Investors brushed aside concerns about the impact of the omicron variant to make the final quarter one of the biggest of 2021 for European property, with major markets posting near-record trading volumes, according to the latest capital markets snapshot for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) released by Colliers.

As of Q4 2021, over 1,100,000 sqm of Class A warehouse space was under construction on the Czech market, representing an increase of 23% compared to the previous quarter and ca. 240% increase compared to the same period last year. The Industrial Research Forum announced industrial market figures for Q4 2021.

EQT Exeter has appointed Savills as property manager for its very first investment in the Czech Republic. The portfolio of industrial assets comprises 140,000 sqm and is located close to Ostrava, Logistics Park Nošovice with effect from July 2021 and Ostrava Airport Multimodal Park in Mošnov with effect from December 2021.

Prologis has acquired additional development land near its existing logistics park in Ostredek, Czech Republic. Located on the other side of the highway running through the site, the addition of another 7.15 hectares with potential development space of 27,000 sqm will take the total park area to 196,000 sqm. This will allow the park to provide even more development opportunities beyond the 8,880 sqm building DC1 currently under construction.

Gross take-up on the Prague office market for the whole year of 2021 increased by 16% compared to the previous year to the level of 387,100 sqm. Prime headline rents also increased in Q4 2021 and ranged between €23.50–24.00 per sqm per month in the city centre. The Prague Research Forum published office market figures for Q4 2021.

Czech-Dutch investment company Fidurock has commenced the construction of the second phase of the Staré Město retail park project. The extension will expand the current 4,100 sqm building with 500 sqm.

CTP has added 69,000 sqm of buildings and development land to its CTPark Brno Líšeň in the Czech Republic through a sale-and-leaseback transaction with Zetor Tractors, the Czech agricultural machinery producer. The acquisition marks a major step in the overall €125 million transformation of the former Zetor brownfield industrial site into a modern new park for light manufacturing, retail, research and inner-city logistics which CTP embarked on in 2019. The transaction sees CTP consolidating its ownership in the Líšeň district, increasing the total land size to 29 hectares. Upon completion, CTPark Brno Líšeň will provide some 150,000 sqm of lettable area with over 2,500 jobs.

In Q3 2021, the Czech Republic registered the strongest house price growth within the EU, both in a year-on-year (22%) and a quarter-on-quarter (7.3%) comparison, well above the EU average of 9.2% and 3.1%, respectively, according to Eurostat’s House price index.

B+N Referencia Zrt, as the winner of a tender announced last year, has been awarded with a contract for the provision of cleaning services at the Václav Havel Airport in Prague for another 4 years, starting on 1st January 2022. There were another 12 competitor in the tender, B+N was the only Hungarian headquaterd company.

2021 was a year of unprecedented activity of Czech investors and developers on the Polish real estate market. Czech entities are competing with major German, American and Israeli players and so far they are performing very well in the race for the best assets.