After spectacular 2016 economic results and a record-breaking FDI level of €4.1 billion, Romania’s prospects for 2017 look very promising. Bucharest, a specialized IT hub in the CEE region, has recently welcomed several new global brands such as Fitbit and the Coface Group. This influx has boosted the city’s office sector and is making Romania's capital city an attractive destination for investment funds. The yield spread between Western and even other CEE markets is still significant, with prime office yields in Bucharest at around 7.25%.

AFI Europe and Dedeman have agreed to cancel the sales transaction of the AFI Park 1-3 office buildings in Bucharest, Romania.

Following the expansion in Budapest, Krakow and Warsaw, Cordia has re-entered the Romanian capital with a 400 apartment development. Futureal Group’s residential subsidiary acquired 13 plots with a total area of 15,336 sqm in Bucharest where the project will be developed.

Net take-up of office spaces in Bucharest amounted to almost 80,000 sqm in the first half of the year, which means an additional 10,000 jobs, considering that companies usually allocate for each employee 8 square meters. In total, gross take-up reached 185,000 sqm in H1 2017, a small decrease when compared to first 6 month of last year (192,000 sqm), JLL reports.

CTP, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and BCR announced the closing of a credit facility totalling €75.8 million, of which €36.7 million were granted by EBRD and €39.1 million by BCR. The loan will support the expansion of CTPark Bucharest West by two new warehouses totalling over 70,000 sqm. The total investment in this expansion phase will reach €108.9 million. With a total planned 600,000 sqm lettable area, CTPark Bucharest West is designed to become the biggest, as well as fastest growing industrial park in the country and the region. BCR acted as mandated lead arranger, documentation, facility and security agent.

With a 4.8%-GDP growth in 2016 and the highest estimated growth rate in 2017 among EU member states, Romania has become an increasingly attractive destination for regional operations centres. The tax and legal regimes along with the geographic location, as well as the highly yet not so costly labour force are some of the key ingredients contributing to the country’s attractiveness, according to the Recipe for successful tax, law & real estate of regional operations centres in Romania report prepared by Deloitte Romania, Reff & Associates- Deloitte Legal together with Knight Frank. 

AFI Tech Park, the newest office project developed by AFI Romania, achieved a LEED Platinum pre-certification. AFI Tech Park is a business campus that will offer 56,000 sqm GLA of Class A office space, comprising of two office buildings of GF+8 and one office tower (GF+14). 

Globalworth Real Estate Investments has acquired Building C of the Green Court Bucharest campus developed by Skanska. The gross transaction value is approximately €38 million and the acquisition is expected to close in Q3 2017.

Colliers International has been assigned by Hili Properties to provide property management services for the Art Business Center office project, which houses the largest private hospital in Romania. Thus, Colliers International reaches a managed portfolio of over 280,000 leasable sqm and enters a new segment, that of private hospitals, marking a premiere for the local property management market.

AFI Europe signed a pre-agreement to sell AFI Park 1-3 office buildings to Dedeman, a Romanian DIY retail company. The agreement also includes an option to sell AFI Park 4&5. The total price for AFI 1-5 is approximately €164 million.