CTP has recently finalised two strategic acquisitions in Bulgaria as part of its two-year, €300 million expansion plan to further grow its presence in the country.

In the first year of the pandemic, the construction market of the SEE region as a whole remained in the positive, and further expansion is expected until 2023. The only exception is Bulgaria where a harsh transition is foreseen for 2023 when the 2014-2020 EU programming period ends financially. The massive growth experienced in the years before 2020 is not anticipated to return. around 3% growth is projected for 2021 and 2022, and a 3% drop for 2023. The countries with the largest cumulated growth on the forecast horizon are Croatia and Serbia, according to the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association’s 2021 Summer Construction Forecast Report.

Commercial property is viewed as having below-average risk levels in most CEE countries. Revenues from different asset classes are expected to recover to pre-COVID levels most rapidly in Poland, according to the RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor for Q1 2021.

Developer Warehousing & Logistics EOOD (W&L) has begun the construction of the newest industrial park in Bulgaria, called Logistics Park Sofia (LPS). The park is located about 8 km from the capital Sofia. W&L is planning to build 4 warehouse buildings in the complex which will span more than 116,000 sqm of industrial and office space that will be available to potential tenants. So far this is the first Bulgarian logistics park with such a high concentration of industrial space.

Knight Frank has formally opened a dedicated office in Sofia, becoming a fully branded Knight Frank business from May 2021.

The Q1 2021 results of the RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor indicate a slightly less negative market sentiment across Europe compared to the previous quarter. Rental growth expectations remain negative within the office and retail sectors across all European nations covered, while the outlook for industrial markets has never been more positive.

Avison Young has significantly increased its CEE presence in recent months and the company is planning further expansion. Gerry Hughes, Principal and President of Avison Young Europe talked to Property Forum about the firm’s strategy for CEE and shared his expectations regarding the future of the advisory business.

Radisson Hotel Group announced the opening of Hotel Imperial Plovdiv, a member of Radisson Individuals. The newest addition to the portfolio of the Radisson Individuals brand, which initially launched in Europe in Q4 2020, also marks the group’s return to the Bulgarian market.

Avison Young announces two new strategic affiliations that expand the firm’s service delivery to clients further across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with the addition of a newly established venture in the Czech Republic and Slavtchev Consulting in Bulgaria. Both will operate under the Avison Young brand and deliver integrated services to local and multinational clients.

COVID-19 is going away very slowly, which is putting pressure on the digitization of residential sales. Solutions that enable digital signatures, online viewings and even online selling are becoming necessary tools for residential developers, says Jakub Licak, Business Development Manager at CEE-based proptech Realpad, who’s responsible for the company's international expansion in Romania and Bulgaria. He talked to Property Forum about his experiences on the Romanian market and discussed Realpad’s expansion strategy.