Confidence is returning across CEE real estate markets, with investor sentiment shifting from cautious optimism to execution, according to Colliers. The region continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by moderating inflation, solid household consumption, and strong employment levels.

As CEE moves into a new phase of the real estate cycle, transaction structures, investor behaviour, and regulatory expectations are shifting at pace. Cross-border capital is gradually returning, domestic investors are taking a stronger role, and ESG-driven obligations are reshaping how deals are structured and executed. Against this backdrop, Dr. Erwin Hanslik MRICS, Partner and CEE Head of Real Estate & Construction at Taylor Wessing, shares his perspective on the most important legal, regulatory and market developments influencing real-estate transactions today.

CEE recorded a 38% increase in real estate investments in the first three quarters of 2025, reaching over €7 billion across six major markets, according to Colliers' latest report.

NEPI Rockcastle delivered strong operational performance in the third quarter of 2025, with net operating income rising 12.3% year-on-year to €461.3 million for the first nine months. The retail real estate company maintained low vacancy rates at 1.6% and achieved collection rates of 99%.

Charles Boudet, CEO of iO Partners, described for Property Forum how AI and digitalisation are reshaping real estate in CEE. From innovative tools like iO4Land to strategic expansion in Austria and Serbia, the company is looking to drive efficiency, growth, and resilience across multiple sectors.

Fortress Logistics Real Estate has acquired a logistics facility in Wrocław, Poland, strengthening its position in the regional industrial real estate market.

The closing panel of SEE Property Forum 2025 in Bucharest, moderated by Victor Constantinescu from Kinstellar, brought together leading local players to assess sentiment, shifting asset preferences, and the practical steps investors must take to navigate the year ahead. The panellists examined where capital is moving, what risks remain most pressing, and how legal, geopolitical, and market dynamics will shape investment decisions across Romania and CEE.

Investment volumes in the Czech commercial real estate market could reach €3.9 billion in 2025, according to a Savills analysis. In Prague alone, commercial properties worth approximately €2.5 billion are currently at various stages of sale - the highest amount of assets offered in the past ten years. The majority of available properties are office buildings and mixed-use properties combining retail and office space. Hotels and industrial or logistics assets represent a smaller share.

Nepi Rockcastle has appointed Marek Noetzel as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 April 2026. Noetzel, who has served as the company's COO since June 2022, will succeed current CEO Rüdiger Dany.

The European real estate industry has shifted from cautious optimism to pragmatism as geopolitical and economic uncertainty continues to temper investment activity, according to the latest report by PwC and the Urban Land Institute.