As Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine enters its fourth year, the scale of destruction to the country's residential stock remains staggering. The international community, led by the World Bank Group, the European Commission, the United Nations, and the Council of Europe Development Bank, has mobilised substantial grant and loan financing for Ukraine's recovery. A meaningful portion of these funds flows directly into state-run housing programmes, offering a rare, data-rich window into how international support translates into real outcomes for families on the ground. The URE Club (Ukrainian Real Estate Club) has produced a brief analysis of the main government programmes and their outcomes for Property Forum

UDI Group has obtained a building permit for building B of its key project in Prague's Smíchov district. The project, previously known as Vltava Meadows, now enters the construction phase under the official name Side Smíchov Living. 

Sekyra Group has started the third phase of Smíchov City construction, Prague's largest urbanisation project since Vinohrady was built in the 19th century. The phase will consist of three residential blocks with approximately 800 apartments and an investment estimated at €200 million.

Zinan company has launched the Vlaicu 87 residential project in Iași, part of regenerating the former Phoenix platform across approximately 56,000 sqm, requiring an investment of over €30 million in the first phase.

Echo Investment marks 30 years since its debut on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, a milestone in the company’s transformation from a local newspaper publisher in Kielce into one of Poland’s largest real estate developers. Today, it is the only Poland-based company with such extensive experience across three demanding property sectors: office, retail and residential. It is also the core development brand of the Echo Group, established in 2025, reflecting the organisation’s ability to respond to changing market conditions. Entering its fourth decade, the company is focusing on diversification, sustainable growth and large-scale urban projects.

The closing panel of Bratislava Property Forum 2026 highlighted a market navigating both maturity and transformation, with some segments approaching saturation while others continue to offer strong growth potential. Moderated by Martin Polák, Managing Director CEE at GARBE Industrial Real Estate, the discussion covered retail, logistics, offices, ESG, accessibility and data centres, outlining how shifting demand patterns and operational priorities are reshaping strategies across Slovakia and the wider CEE region.

Developer Matexi Polska, active in the Warsaw and Kraków markets, signed 92 apartment contracts in the first quarter (70 in Warsaw and 22 in Kraków). This represents growth of around 30% compared to the first three months of the previous year, when 71 contracts were signed.

Over 20,500 new homes could be delivered in Bucharest and its surroundings in 2026, according to a new report by SVN Romania.

International capital is once again showing a stronger interest in Polish commercial real estate. Recent transactions completed by Echo Investment highlight how investors are reassessing pricing, income stability and long-term growth prospects in the market. In this interview, Judyta Sawicka, Head of Investment at Echo Investment, discusses what is driving buyer demand today, how the company decides when to monetise mature assets and why capital recycling into living and mixed-use developments is becoming central to Echo Group’s strategy.

Institutional rental housing and student accommodation are expanding rapidly across CEE as urbanisation, housing shortages and changing lifestyle patterns reshape demand. At the same time, investors are increasingly exploring conversions, hybrid living concepts and heritage revitalisations to create resilient assets in prime locations. In this interview, Peter Noack, Founding Partner and CEO of Zeitgeist Asset Management, and Tomasz Dąbrowski, Managing Director of Zeitgeist Asset Management Poland, discuss the outlook for PRS and PBSA, the growing role of flexible living models and where they see the most promising value-add opportunities in the current market environment.