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.
Exact Sciences, a global leader in molecular diagnostics and early cancer detection, has chosen the LIXA campus in Warsaw for its new Polish international enabling hub. The company has joined the tenants of the LIXA D office building, leasing a total of over 1,800 sqm of modern space on the first floor of the building at ul. Giełdowa 5 in Warsaw.
The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines has moved to Bucharest-based SkyTower, operating out of a 580 sqm space under a 5-year lease agreement. The building also hosts the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Romania.
De Heus, a producer of animal feed, which has built a strong presence in the Polish market, has leased 7,050 sqm of warehouse and office space at GLP Łódź III Logistics Centre. This is the first Class A warehouse of De Heus in Poland. The tenant was advised by specialists from Newmark Polska during the search for the right space and throughout the lease negotiations.
New appointments
At the beginning of September, Ewa Ciołek and Piotr Meleszko were promoted to Senior Leasing Manager. MLP Group, recognising the internal competencies and achievements of its team, emphasises the importance of further improving the efficiency of its leasing operations, which are key to the company's dynamic growth.
Avison Young's Investment Advisory team in Poland has welcomed a new member, Katarzyna Sielewicz, who takes the role of Senior Consultant. Katarzyna holds a master’s degree in Finance from the Stockholm University School of Business and completed an exchange semester at Cass Business School in London. She gained international real estate experience working with the global Research and Strategic Advisory team at Cushman & Wakefield (formerly DTZ) in London.
Activ Property Services has announced the appointment of Ionuț Grigoraș as Partner in the industrial department. With more than 14 years of experience in the real estate sector, Grigoraș has worked with leading companies such as CTP, WDP, VLParks România, Logicor, P3, MDO, and MLP Group.
Romania stands out in the European fiscal landscape with property taxation levels significantly lower than the EU average, according to an analysis by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox based on Eurostat data. This position has enhanced the attractiveness of the local real estate market and established a favorable tax framework for owners and investors.
The volume of construction works grew by 12.2% in unadjusted terms and by 10.7% as a seasonally and working-day adjusted series in the first seven months of 2025 versus the same period of last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Echo Investment strengthened its market position in the first half of 2025, participating in Poland's largest PRS transaction - the sale of 18 Resi4Rent projects worth €2.4 billion - and selling its remaining Office House shares for over €160.5 million.
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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