Echo Investment – a Polish developer – and Echo Polska Properties – an international fund operating as a REIT - signed agreements to jointly buy and jointly develop a real property at ul. Towarowa 22 in Warsaw from Griffin Real Estate, a Polish private equity fund. The buyers will pay €120 million for the property – €78 million upon signing the agreement, while the remaining amount will be paid after certain planning conditions are met.

This year has witnessed new players entering Central and Eastern European markets which, when combined with investments from the region's traditional players, has further increased CEE investment activity. Colliers, Skanska and JLL has released a joint report that analyses the region’s potential as an investment location.

Park Atrium – one of the most recognisable Budapest office buildings, leased to Deloitte, ING and Roche - was sold last week. German-based Asset Manager Corpus Sireo - on behalf of one of their managed accounts - has purchased the building from Accession Fund managed by GLL Real Estate Partners for an undisclosed price believed to be in excess of €50 million.

The newly refurbished Buda Loft Offices has welcomed its first tenant, TransferWise. The building opened its doors officially in July, and offers 5 floors with an approximate total of 2,500 sqm for lease. Colliers International Hungary has been appointed as the exclusive leasing agent.

According to the latest report by Colliers International, during the first half of 2016, some 12,000 square metres of modern office space were completed in Prague. An additional 20,300 square metres is expected to follow during the second half, which will lead to 2016 being the “leanest” year in terms of development completions since 1992, with a total of only 32,300 square metres of completed offices.

Tchibo Prague has held the topping out ceremony of the first its distribution centre in Panattoni Park Cheb, which will serve online customers from the CEE region and the southern part of Germany. Currently, the total rentable area has reached 39,000 sqm which will be shortly extended to 73,000 sqm. After completion, the premises will become the second largest logistics hall ever constructed in the territory of the Czech Republic after the distribution centre of Amazon in Dobrovíz. The Tchibo distribution centre shall start its operation by the end of this year. The second phase of the project will be completed in the middle of next year.

Colliers International has opened its office in Katowice in Poland. It is located on the 13th floor of Altus office building in Uniwersytecka 13 street. The director of the Katowice regional office is Barbara Pryszcz, who joined the company in March this year. Barbara is responsible for the company’s development in Katowice and the Upper Silesia region. 

With the last works completed in July, Budapest’s newest office building “Buda Loft Offices” is ready to welcome its new tenants. The building - which used to be the Goldberger textile factory - now offers modern loft offices. Colliers International has been appointed as the exclusive letting agent on the building

Student accommodation has become popular among investors in some Western European cities, but there is an almost complete lack of this investment product in the CEE region. Colliers International has released a recently conducted research analysis that explores the current status of student housing in the Czech Republic and the future prospects of this sector that could attract both domestic and foreign investors.

KPMG has leased an office area of over 1,700 sqm in O3 Business Campus in Kraków – an office complex which is being developed by Echo Investment. The company is to move into the new office at the end of this year. The tenant was represented by the Colliers International consulting company.