Managing retail assets was never an easy job. As the energy crisis is no longer a future problem and the recession seems inevitable, firms involved face huge challenges and have to rethink their strategy and short-term steps to survive. Property Forum asked Miklós Gyertyánfy, Chief Operating Officer at Hungary-based landlord Gránit Pólus Management Zrt. about their way to tackle those challenges.

Members of the panel on ESG investments at CEE Property Forum 2022 in Vienna agreed that environmental issues are addressed much better than the social and governance parts of ESG. Panellists emphasised that leading organizations in the CRE industry should give clear guidance for improving 'S' and 'G' performance at all levels.

Susanne Steinböck, Group Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at CA Immo talked to Property Forum about the current state of affairs in the European office market, its attractiveness and energy-related challenges it has to face in the nearest future.

Property Forum spoke with Stefan Walter, Member of the Board of Directors at RSM International and Managing Partner of RSM Austria and Onno Adriaansens, Co-Chair of the RSM European Real Estate Group and Head of the Real Estate Desk at RSM Netherlands, about the consultancy’s focus on CEE markets and property investment trends in the region.

Rising financing costs do not help when it comes to planning ESG-related CapEx. However, most landlords wish to keep their buildings attractive to occupiers and higher energy costs are bringing the discussion of energy-efficient buildings into sharper focus, says CPI Property Group’s Non-Executive Director and Chairman of ESG Committee, Omar Sattar.

JLL has introduced a seven-person international Sustainability Services and ESG team. The team will focus on consultancy in both topics due to the constantly rising demand for sustainability services in the real estate sector.

High inflation and rising interest rates pose a threat to the upturn in the economy which many expected following the pandemic. Dieter Knittel, Managing Director, Head of CEE at Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG (pbb) talked to Property Forum about financing trends and shared his expectations for the upcoming period.

The Czech Green Building Council (CZGBC) has a new member, global commercial real estate service provider Avison Young. CZGBC is a non-profit association connecting companies with a common interest in high-quality buildings that support new construction and renovation based on sustainability principles.

Collies released its 2021 Global Impact Report today, highlighting the firm’s performance and ongoing commitment to delivering resilient buildings, inclusive workplaces and spaces that promote health and wellbeing for its professionals, clients, and communities.

Aurelia Luca, Executive Vice President Operations Hungary and Romania at Skanska spoke to Property Forum about the flexibility of office space amid the popularity of hybrid working and the ESG criteria that will dominate office leasing and investment activity in the coming years.