The first quarter of 2016 in the Czech Republic was characterized by a lack of logistics and industrial space, demand for office space and high volume of investment into real estate. Colliers International released its latest report summarizing trends on the investment, office and industrial markets.

According to the latest RICS Commercial Property Monitor, occupier and investment sentiment continues to be broadly positive in Central and Eastern Europe for Q1 2016. Sentiment in both the Occupier and Investment markets registered a positive value across Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. At the same time RICS has published its Croatia Commercial Property Monitor for the first time.

According to JLL, at the end of Q1 2016, the total modern A-class industrial stock in the Czech Republic (owned by developers and investors) stood at 5.78 million sqm. In the first three months, new supply reached 84,300 sqm, increasing by 112% y-o-y (Q1 2015 vs. Q1 2016). With another 271,200 sqm currently under construction, the 6 million sqm mark of total stock is expected to be passed in the second half of this year. The share of speculative construction increased, nearly half of the industrial premises currently under construction (44 %) being developed on a speculative basis. Developers reflect the lowest vacancy rate in the last decade, strong demand from the potential tenants and a generally positive economic outlook for the Czech Republic. 

According to Cushman & Wakefield, strong investment activity in the core Central European markets of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania continued in the first quarter of 2016, with EUR 1.4 billion invested. The slight decrease in transaction volume of 5% compared to the corresponding period of 2015 was smaller than the 14% fall recorded for Europe overall. Q1 activity was also above the long-run average of EUR 1.2 billion since 2007.

RICS organised its first annual conference in Bratislava, Slovakia on 5 May. The half-day event focused on the role of international standards in emerging markets and on the Slovakian property market itself.

Flow East, the Anglo-Czech property owner and heritage campaigner announced that it has signed two new leasing agreements with Modrá pyramida stavební spořitelna and AON Central and Eastern Europe resulting in the 100% occupancy of its 13-building central Prague office portfolio.

Prologis announced that it has signed a lease agreement with Bonami, a Czech e-commerce homewares retailer, for 5,795 square metres at Prologis Park Prague-Airport DC1. The transaction was facilitated by 108 Agency.

The vacancy rate in the Czech Republic industrial market reached 4.2%, having decreased by 96 bps since Q4 2015. The Industrial Research Forum has announced its final industrial market figures for Q1 2016. 

The Prague Research Forum announced its office market figures for the first quarter of 2016. Gross take-up amounted to 92,200 sq m, representing a decrease of 43% compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 26% in year-on-year comparison. In Q1 2016, the vacancy rate decreased by 0.7 percentage points to 13.9% compared to the previous quarter.

IT and business service centres were the most active tenants on the Prague office market last year, having signed lease contracts for 84,000 sqm and reaching 31 % of net take-up. In 2015 the largest leasing transaction represented by an agent (JLL) was concluded in the history of Prague´s office market – SAP leased nearly 25,000 sqm in Metronom office building in Prague 5. SAP will move its 2,000 employees working for three operations under one roof.