The office space market in Prague is currently doing very well and has a great potential for further development. Its excellent condition is illustrated by several parameters that Cushman & Wakefield has been monitoring on a long-term basis and whose correct interpretation in relation to the current results is presented here. These indicators are primarily the highly positive trend in the office demand (the occupied office space increased by 47,000 sqm), vacancy rate remaining at its record-breaking low (with just 4.6% of stock being vacant) and the highest number of newly opened buildings in the last five years (17 buildings including 11 newly built ones).

Kraków’s total office stock amounts to nearly 1.35 million sqm. According to reports from developers, more than 110,000 sqm is expected to be completed by the end of 2019, pushing this year’s new supply up to a record high of 200,000 sqm, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

The first half of 2019 witnessed two new office completions in Szczecin totalling nearly 3,500 sqm, whilst another 27,300 sqm is expected to be added to the city’s stock by the end of this year.

The hotel investment market is reaching new heights in the Czech Republic with year to date volumes at €530 million and 10 hotel transactions. This is more than a 100% growth compared to the average yearly transaction volume of €250 million, recorded over the past five years.

The Bucharest office market could have a record year in terms of deliveries in 2019, provided that all the announced projects are finalized on time, a scenario in which modern office spaces with a total area of ​​about 377,000 square meters will have been delivered in the capital city, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

According to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest DNA of Real Estate Q2 2019 report, the European logistics sector continues to perform strongly with strong rental growth and investor demand driving down yield by 2bps, whereas yields in the European office and retail sectors remained flat.

The investment volume in H1 2019 amounted to almost €410 million on the Romanian market, a 6% increase compared to the similar period of last year, when the corresponding figure for investment transactions was of €386 million, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox calculations and estimates.

Delivery of retail space will accelerate in the second half of the year, when approximately 150,000 square meters will be delivered in several cities in the country with new deliveries in Bucharest amounting for 35,000 square meters, according to the H1 Romania Retail MarketBeat report, realized by  Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Eastern Poland continues to attract increasing interest from both Polish and overseas investors. Its cities, including Lublin, Białystok and Suwałki, are gaining favour with logistics and manufacturing firms planning to expand, according to Kamil Żach, Land Specialist, Industrial and Logistics Agency at Cushman & Wakefield.

The information on investment transactions in the Czech real estate sector for H1 2019, collected by Cushman & Wakefield, indicates a significant increase in volume. The figure achieved – €1.743 billion – shows that the decrease in 2018 was just a sway and not a real trend. The real estate market is expected to thrive in the latter half as well and its total performance could exceed €3 billion.