Czech-founded PPF Real Estate Holding has entered the United States market through its U.S. division, finalizing an acquisition of Mansell Overlook, a large office campus in the broader Atlanta metropolitan area. The acquisition is a steppingstone for future investments by PPF in the U.S. property market.

HB Reavis has sold a plot of land in the centre of Prague, which was created by the demolition of the former Transgas complex, to local developer PSN for a record sum of CZK 870 million.

Avison Young has significantly increased its CEE presence in recent months and the company is planning further expansion. Gerry Hughes, Principal and President of Avison Young Europe talked to Property Forum about the firm’s strategy for CEE and shared his expectations regarding the future of the advisory business.

Radovan Patrick Vítek, the son of CPI Property Group’s Radovan Vítek, acquired an 8.38% stake in Austrian real estate group Immofinanz. He acquired the shares through Mountfort Investments, according to a major holdings notification published by Immofinanz. This purchase makes 23-year-old Vítek the third-largest shareholder of Immofinanz-

Colliers recently secured the largest agent-involved transaction in the history of the Czech industrial market. Senior Associate Lukáš Svobodník brought Sportisimo to Hrušov in Ostrava, where Contera began construction of a logistics complex for the sporting goods retailer. This new distribution centre of the Czech company will offer jobs to 700 people. The 90,000 sqm hall, with a clear height of up to 25 meters, a rare feature in the Czech Republic, is now one of the country’s biggest logistics halls.

The third-largest provider of rental housing in Europe, Swedish company Heimstaden plans to almost double its investments into the refurbishment and expansion of its Czech portfolio.

AFI Europe has signed an agreement for the purchase of Avenir Business Park in Prague 5 owned by Tristan Capital Partners. The office complex, offering more than 25,600 sqm of premium office space, is close to 100% occupancy. Among its tenants are companies such as CSOB, ING, Porsche, McDonald’s, Dermacol and Coloplast.

Publicly traded Hungarian real estate brokerage firm Duna House has released its metrics for the first quarter. Duna House started the year with record quarterly volumes in all of its core business lines in the middle of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a series of record highs in 2020, the first quarter, which is usually weak seasonally, brought all-time records in both real estate and credit brokerage in 2021: franchise real estate brokerage grew by 36%, own office real estate brokerage by 37% and credit brokerage by 6% year-on-year.

CPI Property Group updated its stakeholders regarding a defamation claim filed in June 2020 by Kingstown Capital Management L.P. and Investhold LTD against CPIPG and Radovan Vitek in New York State court.

JLL Czech Republic announced the appointment of Alexandra Tomášková as Head of Office Solutions effective 1 May 2021. In her new role at JLL, Alexandra Tomášková will focus on the office sector with direct oversight of the firm's Office Leasing businesses together with Workplace Strategy and Project Management. In her new role, she will also closely cooperate with JLL’s Tétris Design & Build and Capital Markets teams on office-related services.