CBRE has expanded its team with the first humanoid robot available in a real estate company in Romania, PepperEscu. By doing so since May, CBRE aims to use the robot's technological abilities to create synergy between people as end-users of the properties, from office workers to visitors to shopping centres.

CBRE has taken over the management of the NEPI Rockcastle office portfolio in Bucharest, totalling 70,580 square meters. This is the first time when NEPI Rockcastle outsources the management of the properties. CBRE Romania now manages 770,000 sqm of offices and retail assets.

JLL has provided space for 2 new branches of the international provider of co-working offices Spaces. In November this year, Spaces open in the low-energy building Nile House in Karlín, where they will occupy more than 3,500 sqm. One month later, they will take over 3,300 sqm in the SmíchOFF office building in Prague 5. At the same time, Spaces announced its first location in Hungary. The co-working operator will move into GTC White House in Budapest in Q4 2019. CBRE acted as adviser to the deal.

AEW has acquired two historic, mixed-use properties on Andrássy Avenue in Budapest, on behalf of a German separate account.

Hungary’s investment market peaked in 2017 but a solid €1.8 billion was transacted in 2018 with local investors closing 65% of purchases on the buyer side. Property Forum summarised some of the key market trends presented at CBRE’s yearly Re-View business breakfast.

Hungary’s Horizon Development has been granted a development loan by UniCredit for its ongoing Szervita Square mixed-use development in the centre of Budapest. At the same time, the developer has pre-leased all four office floors (8,500 sqm) of the project to coworking space provider Spaces.

The Budapest office market enjoyed a dynamic year in terms of gross take-up, equating to nearly 535,000 sqm of office space transacted, effectively in line with the record year of 2015 which saw circa 538,000 sqm.

Bluehouse completed the acquisition of Novodvorska Plaza shopping centre in Prague. CBRE represented the buyer in the off-market acquisition of the 25,000 sqm shopping centre.

ZFP Investments has sold the Florenc Office Center, commonly known as the KPMG HQ building, in Prague, to Shinhan Investment Corp, a Korean based investment manager. CBRE represented the vendor in the sale of the asset. The transaction constitutes the first direct real estate investment in the Czech Republic by a Korean investor.

Tatra Asset Management (TAM) has acquired a portfolio of nine regional retail parks in Slovakia. The seller, which was represented by CBRE, is KLM Real Estate (KLMre). The transaction also includes the pre-emptive right for other retail parks that the developer is currently preparing.