As logistics real estate continues to adjust to post-pandemic realities and shifting capital markets, developers are reassessing where growth, resilience and long-term value will come from. In this interview, Martin Polák, Managing Director CEE at Garbe Industrial Real Estate, shares his expectations for leasing demand, financing conditions and ESG priorities across CEE as the market looks ahead to 2026.

In a video interview recorded at CEE Property Forum in Vienna, Martin Polák, Managing Director CEE at GARBE Industrial Real Estate, shares his outlook for the year ahead. He reflects on market conditions, leasing dynamics, financing availability and the company’s priorities across Central and Eastern Europe. His perspective offers a grounded view on how occupiers are behaving and why the logistics sector may be entering a more active phase than many expect.

Europe's logistics real estate market is moving through a stabilisation phase. An average rental growth of 70 cents per sqm is projected for the period from Q2 2025 to Q2 2030, implying an annual growth rate of 1.9 percent. For comparison, the growth rate between Q2 2020 and Q2 2025 was 5.6 percent. These findings come from Garbe Research's latest Garbe Pyramid Map, covering prime rents and yields for 121 logistics submarkets in 25 European countries.

Garbe Industrial Real Estate Poland, in partnership with the Wood & Company Logistics SubFund, has announced the development of Garbe Park Gliwice, a new industrial complex in Poland. The park will offer 75,000 sqm of leasable space and be built to BREEAM Excellent certification standards. The investment value is expected to exceed €50 million.

The cycle of soaring rent rates in Europe’s top logistics markets has ended, shows research by Garbe. During H2 2024, the average prime rent increased by just 6 cents, rising from €7.30 to €7.36 per sqm.

German developer Garbe Industrial Real Estate has set up a new company in Romania. Under the leadership of CEE Managing Director Martin Polák and Country Head Andrei Jerca, GARBE Industrial Real Estate Romania will expand its activities in this market and implement its own property developments. 

The completion of Garbe Green Park Piešťany in Slovakia is close as Garbe has secured a third loan for the finalisation. The loan from Oberbank is in the volume of €14.6 million.

A new logistics and industrial centre was opened in the area between Chomutov and Klášterec nad Ohří (west of Prague near the German border) for CZK 520 million (€21.4 million). The construction of the Garbe Park Klášterec II project with a total leasable area of over 18,000 sqm was completed in eight months. Representatives of the Progresus investment group and the developer and co-investor Garbe have already handed over the building to the main tenant, the German manufacturer of sealing systems Isolite. 

Garbe Industrial Real Estate announced a strategic collaboration with Raiffeisenbank on their 49-hectare site at GarbePark Ceske Budejovice. The first building has been handed over to the client Taconova and is only the start of the up to 80,000 sqm development potential in the first phase, with over 150,000 sqm to follow. The strategic collaboration includes €20 million loan for Garbe development in Ceske Budejovice. 

Garbe Industrial Real Estate is moving ahead with its Europe-wide expansion, benefiting from the persistently strong demand for logistics space. For the 203 assets under its management with around 5.7 million square metres of lettable area (including open space), the company achieved rent increases averaging 11.7 percent through indexation provisions and by negotiating new lease agreements. The occupancy rate of the portfolio equals 98 percent. Moreover, the company responded to demand across Europe by delivering new sustainably designed logistics properties.