New office deliveries in regional cities totaled 83,000 sqm in 2023 and the total leasable area has climbed close to 1.1 million sqm, according to a Cushman & Wakefield report. Offices in regional cities of the likes of Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara and Brașov represent around 30% of the corresponding total in Bucharest.

The Polish shopping centre market is now considered mature as many retail malls were built in the 1990s and 2000s, that is before the technological boom in energy efficiency and during a period of significantly lower awareness of the issue. A wave of upgrades is coming, but they will not happen overnight due to high levels of refurbishment expenditure required. In the face of rising challenges of energy and heat consumption, experts from Cushman & Wakefield managing a large and highly diverse portfolio of shopping centres and retail parks provide valuable insight into the results of their frequently innovative and low-cost measures.

In 2023, Central Europe’s commercial real estate market faced a notable decline in investment volumes. Dropping by 55% year on year, the region’s total investment volume accounted for €5.02 billion. Of the six countries surveyed by Cushman & Wakefield, Poland experienced the most significant downturn of 68%, with its share of the total CEE volume also dropping. The highest proportion of the capital went into the office sector, which also recorded the sharpest outward movement in terms of yields. Local and regional investors accounted for two-thirds of the investment transaction volumes, a significant increase from the previous years. Despite challenges, the market demonstrates resilience, particularly in the logistics and residential sectors, spotlighting areas of growth potential.

Experts of Cushman & Wakefield expect transactional activity on the Polish hotel market to pick up in 2024 as key performance indicators continue to improve and the pressure on investors to allocate capital builds up. Although 2023’s total investment volume on the Polish market was below that of 2019, it reached nearly €83 million - an 82% increase year-on-year. Warsaw, Vilnius and Edinburg are the only main European hotel markets that reported year-on-year growth in occupancy levels last year. At the same time, Warsaw came third for ADR growth (EUR) in 2023, with an increase of 20.1% year-on-year. 

According to the latest report from Cushman & Wakefield, 2023 saw the second-highest supply level and the third-highest take-up figure in the history of the Polish industrial market. The sector continues to enjoy strong fundamentals supporting its steady growth despite the rapidly changing macroeconomic environment.

The development pipeline of logistics centres is still powerful around Budapest but some of the players seek other opportunities near regional industrial cities. However, landlords need to adapt to market changes while adjusting their rental conditions. Property Forum asked Gábor Halász-Csatári, Head of Industrial & Logistics Agency at Cushman & Wakefield about the latest trends in meeting demands and the pivotal role of fulfilment services in Hungary.

In 2024, the Polish commercial property market will be largely impacted by growing ESG regulatory pressure, says Cushman & Wakefield in its latest report. Following the entry into force of the EU reporting standards and the revised EPBD, investors will be required to place an increasing emphasis on implementing practical sustainable solutions for their property portfolios.

The Prague Research Forum – CBRE, Colliers, Cushman & Wakefield, iO Partners, Knight Frank and Savills – has shared an updated Prague office market insight. Figures and data for Q4 2023 have confirmed a cautious approach both from developers and tenants.

The supply of modern retail space has reached 3.93 million sqm in the Czech Republic. Retail parks or shopping parks are taking a portion of 31% of this total according to Cushman & Wakefield's analysis of the Czech retail park market data. Traditional shopping centres account for about 67%, and the remaining 2% are outlets.

Cushman & Wakefield has summarized the situation in the Polish retail market in 2023, which saw heightened development activity, with about 450,000 sqm of new retail space delivered. The Polish retail sector continued to recover, as confirmed by the number of debuts – 29 new brands entered Poland in the last 12 months, marking the highest figure since 2017. Meanwhile, the slower price growth bolstered consumer sentiment, leading to higher retail turnover levels.