Josef Wiedermann, Managing Director of UBM Development Czechia talked to Property Forum about recent changes, ESG strategies and provided insight into the company’s ambitious plans for becoming the largest developer of timber buildings in Europe.

Over one million square metres of industrial space is currently under construction in the Czech Republic. Most of them are pre-leased. New completions reached a record 521,600 sqm, representing the highest-ever volume of new space delivered to the Czech market. This is a 295% increase compared to Q3 2021 and an incredible 340% increase compared to Q2 2022. However, possible pressure on the correction of market rents can be expected. Given the current rent levels, it is already possible to register a declining interest of some of the Czech and foreign companies in leasing industrial space in the Czech Republic, according to the latest Knight Frank report.

RSJ Investment Group has purchased part of the land formerly owned by Poldi Kladno, where Panattoni will build a modern industrial complex with a total area of 88,500 sqm. Demolition and remediation works will start by the end of this year. The new area is expected to create 2,000 new jobs, RSJ reports.

CPI Property Group has announced the divestment of part of its portfolio to reduce the Group's debt burden. Its debt had primarily increased due to the Group's €8 billion investment in Austria. The estimated value of the properties to be sold is expected to be around €2 billion. The liquidation strategy was announced by CPI PG in its notification to shareholders.

Jan Sadil will be the new CEO of JRD Group. The banker and builder Jan Sadil has worked for many years in top positions in the banking industry, he was for many years the CEO of the mortgage bank Hypoteční banka and a member of the board of directors of one of the largest Czech banks, ČSOB. He will take up the position of CEO of JRD Group in February 2023.

Antracit Property will be building in two locations in the Czech Republic simultaneously. In Ostrava-Poruba it is preparing an industrial building for long-term lease, while in Pilsen it will also build a rental project on a brownfield site near the railway station.

Czech real estate funds are attracted to invest abroad, and not only in Poland. ZDR Investments is now heading to Austria to acquire a retail park in Voitsberg, Austria, for the second time. It is now investing €12.3 million. In total, the group has already invested six times in Austria, writes E15.cz.

In Q3 2022, some companies in the Prague office market experienced problems with convincing employees to return to the offices. Therefore, the experts are expecting that the companies will reduce their existing leased space after their leases come to an end. Despite this expectation, 18,200 sqm of modern office space was completed and the premium rents grew and there was a decline in the vacancy rate, says a new Knight Frank report.

CTP sees growing interest in smaller multifunctional spaces of up to 2,000 sqm in the Czech Republic. In Brno's Ponávka Business Park, which is owned by CTP, there has been a long-standing interest in small spaces despite their full occupancy. Therefore, the developer has built two CTBox buildings in the revitalised brownfield CTPark Brno Líšeň, in which it is possible to rent multifunctional spaces from as little as 400 sqm, and more than half of the units have already been occupied. Most recently, the same type of units has also become available at CTPark Hradec Králové.

Prague's residential market is seeing record construction this year, with more housing starts, but demand for apartments is slowing down. On the other hand, however, the growth of housing prices is slowing and mortgage interest rates are rising. This is also why the share of vacant flats supply in the Prague residential market has increased too, says JLL's regular report.