Banks are happy to finance practically any new logistics project. But they are extremely cautious with the office and retail segments, not to mention hotel investments. Property Forum asked Tamás Deák, Director of Commercial Real Estate Finance at Erste Bank Hungary Zrt. about their financing practices amid the new, harsh economic conditions.

Despite the turbulent economic situation, banks are readily lending money to the commercial real estate segment, with warehouses being their top choice. The industrial investor Accolade is one of the most willingly financed warehouse portfolio holders in Poland. The company benefits from over €500 million in bank loans, 40% of which has been acquired since February 2020. At the same time, in the Czech Republic, the company has signed a loan agreement with a club of banks for €137.5 million. It is the largest ever loan provided for a single industrial rental property in the CEE region.

The asset management arm of Hungarian developer Market Group has signed a €65 million loan agreement with Raiffeisen Bank to finance a huge mixed-use project in a prestigious district of Budapest, not far from the embankment of the river Danube. A Class A office complex and a boutique hotel offering 127 rooms will be completed by 2023. 

Hungarian developer Futureal has signed a loan agreement worth €79.5 million with UniCredit Bank to finance the construction and long-term operation of the Corvin Innovation Campus office complex in Budapest. 

Hungary-based developer Alfa Group has decided to cancel the bond auction within the Hungarian NKP framework in Q1 due to increased interest rates. As the main reason for bond issuance was the need for a financing development pipeline, an alternative source of financing with attractive commercial terms was considered better. 

Blackbrook Capital, a European independent real estate investment firm focusing on mission-critical supply chain assets, announced the funding for the development of a 45,000 sqm Class-A logistics facility in Western Poland.

Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG (pbb) concluded the 2021 financial year with a pre-tax profit of €242 million, thereby exceeding by 60% the previous year’s results, which were burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cavatina Holding S.A. has placed in the public offering 3.5-year bonds with a value of over PLN 40 million. Debt securities of one of the largest developers of office space in Poland will go to approx. 560 investors.

For the first time in the history of its operations in the Czech Republic, developer YIT has entered into a partnership to finance its project. Local investment group RSJ will participate in the implementation of the residential complex Vesi Hostivař in Prague.

Individual investors subscribed to all K-series bonds offered by Echo Investment. The developer will issue securities with a total nominal value of PLN 50 million.