The industrial market demonstrated resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic. E-commerce remained the key growth driver for the market throughout 2020. Experts of global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield have summarised 2020.

Slovakia continues to maintain its reputation as a safe investment location with competitive yields. The total volume of commercial real estate transactions in Slovakia in 2020 amounted to €502 million. This is a 27% decrease compared to the previous year, which is due to increased investor caution and, in part, a reduced appetite for retail assets due to uncertainty about the impact of the pandemic on their future development, according to a summary by Cushman & Wakefield.

According to experts of Cushman & Wakefield, this year’s total volume of transactions is expected to reach €9.4 billion in Central Europe, which will represent a one-third decrease on last year’s figure. Poland’s share in the total transaction volume - albeit down by one-fourth compared with last year - will hit approximately 60%.

A survey prepared by Cushman & Wakefield in partnership with FIHR, targeting Romanian hoteliers, was launched in November 2020 to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the Romanian hotel industry and their perspectives on the outlook of this sector. This survey is the second instalment after a previous questionnaire that was launched in April 2020. The intention is to gain the appropriate attention and appeal to authorities for more meaningful and targeted support towards our hospitality sector. Cushman & Wakefield and FIHR remain committed to ensuring that the industry receives appropriate support by collecting and analysing available data and appealing to authorities.

Demand in the third quarter of the year picked up Zagreb’s office market compensating for the slow market activity observed in the second quarter of 2020. Cushman & Wakefield | CBS International Croatia published its Q3 2020 report for the Zagreb office market.

Cushman & Wakefield have summarised Q3 2020 on the industrial market in Central and Eastern Europe. The CEE market is booming with record-high occupier activity reported in YTD 2020. The region has seen the strongest growth for logistics demand in Europe overall, predominantly driven by logistics and e-commerce. The acquisition of the Goodman portfolio by Gazeley is one of the largest logistics transaction seen in the region in the last decade and reflects the growing importance of the sector. Prime industrial yields remain at their 10-year lows.

The overall volume of transactions in the commercial property sector in the Czech Republic should reach €1.2 billion this year. This means a 63% decrease compared with last year, which in turn was more successful than average. Considering the complications that the coronavirus pandemic caused to the economy, such a result is quite satisfactory and attests to the lasting investor appetite. In addition, an increase to almost twice this year’s volume can be expected next year. The fact that real estate prices remain stable is also positive.

Almost 70% of Gen Zers dream of a good atmosphere at work and being able to hone their skills, reveals "Gen Z: A Workplace of the Leaders of the Future", a report from Cushman & Wakefield.

Cushman & Wakefield Echinox advised Mitiska REIM to sell a property in Braşov to French DIY retailer Leroy Merlin, which continues its expansion plans on the local market.

Cushman & Wakefield Echinox has been appointed to manage the Ţiriac Tower office building in Bucharest’s Central Business District, starting with October. As a result, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox will be responsible for the management of daily administrative-operational activity within the project, through a team of specialists both on-site and at the headquarters, coordinated by Mihaela Petruescu, Partner Asset Services.