The Central Bank of Hungary (MNB) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors relaunched the questionnaire-based survey research on Budapest’s commercial real estate market, with the review period of H2 2017. Over the preceding two years the typical rent for commercial properties observed for most property types has increased by more than 15 percent until the end of the second half of 2017. Prime yields for the office market and shopping centres approached the historical minimum observed in 2007 with 10-25 basis points. Most of the survey respondents expect an increase in demand in both the investment and the tenant markets for commercial properties in the next 6 months, however, with regards the development activity, the majority of respondents foresee an unchanged level or a drop in demand for several types of property.

A new Class A office building in downtown Budapest was inaugurated on this week. The building under Markó Street 9, originally used as an electrical transformer house, has now received a new identity. The 2,630 sqm floor area of the five-storey building – two of which come with a loft – is tailored primarily to meet requirements of creative workshops, start-up companies and other undertaking taking an up-to-date approach in general.

Eston International’s portfolio grew by a REIT evaluation as the Hungarian advisory firm became the official property valuer of Graphisoft Park in January 2018.

The Eiffel Square office building has been qualified Excellent in the BREEAM asset performance appraisal method in the In-Use Asset category. Under BREEAM, the world’s leading sustainability appraisal method, the Class A+ Eiffel Square Office Building has been certified as a building operating in an outstandingly environment-conscious manner.

CTP is significantly expanding on the Hungarian market, announcing two new land acquisitions in strategic locations. The first plot of the total of 30 hectares investment is located in Biatorbágy next to the M1 highway, the second land plot is near Dunaharaszti. These acquisitions are a result of CTP’s ambitious expansion plan in the country, which is the primary task of new Country Manager Rudolf Nemes.

Although nearly 120,000 square meters of new industrial / logistics space was delivered to the Budapest market in 2017 which is almost double of the figure delivered in 2016. It may still occur that by the end of the year the available warehouse units with 5,000 sqm+ space will disappear from the Budapest market and its surrounding area, according to Colliers International's latest industrial property market report.

Multi Corporation, a pan-European fully integrated retail real estate service platform, recently acquired the asset and property management of Allee Centre. This shopping centre is located in the city-centre of Budapest and includes 46,700 sqm of retail space. Multi’s centre management team took over the management of Allee Centre on 1 January 2018, marking Multi’s first entry into the Hungarian retail real estate market. This is the fourteenth country in which Multi Corporation is developing its operations.

Exchange Palace the former Budapest Stock Exchange building co-owned by Canadian developer Tippin Corporation and Luxembourg Optimum Fund Management, has received a final building permit and will commence reconstruction works in 2018. The owners appointed JLL & CBRE appointed as co-exclusive leasing agents.

Futureal Group signed a credit agreement of €34.2 million with K&H Bank in order to finance the realization of the Advance Tower office building located in Budapest, Hungary. The first phase of the office complex, receiving the international WELL Building Platinum Precertification, is expected to be handed over in the second quarter of 2018.

GalCap Europe, a Vienna-based international investment and asset management company, acquired the Central Udvar mixed-use complex as its second property after the Merkur Palota in Budapest. The purchase was made on behalf of a separate account for a German pension scheme, administered by Institutional Investment Partners. CBRE has advised GalCap Europe to purchase the building in an off-market deal. The buyer and the seller agreed not to disclose any purchase price details. Legal advice to GalCap Europe was provided by CHSH Dezső & Partner.