The demand for office space in Prague increased by 29% quarter-on-quarter for the first quarter of 2021 and by 44% year-on-year. Although the largest transactions of the quarter were lease renegotiations – including Seznam.cz (14,800 sqm) in Palác Křižík in Prague 5 or MSD Czech Republic (6,800 sqm) in Riverview in Prague 5 – the share of newly leased space increased to 58%. The increase in newly leased and pre-leased space indicates confidence and healthy growth of the Prague office market. Despite the fact that leasing activity posted record numbers, the vacancy rate rose by 60 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 8.4%. JLL recorded an increase in vacancy rates in almost all Prague districts, as announced in the last report.

CPI Property Group reported first-quarter profit growth of 243 percent year-on-year to €381 million (roughly CZK 9.4 billion). It was able to do so thanks to its takeover of Austria's Immofinanz, which owns a number of commercial properties. CPI now owns 76.86 percent of the shares in this Austrian company. As a result, CPI is currently the Central European leader in real estate and is planning further expansion with the Austrian real estate company S Immo, where it now controls 42.6 per cent along with Immofinanz.

Czechs are still afraid of cooperative housing. It is the preferred form of ownership for only 3% of those who plan to buy a flat or house, while 13% do not even consider it when buying a property. However, due to the rise in mortgage rates and property prices, cooperative housing is more affordable and thus 22% of respondents have recently improved their opinion on it, according to a survey by Komerční banka and Modrá pyramida, a building society.

The City of Prague wants to build cooperative flats where the city could continue to rent out one-third of the flats. However, the councillors disagree on the conditions under which the entire project should be implemented in Prague 5. If they agree and construction begins, the project would offer cooperatives favourable conditions for financing housing without a mortgage and cheaper prices for construction by the developer. The councillors are now trying to find a compromise to get the project off the ground, reports Seznamzprávy.cz.

pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank has provided a €118 million credit facility to REICO ČS NEMOVITOSTNÍ, the biggest open-ended real estate fund on the Czech market, managed by REICO, an investment company of Česká spořitelna. The facility will be used to fund the acquisition of two newly built logistic properties in Upper Silesia as well as for the refinancing of an office building in Warsaw.

Adam Zvada, CEO of Scott.Weber Workspace in Prague talked to Property Forum about the trends driving the flex workspace market and provided some insight into the company's expansion plans.

Property development and investment group Crestyl appointed Alena Líškay Králíková as its ESG manager in May. In her newly created position, she will be responsible for developing and overseeing the company's environmental, social responsibility and corporate governance policies and practices.

PPF Real Estate has teamed up with US developer Aventon Companies to enter the US residential market. Together they will build a residential complex with more than 300 residential units in Orlando, Florida by 2023. PPF intends to replicate this model of cooperation in other projects in the US, the company announced.

Proptech provider Spaceflow has announced a new strategic partner, Swedish investment group Hydda. Now, with this investment, Spaceflow will be able to get closer to its global vision to connect buildings with their occupiers.

The majority owner of RSJ Investments is now the Co-Founder and Head of the Group, Libor Winkler, as another co-founder and presidential candidate Karel Janeček has sold all his shares. Janeček remains in RSJ's sister company, which focuses on stock trading, the daily E15 reports. Neither the group nor Karel Janeček would comment on the changes.