While house prices in Budapest rose 14.1% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2019, they fell 2.0% in nominal terms on a quarterly basis, the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) reported. The central bank has not recorded a q-o-q drop in house prices since Q4 2013.

Total demand on the Budapest industrial market amounted to 79,660 sqm in Q1 2020, indicating a 5% decrease from the figure noted in the same period last year. Lease renewals accounted for an outstandingly high ratio, reaching 85% of the quarterly volume. The Budapest Research Forum published its quarterly industrial market analysis

Erste Real Estate, a subsidiary of Erste Bank Hungary, has signed an agreement to sell 57 hectares of a 170-hectare plot in Ecser, next to Budapest, to an international logistics company that intends to build a 100,000-square-meter high bay warehouse on the plot. VLK Cresa assisted the seller in this transaction.

Belgian developer Atenor completed the construction of Aréna Business Campus Building “A” in Budapest. The project, launched in spring 2018, will comprise four Class A+ environmentally conscious office buildings on 72,000 sqm on the capital’s Hungária Boulevard. The authorization of the occupancy permit for Building “A” is currently under process with the handover of the 21,000 sqm building scheduled for June. In parallel, the construction of the second, Building ”B” is in full swing and will be completed in Q2 2021.

With the help of Cushman & Wakefield Budapest, a major software development company has rapidly signed a 7,500 sqm pre-lease at Atenor’s Váci Greens Building E. With this new transaction the office building is 40% pre-let 6 months prior to handover. This 40% comprises lease agreements with retail service providers as well, such as a restaurant, a bakery, a drogerie and customer service offices. Cushman & Wakefield’s PDS Team is providing interior design and project management services to the tenant.

International Investment Bank (IIB) and DOB-68 Zrt. in full accordance with the requirements of the Hungarian legislation signed the documentation on the acquisition of the historic Lánchíd Palota building in Budapest. The building will house IIB’s international headquarters.

In 2019 the volume of property investment transactions on the Hungarian market decreased slightly in comparison with the previous year (€1.75 billion), however, the total value of transactions has been higher than €1.5 billion every year since 2016. There was a strong and stable demand for office and retail properties, with the volume of hotel sales also increasing significantly, according to Eston International’s H2 2019 investment market report.

CTPark Budapest West BIA2 has been recently awarded a BREEAM In-Use „Excellent” rating.

UAE business conglomerate Al Habtoor Group is set to open a regional office in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, to service its existing European operations and scout for new investment opportunities. The group, with its wide-ranging interests in the hospitality, real estate, automotive, education and vehicle leasing sectors, plans to expand its enterprise reach in new European markets.

Israel-based international hotel chain Fattal Holdings has acquired hotels in Budapest and Bucharest, increasing the chain's portfolio to 225 hotels.