Publicly traded Hungarian real estate brokerage firm Duna House has released its metrics for the first quarter. Duna House started the year with record quarterly volumes in all of its core business lines in the middle of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a series of record highs in 2020, the first quarter, which is usually weak seasonally, brought all-time records in both real estate and credit brokerage in 2021: franchise real estate brokerage grew by 36%, own office real estate brokerage by 37% and credit brokerage by 6% year-on-year.

Construction works have started on the second phase of the Park West project of Wing's residential development division, Living, as announced in September 2020. Park West 2 is expected to be handed over at the end of the first half of 2023.

Real estate developer Hanner has inked a partnership with a restaurant operator that will join the Fosta Fabrică mixed-use project, located near the Gara de Nord railway station in Bucharest. The company will invest over €40 million in the complex project, which includes the restoration and conversion of four monument buildings. 

The average asking price for an apartment in Romania stood at €1,379 per sqm in March, up 1.5% compared to the previous month, according to a report by real estate portal Imobiliare.ro. 

Real estate developer One United Properties says that it secured the construction permit for 850 apartments that will be part of mixed-used project One Cotroceni Park. The project is developed on 5.8 hectares of land, on the former Ventilatorul industrial platform in Bucharest. 

Just one month ago, we reported that February 2021 had been the strongest month for the past ten years with regard to the number of transactions in the Hungarian housing market. It now appears that the record was short-lived as there were 15,630 residential property deals nationwide in March according to the latest monthly transaction estimate of real estate group Duna House. The figure is more than 1,000 higher than in February.

Prima Development Group started in January the works of the Arena Residence residential project in Oradea. The project with 1,226 apartments will be completed in 2024 and the total investment amounts to €65 million.

Homing Properties is investing €10 million in a new residential project in Bucharest, the company announced. Homing Properties will begin this year with the construction work of a residential project in the city centre, in the area of ​​the Grădinea Icoanei, which will have 45 apartments.

Residential rents in Hungary rose slightly in February, but looking at the longer term, this appears to be more stagnation than a substantial turnaround, the joint rent index of the Central Statistical Office (KSH) and real estate portal ingatlan.com shows. The average rent rose 1.1% in Hungary and 0.8% in Budapest month-on-month.

The city of Pardubice is transferring one of its largest brownfields, the area of ​​the former Tesla Kyjevská, to Linkcity Czech Republic. The new owner will embark on the reconstruction of this area into a new residential district with 250 apartments, a supermarket and 10 terraced houses.