The competitive advantages and strengths of the CEE region are well known to investors. But new factors have emerged that may play a central role in the medium and long-term. For example, there is a marked shift from cost efficiency to quality and knowledge-based operations across all sectors of the CEE economy. How is the tenant structure in CEE changing? Does growth in the BSS sector show any signs of slowing down? How do the legal and fiscal structures in CEE countries compare to those in Western Europe? All the answers to these and other important questions can be found in this year’s CEE Investment Report 2018: New Frontiers of Growth by Skanska, CBRE, Dentons and PwC.

Warimpex officially opened Ogrodowa Office, a modern office building in the centre of Łódź, located in the vicinity of Piotrkowska street, the Manufaktura, and Vienna House Andel’s Łódź. The building provides more than 28,000 sqm of space, of which nearly 4,000 will be occupied by commercial and service outlets as well as food amenities. The building has received the occupancy permit and the first tenants of office and service premises have already moved in.

With investor appetite for newly-built offices remaining competitive there is also a continuous demand coming from investors seeking older, yet sustainably rentable offices with high occupancy – these refurbished offices remain attractive for the active funds in Budapest. This time CBRE has transacted Bluehouse Capital’s Margit Palace sale to Adventum TRIUM Real Estate Fund.

Retailers and shopping centre operators are starting to adapt their business models to the changing consumer behaviour. For now, it seems that retailers that are able to create a true omnichannel approach are outperforming their competitors. Walter Wolfler, Senior Director, Head of Retail Austria & CEE at CBRE talked to Property Forum about the future of retail.

Leasing activity in the Budapest office market remained strong with more than 253,000 sqm of office space leased in the first half of 2018. In total, commercial real estate agencies were involved in 173,000 sqm of office leasing transactions, from which CBRE completed the largest amount of transactions, 42,245 sqm equating to 24.4% market share in the agents market.

CBRE has established a new regional office to provide a full range of real estate advisory services to international and domestic clients in South Eastern Europe (SEE).

Hong Kong Central remained the most expensive office market in the world, according to CBRE’s annual Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs report.

So far in 2018 CBRE won the management of further 10 properties (industrial and shopping centres and an office building) in Budapest. The Budapest office now manages a 600,000 sqm portfolio in Hungary.

Gross take-up (including renegotiations and subleases) on the Prague office market in the first quarter of 2018 amounted to 85,700 sqm, representing a decrease of 51% compared to the previous quarter and a decrease of 19% in year-on-year comparison. The Prague Research Forum announced the office market figures for Q1 2018.

CBRE brokered the sale of the 42-hectare land that where BSH Electrocasnice Manufacturing SRL, a Romanian subsidiary of BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, owned by Bosch Group, will build a washing machine factory. The land is located in Simeria, Hunedoara County.