During Q1 2019, some 168,300 sqm of warehouse space was completed on the Czech industrial market. In year on year comparison, this was a 20% decrease, but in longer term comparison, the completions level was 25% above 5-year average, according to Colliers International.

Although the results of this year’s first quarter have been weaker than expected on the CEE investment market, this does not automatically mean than a slowdown has started. Andy Thompson MRICS, Head of Investment Czech Republic & Slovakia at Colliers International shared his market expectations with Property Forum.

Two large transactions in excess of €200 million that closed in Q1 and pipeline transactions of at least €1.5 billion point to the overall investment volume for 2019 exceeding the figures achieved in 2018 in 2019, according to the latest research from Colliers International.  

The Romanian industrial and logistics market has grown remarkably, in as far as the intensity of both developments and national freight transport is concerned. According to Colliers International, the most active logistics hubs besides Bucharest are Constanta – the easternmost urban centre, Alba – located almost centrally and Timis – the most western county in Romania, as these four markets together account for almost a quarter of the national goods transported in Romania via roads.

Urban space in the twentieth century belonged to cars. In the 21st century, it has been reclaimed by people – this is how current urban trends can be summarised. Inward development, the narrowing of streets to expand space for pedestrians, the building of a dense network of cycle lanes and strengthening the role of public transport are some of the measures taken in modern cities to improve the lives of residents. Colliers International, in cooperation with ULI, published an expert article on current urban trends

Colliers International is extending its range of services in Poland. The company has been joined by Bartosz Jankowski, who has become the director of the new Design & Build department as a partner. The new business line will offer fit-out and construction services, including comprehensive implementation of space arrangement projects in office, hotel and service buildings.

The phenomenal growth of the ‘flex’ sector is set to continue apace in years to come, with flexible workspace in EMEA grow by over 50% by 2022 and the number of office workers occupying this space growing to 750,000 across the region. That’s according to global real estate advisor, Colliers International, which recently released its Flexible Workspace Outlook Report 2019.

The Bucharest office closed Q1 2019 with decent numbers: a gross take-up of 105,000 sqm, out of which the net take-up was 29,000 sqm, and 93,000 sqm of deliveries. Data from Colliers International Romania show that the demand came mostly from IT&C companies, despite the tight labour market.

A new report by Colliers International and international law firm CMS has revealed that Central and Eastern Europe may be facing a significant shortfall in student housing in the next 10 years. The firms’ third annual joint Real Estate report, ‘Student housing in CEE – the next big thing?’ looks at the evolution of the student housing sector in the core CEE-6 countries, and canvasses views from investors on the relevance of CEE student housing as an asset class and their expectations for the future.

As CEE economies and commercial real estate markets grow in size, they also grow in scope to include new sectors. Student accommodation has been one of the most successful of the new options for investors and developers in Western Europe to consider over the past ten years. The same may happen in the CEE region over the next decade, according to the third annual Colliers-CMS joint CEE Real Estate Compass report which is themed on student housing.