Sevdelina Petrova MRICS (Bulgaria) and Maja Ostanek MRICS (Slovenia) were awarded the Chris H. Bennett Memorial Prize. The awards were handed out at the Portfolio Property Investment Forum conference in Budapest, where the achievements of several big players of the Hungarian property market were also acknowledged.
To honour his substantial contribution to the industry over many years, in 2014 RICS has created an annual prize in the name of Chris H. Bennett FRICS, to reward significant display of professionalism by successful RICS Candidates in the CEE region.
The award is given to one or more successful RICS applicants deemed to have made the most outstanding impression on an interviewing panel throughout the RICS business year (1 August - 31 July). Nominations are accepted from all countries of the CEE region. The nomination process is controlled by RICS CEE Country Manager Anna Orcsik and the determination of the merit-based award is managed by family friend John Verpeleti FRICS.
From left to right: John Verpeleti FRICS, Sevdelina Petrova MRICS, Maja Ostanek MRICS and Anna Orcsik.
Sevdelina Petrova MRICS (Bulgaria) and Maja Ostanek MRICS (Slovenia) received the award in Budapest at the 13th Property Investment Forum, organised by Portfolio. RICS has long been the number one professional partner of Portfolio and Property Forum at its property conferences in several European cities.
At this year’s largest professional event on the Hungarian real estate market Portfolio Property Awards were also handed out to recognise the activity of several big players of the Hungarian real estate scene.
Participants of the conference voted in two categories. Futureal’s Nokia Skypark office building was declared Project of The Year. Co-Founder / Chairman Gábor Futó represented the developer.
Based on the popular vote Horizon Development’s Szervita Square project became Concept of The Year. Managing Partner Attila Kovács recieved the award from Property Forum CEO Csanád Csűrös and Net Média Zrt. (Portfolio) CEO Zoltán Bán.
The Transaction Deal of The Year was closed by CPI Property Group. Country Manager Mátyás Gereben recieved the award from host Nóra Ödrög.
BIPA, the drugstore brand of the German REWE Group, has opened the first store in Romania at Bucharest-based Mega Mall. The unit’s leasable area stands at around 370 sqm.
M1 Łódź, managed by EPP, has inked new and renewed leases for nearly 5,800 sqm of retail space. The most significant addition is the opening of a HalfPrice store spanning nearly 2,200 sqm.
dm-Pharmahandel, the Czech subsidiary of the German drugstore chain dm-drogerie markt, will open a specialised logistics centre for the distribution of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals at CTPark Bor. The company will occupy a nearly 7,100 sqm facility.
New appointments
Michał Stępień has joined MDC2 as Investment Director. He has over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, gained at Savills, where he worked in teams dealing with valuation, research, and investment advisory. Over the last few years, he has focused on the industrial and logistics sector, advising on market strategy, asset positioning, and investment decisions.
Rob Jones has joined CTP as Head of Investor Relations and PR, having previously led the European Real Estate Equity Research team at BNP Paribas. Jones will be working closely with Group CFO Richard Wilkinson and Maarten Otte.
CTP Romania has named Bianca Liulea-Stamate as Marketing Specialist. She has previously worked at DB Schenker for more than seven years.
The office vacancy rate in Prague dropped to 5.9% in Q4 2025, the lowest level since the beginning of 2020, according to the Prague Research Forum. Despite limited new supply of just 26,600 sqm in 2025, gross take-up reached 573,200 sqm, standing 8% above the five-year average.
Property developer YIT Slovakia has announced the appointment Patrik Golský as the new Managing Director, having previously served as Production Director.
Property Forum is a leading event hub in the CEE real estate industry with over 10 years of experience. We organise conferences, business breakfasts and workshops focused on real estate, in London, Vienna, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, Prague, Zagreb and Sofia, amongst other locations.
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