European logistics real estate markets have not suffered last year from the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to fast-growing e-commerce and higher inventory levels of producers, the total expected take-up in 11 European countries of 23.6 million sqm for 2020 is only 3% down compared with the record year 2019. The forecasts for this year are even better with an expected take-up of 27 million sqm – an increase of 14%. Particularly large logistics real estate markets like Germany, France, the Netherlands and Poland are expected to grow substantially.

For Germany-based real estate investor and developer Trei Real Estate, 2020 was a successful year thanks to the fact its portfolio mostly includes assets that were hardly affected by the pandemic. Pepijn Morshuis, CEO of Trei Real Estate talked to Property Forum about the experiences gained during 2020, changing financing conditions and the company’s plans for 2021.

Three of the five EU countries that registered the highest annual (year-on-year) house price growth in Q3 2020 are located in CEE – Poland (#2), Slovakia (#4) and the Czech Republic (#5), freshly released data by Eurostat reveals.

The stable 2021 outlook for sovereigns in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) reflects their robust economic growth prospects and strengthened ability to carry and reduce debt, which make their credit profiles resilient to the sharp deterioration of their public finances in 2020, Moody's Investors Service said in a report published today. Ageing populations and structural economic change will remain longer-term challenges for the region.

US investor Starwood Capital, through its Luxembourg holding company SOF-11 Klimt CAI S.à r.l., has increased its stake in Austrian company CA Immo to 29.99% in the past few weeks and announced a takeover offer for the remaining shares for €34.44 per share. Starwood also plans to submit an offer for CA Immo’s convertible bonds.

The 172 million-strong consumer market of the CEE-17 region  should continue to deliver better growth rates and returns than more developed markets in retail and other sectors according to a new report released by Colliers International

Cushman & Wakefield have summarised Q3 2020 on the industrial market in Central and Eastern Europe. The CEE market is booming with record-high occupier activity reported in YTD 2020. The region has seen the strongest growth for logistics demand in Europe overall, predominantly driven by logistics and e-commerce. The acquisition of the Goodman portfolio by Gazeley is one of the largest logistics transaction seen in the region in the last decade and reflects the growing importance of the sector. Prime industrial yields remain at their 10-year lows.

NEPI Rockcastle is increasing the sustainability targets for the following decade and aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. The Group’s initiative meets the EU’s efforts to combat climate change through carbon neutrality. BuildGreen, advisor in the field of sustainable development in Central and Eastern Europe, will provide NEPI Rockcastle carbon-neutral audit and sustainability strategy, to meet the Group’s target and support the line created within the realms of the Paris Agreement.

The first 3 quarters of 2020 across the CEE-6 have seen a 37.5% decrease (year-on-year) in overall office investment volumes. With positive news of vaccines due for deployment early in the new year, offices volumes are expected to rebound in 2021 according to a new report by Colliers International.

Evax Holding GmbH, a company owned by Peter Korbačka’s Eurovea Services, has purchased 3,836,988 shares of S Immo AG, corresponding to a 5.21% stake, from Etamin GmbH & Co KG. The transaction, which took place on 12 November, has made the Slovak businessman the third largest shareholder in the Austrian company.