Poland has maintained its dominant position in the investment market in Central and Eastern Europe with the highest diversity and liquidity of products and diversity of investors. Demand remained high in all sectors, but office transactions were clearly dominant.

Colliers International announced the appointment of Andy Hay as its new Head of EMEA Real Estate Management Services (REMS) effective immediately. In this new role, Andy will focus on driving the continued growth and success of the firm’s REMS division; improving client experience, developing relationships and optimising its EMEA service delivery model.

Irányi Palace - located in Downtown Budapest in Irányi street, between Váci and Veres Pálné streets – will rejuvenate by mid-2020 as a high quality, contemporary style office building. The property, owned by Optinvest Zrt is being rebuilt by EBH Invest, based on the plans of Pyxis Nautica Design & Build, while Colliers International has been exclusively appointed to lease the building.

Commercial land prices have been stable over the first half of 2019, while prices for residential sites continue their rising trend at a slower pace, according to Colliers International.

According to Colliers International’s latest “FDI into CEE infographic”, high numbers of Global Fortune 500 companies in the CEE-6 are being largely driven from Automotive, Industrials, Food, Beverages & Tobacco, Telecom & Media and Transportation sectors. Whilst Poland is the biggest economy, the ratio of the Fortune Global 500 companies present versus population size is much higher in Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Colliers International announced that Richard Urvay has been appointed as the new Managing Director for Slovakia. He starts his new position on 1 September with Ermanno Boeris stepping down as current Managing Partner of Colliers Slovakia at the end of September.

The reconstruction of Magazinului Bucuresti, the former universal shop located at the crossroads of Lipscani Street and I.C. Bratianu Boulevard in Bucharest, will be finalized by the end of this year. The new building will accommodate diverse concepts, from retail and services spaces to office, co-working or dining spaces. Colliers International Romania was assigned as exclusive agent for the leasing of the project.

The Romanian real estate market recorded good results in the first half of 2019, with activity on office and investment segments getting more dynamic than that of some CEE peers. With the full-year GDP expansion figure likely to top 4%, Romania also remains an outlier in terms of economic performance when compared to other CEE economies. According to Colliers International Romania, there is a favourable perspective for the Romanian real estate market that could be maintained by year-end.

Timpuri Noi Square, Vastint Romania’s first project, reaches an occupancy rate of 90% within the 3 buildings situated in Bucharest, leasing more than 47.000 sqm, and welcomes since last year tenants like Bolt (formerly Taxify), Allergan, Exiger and Streamwide, developing a community of more than 3,000 employees.

Flow volume into the CEE-6 commercial real estate markets picked up in Q2 2019, registering a cycle-high €3.3 billion for the quarter. Following on from the weaker Q1, H1 2019 volumes at €5.5 billion were thus just -3% down on H1 2018’s record, according to Colliers International's latest report.