poland is enjoying and will continue to enjoy the interest of investors - it is one of the most active markets, across all segments, offering higher rates of return than Western Europe. We have an influx of new capital from the Baltic countries and Scandinavia. Also, the already present capital is still active, such as investors from Central and Eastern Europe as well as a few from Western Europe.

Europe’s largest retail estate fair, MIPIM, which took place in Cannes last week, has shown that the industry was on the move. Interestingly enough, the market mood is by no means as negative as is frequently suggested. On the contrary, Arnold Investments reports lively interest from international investors. The focus is particularly on properties of up to €50 million. “Many deals are about to be finalized”, summarizes Markus Arnold, CEO and sole owner of Arnold Investments.

Property group Globalworth said its total combined portfolio value remained effectively unchanged at €3.2 billion during 2022 compared to 2021, while investments in logistics/light-industrial facilities in Romania and the refurbishment/repositioning of two mixed-use properties in Poland totaled €52.2 million. 

Decarbonization of the construction sector plays a crucial role in achieving climate goals, as the real estate market is responsible for 38% of global CO2 emissions, according to UN data. In the case of new buildings, especially industrial ones, eco-friendly solutions have become the new standard. In fact, it’s often required by investors, says Marcin Kosieniak, MEP design specialist and co-owner of the PM Projekt construction design office, and expert of the RRJ Group.

With 240 PropTech solutions at the beginning of 2023, the country is among the leaders in Europe in the field of smart cities, smart buildings, smart homes and water management.