Q1 2023 saw a recovery in the Prague office space market. Growing demand may be met with lower availability of new premium space in the coming years, as only a smaller number of new projects are currently under construction. This may affect the currently stabilized price level of rents. Serviced office centres and ESG-compliant projects are on the rise. These findings come from a quarterly market survey conducted by Colliers.

Colliers Poland has launched a new Energy Advisory service designed to provide clients with comprehensive advice on optimizing their electricity purchasing processes, selecting renewable alternatives, and building energy independence using their own sources. The practice will be led by Dariusz Chrzanowski, an expert with 15 years of experience in the energy market.

The uncertainty that prevailed in the Czech commercial real estate market in the second half of 2022 has been reflected in Q1 2023. Although the market is already calmer, according to Colliers' experts, it is still awaiting a relatively long period of stabilization.

Basecamp Student has signed a facility agreement for refinancing their student housing project in Wrocław with a loan in the amount of €36 million, Colliers announced on LinkedIn.

Hungarian investment fund Adventum Group has achieved the Excellent rating in accordance with the BREEAM In-Use standard for green buildings certification for its Hermes Business Campus (HBC) office project based in Bucharest.

Despite significantly lower prices than in the capital, markets for offices in Brno and Ostrava are struggling with rising vacancies. Other regional markets, however, now offer opportunities for developers, investors or serviced office providers, thanks to the potential of the Hub & Spoke concept. The latter centres around a strategy where companies reduce the size of the main office and then supplement it with smaller spaces in different locations. Alongside that, there is the Flex & Core office space usage concept, which combines a smaller main office with a membership of one or more co-working centres. These options to curb office vacancies are mentioned in a recent survey by Colliers.

When comparing the end of 2021 to 2022, there has been a significant increase in the supply of PRS units year-on-year in countries across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), such as Hungary (+301%), Romania (+244%), Poland (+217%) and Bulgaria (+173%), reveals a report by Colliers.

With scheduled retail deliveries of around 260,000 sqm across Romania, this year may turn out to have the heaviest pipeline calendar since 2011, which would add to the existing stock of more than 4.1 million sqm, according to real estate consultancy Colliers. 

With a share of 70-80% of the total building stock, the retail sector in Romania has the biggest number of projects that have received green certifications, followed the industrial and office projects, according to real estate consultancy Colliers. 

The relocation process of manufacturing and business operations to Bulgaria following the geopolitical pressure gives the country a decent chance of attracting foreign investments. Despite the prediction of a recession in 2023, the expectations are for opportunities in some sectors and for investors to focus on high–quality and sustainable product. The trend is outlined by Colliers in their latest country report.