The construction, operation, financing, development and acquisition of commercial property in 2022 and beyond will continue to be impacted by the price of fuel, energy and construction materials. This will be combined with challenges in the supply chain, the nearshoring of operations and rapidly rising inflation, culminating in a direct effect on sale prices and the rent paid by occupiers, reveals a report by Colliers.

Trei Real Estate, an international developer and property asset holder specialising in residential and retail real estate, continued to expand its business in 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 31 December 2021, the development portfolio had an aggregate value of €1.7 billion after growing by 40 percent (2020: €1.2 billion). Residential real estate makes up the bulk of the total with €1.5 billion, whereas retail real estate accounts for c. €200 million. The value of the assets under management, including the own property portfolio, remained unchanged at €1.3 billion. The proprietary portfolio accounts for €1.2 billion out of this total, while c. €100 million are managed on third-party mandates.

In the past twelve months, retail properties have tried to make up for the challenges faced in the first year of the pandemic. Summarizing 2021 for the modern retail space sector, experts from BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland pointed to several key phenomena regarding the sector, including: a quick return of shoppers to retail facilities, retail parks standing becoming stronger, e-commerce continuing the way of the stable growth, as well as the increasingly important role of sustainable development and ESG policy.

Cushman & Wakefield presented the findings of its survey conducted among executives representing over 30 leading international hotel operators in its latest report. The survey was completed in December 2021 by hotel operators with a presence or interest in entering the CEE region.

The growing interest in domestic tourism is conducive to the development of accommodation facilities in resorts. Interesting city hotels are also opening. The current year should bring stabilisation in the hotel industry as more countries move from treating COVID as an endemic rather than a pandemic, says Walter Herz. 

Last year was a demanding period for the office market and a test for us, which we managed to successfully pass, says Katarzyna Zawodna-Bijoch, President and CEO at Skanska’s commercial development business unit in Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). In 2022, we will witness safe and futureproof workplaces, new technologies as well as Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) areas becoming increasingly important, with the latter being subject to continuous intensive analyses as a business trend.

Despite almost all European office employees working from home last year the empty workplaces did not lead to a reduction in the expenditure that companies had to fulfil had the workforce been in the office. The average costs per FTE fell by only 2% and amounted to €9,468. These findings have been published by Colliers, Occupier Cost Index (OCI), which comprises data from 29 countries, 3,990 buildings, 26.1 million square meters of office space and 1.96 million FTEs.

Commercial real estate market in Poland has come a long way since the spring of 2020. Never before have so many changes been made in such a short time. Adaptation to new conditions turned out to be the most difficult for hotels and retail. For the warehouse market, in turn, the reshuffling of sales and deliveries became a springboard for a series of records. The offices returned in a new form. Nowadays, the new trends that will shape the market in the upcoming years, lead the way for the real estate sector. Experts from Walter Herz consulting company comment on what is changing.

Colliers reveals that 67% of EMEA investors (and 60% of global investors) chose quality office assets in major markets as their top strategy picks. European cities like London, Paris, Berlin and Munich have retained their allure and will be in high demand next year.

The commissioning of Warsaw UNIT, one of the most modern buildings in Poland, and two commenced investments, including a high-rise building, are the most important goals achieved by Ghelamco Poland in 2021.