The availability of housing in Prague has slightly improved this year, but it is still incomparably worse than in the surrounding metropolises. The inhabitants of Prague have to work 13.9 years for an average 70 sqm apartment. In Vienna, for example, such a purchase only cost 8.7 annual salaries. Compared to last year, a slight improvement was registered in 2020, but the effect of the coronavirus crisis has not yet been reflected in wage statistics, according to Czech residential developer Central Group.

The great majority of shopping centres in the Czech Republic should reopen on Thursday 3 December. The footfall and revenue figures show that customers have not given up on visiting shopping centres in the long-term perspective or changed their shopping habits dramatically. Following the reopening after the first wave of the corona crisis, both performance indicators grew again, and revenue even exceeded last year’s figures in a year-on-year comparison. The impact on footfall and turnover was lower in the second wave, with footfall slightly growing in recent weeks. Considering that Christmas is coming, we can expect customers to return to shopping centres quickly as soon as they are allowed to, resulting in an exceptional increase in footfall and revenue.

CPI Property Group’s property portfolio increased by 8% to €9.9 billion compared to the end of 2019, primarily due to the acquisition of six office properties in Warsaw, Poland and a 29.4% stake in Globalworth Real Estate Investments Limited. CPIPG published unaudited financial results for the third quarter of 2020.

Generali Real Estate S.p.A. has completed the acquisition of International Business Centre (IBC), an office building in Prague, from Mint Investments, on behalf of the pan-European “Generali Real Estate Core Plus” fund managed by Generali Real Estate S.p.A Società di gestione del risparmio.

Panattoni has begun the construction of a new 31,000 sqm industrial park on the site of the former Kavalier glassworks in Hostomice near Teplice in Central Bohemia.

While the first results show that the GDP grew by 5.2% q-o-q in Q3 in the Czech Republic, the second wave of COVID-19 has forced the government to re-impose strict containment measures to curb the spread of the virus. Retail sales grew during the summer as they reached pre-pandemic levels. However, consumer confidence fell for a second consecutive month in September, while a worsening labour market outlook and a resurgence of new infections will mean households keep more precautionary savings as well as denting income. On the other hand, industrial production resumed growth in September and is likely to underpin economic growth as it is less exposed to the pandemic. Cushman & Wakefield summarised the situation in each market segment.

The Flow Building, Flow East’s development on Wenceslas Square, has become the first building in the Czech Republic to achieve a BREEAM “Outstanding” rating – the highest possible rating – under the latest assessment scheme version.

CTP has changed the structure of its finance department. The company is responding to the success of CTP B.V.’s debut green bonds issue and the shift towards bonds as a means of financing of the CTP Group. A new position of CTP Group Treasurer has therefore been created. The position has been taken up by Zdeněk Raus.

Mint Investments has established a new real estate fund which will target people interested in investing in the resi-for-rent sector. MINT rezidenční fond SICAV plans to acquire rental residential buildings in large Czech cities, mainly in Prague and Brno. The fund completed its first €19 million (CZK 500 million) acquisition in the country’s second-largest city – Mint Living Brno Campus comprises 120 apartments as well as office and retail space.

Global logistics company Hellmann Worldwide Logistics is strengthening its position in the Czech Republic. At one of the largest industrial parks in the country, CTPark Bor, the company is expanding its total warehouse space. Besides the existing 20,000 sqm site that Hellmann currently operates, an additional area of almost 12,000 sqm will be added by the end of the year. Hellmann uses the CTPark Bor for worldwide distribution but with a strong focus on the German market.