Slovakia’s economy surpassed expectations in H1 2023 with the automotive industry leading the charge. The industrial sector flourishes with robust take-up and diversified supply and there is also a continuous rise in rents in all submarkets. Resilient take-up but robust new supply caused rising vacancy, stabilized fit-out costs, rising rents and yields. Cushman & Wakefield published its Marketbeat Analysis for Q3 2023. 

The City Point office building in Prague 4 - Pankrác is changing hands. It is being transferred from the hands of the investment company Amundi Czech Republic to the ownership of the domestic operator of coworking spaces and serviced offices WorkLounge. Mint Investments Group was the investment advisor that handled the entire transaction for Amundi. Agents from real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield and law firm Havel & Partners also participated in the deal. The transaction was worth more than CZK 450 million (€18.25 million). 

Half of the hotel investors in CEE already address ESG in their transaction due diligence, and 40% are in the process of including it, says Cushman & Wakefield in their newest report.

Cushman & Wakefield has released a summary of office market conditions in Warsaw. This year’s development activity is expected to fall to its lowest in nearly 25 years amid a record number of leases, falling vacancy rates and the continued upward pressure on rental growth. 

Cushman & Wakefield has released a summary of retail market conditions in Poland. Approximately 200,000 sqm is likely to be added to the market by the end of this year. Most of that total will be delivered in retail parks that account for 77% of the development pipeline, which will be consistent with the trend seen in recent years. Rental rates are on an upward year-on-year trajectory while the average vacancy rate in the largest Polish cities has dipped by 1.2 pp year-on-year. 

Marie Baláčová has been named Partner at Cushman & Wakefield. She will also lead the business development services team for the CEE and Nordics region. The new role is a part of the company’s new operating model aiming at more efficient collaboration of market research, marketing and communications experts across countries and regions, further supporting advisory services to clients. 

Wind power, which accounts for approximately 2% of total electricity supply, is at the global forefront of green solutions and growing well ahead of traditional energy technologies and other renewable energy sources. One of the most prospective regions in Poland for this sector is Western Pomerania. According to the latest report from global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, this region is already seeing professional large-scale wind farms being established and is a clear leader in terms of economic potential for wind power with 14,000 MW, 40% ahead of Pomerania and Lower Silesia.

Global real estate - one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions - should become net-zero in less than three decades. With as much as 80% of the predicted building stock for 2050 already in existence today, this best illustrates the scale of the challenge. Meanwhile, the commercial real estate market has not, as yet, officially acknowledged either the costs of necessary property upgrades or the costs of delaying or not taking any action. At the same time, due to a lack of market standards, benchmarks and a system of data collection, valuers can hardly factor ESG risks in property valuations. This impasse has significantly increased the risk of a carbon bubble, says Cushman & Wakefield. 

According to the latest data from Cushman & Wakefield, the average retail vacancy rate in Poland’s largest cities currently stands at 3.5%, down by 1.2 pp year-on-year. More importantly, falls were recorded in six out of the eight largest cities, with the availability of retail space at the lowest in Kraków, Łódź and Szczecin. This suggests a gradual retail recovery in Poland, says Cushman & Wakefield. Meanwhile, as the market continues to stabilize, retail landlords should increasingly turn their focus onto diversifying their offer.

There are currently more than 56,000 sqm of office space in Prague available for immediate occupation. These are mainly office spaces that have been vacated by their previous tenants due to relocation to new premises or downsizing because of the transition to a hybrid office model. Companies that want to get up and running quickly in their new offices and make substantial savings on the capital costs required for fit-out have plenty to choose from. This secondary supply is a good complement to the shortage of available office space in new buildings that Prague is currently facing, according to the Cushman & Wakefield report.