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.

Radovan Vítek and Marie Vítek have resigned from CPI Property Group’s Board of Directors and Jonathan Lewis has been co-opted to the Board of Directors. Mr. Lewis is an independent real estate consultant who practised for 40 years as a solicitor, most recently as a partner at international law firm CMS. CPIPG's board now consists of three independent directors (Edward Hughes, Omar Sattar, and Jonathan Lewis) and four members of management (Martin Nemecek, Tomas Salajka, Philippe Magistretti, and Oliver Schlink).

Cushman & Wakefield has entered into a partnership agreement with building technology advisor Future2. The partnership, covering the CEE region, enables Cushman & Wakefield to advance the development of its property management and technical advisory services by adding deep knowledge of digital building systems.

CPI Property Group’s property portfolio increased by 8% to €9.9 billion compared to the end of 2019, primarily due to the acquisition of six office properties in Warsaw, Poland and a 29.4% stake in Globalworth Real Estate Investments Limited. CPIPG published unaudited financial results for the third quarter of 2020.

After the first wave of the pandemic, continuous communication with tenants has proven to be more important than ever and helped landlords reach solutions in this difficult and unpredictable situation. Yovav Carmi, President of GTC Group’s Management Board and Robert Snow, Member of GTC Group’s Management Board and Chairman of GTC Hungary talked to us about COVID-19’s potential implications for the commercial real estate market and shared their expectations for the future.

Ott Ventures, the private equity arm and fund management platform run by Orco Property Group and MaMaison Hotels & Residences founder Ott Properties, has announced the launch of its first hotel fund, Velvet. The pan-European investment vehicle is targeting total assets under management of €500 million with a planned LTV of 50%. It will invest across Europe with a focus on the main Central European markets of Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary as well as Germany and Austria.