The first phase of the Le Jardin residential complex has reached its highest point. The residential park with 165 apartments is located on the shore of the Rákos stream, in a green zone location and developed by the Hungarian company Wing.

Offices might become hotels, hotels can be converted into apartment buildings and warehouses may serve as retail centres. But location, revenue-generating capacity and environmental considerations are the most important factors in converting successfully an existing commercial property, say experts of Hungarian developer Wing. Ernő Takács, Deputy CEO, responsible for hotels and retail at Wing and Chairman of the Association of Hungarian Property Developers and Gábor Angel, Deputy CEO, responsible for offices at Wing, talked to Property Forum about the challenges of changing the use of a property.

Austrian company CA Immo has concluded a long-term lease agreement for approx. 8,000 sqm of office space in Millennium Tower I, situated in the Millennium City Center, a large complex just off the river Danube. Cushman & Wakefield and Newmark VLK acted as agents and advisors on the deal.

The yield shift began in Hungary with a bit of a delay compared to the regional countries, where repricing has already become evident. Office maintains its dominance but investors have started to see retail assets as more attractive than before, says Attila Balogh, Head of Capital Markets at Hungarian property advisor firm Eston International.

Consumer prices in Hungary were 17.6% higher on average in July 2023 than a year earlier. The highest price rises were measured for electricity, gas and other fuels as well as food over the last twelve months. In one month, consumer prices increased by 0.3% on average, within which, however, clothing and footwear cost 1.4%, food 0.9% and consumer durables 0.5% less, the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) reports.

The mixed-use property development Liberty by Hungarian developer Wing has reached a major milestone. The office area in the south wing has received its use permit, and the first tenants have already moved in. At the same time, a sports store is now open on the ground floor.

Some forms of government support may temporarily ease the current tough conditions for part of the construction sector in Hungary. But companies may not count on outside help only. All have to invest in new technologies and extend their in-house competencies, especially to reach ESG compliance, says Pál Dános MRICS, Associate Partner at KPMG Hungary in an interview with Property Fourm.

The German retailer has secured an 18,000 sqm industrial space in HelloParks Páty, located in the western suburbs of Budapest. The new facility will serve as a regional warehouse centre for the company. DM will move in at the end of November 2023.

In Q2 2023, the Greater Budapest speculative industrial stock increased by 65,580 sqm, adding six buildings to the stock, while in Regional Hungary, one new building was handed over. The vacancy rate at the end of Q2 2023 was 8.6% in Greater Budapest, an increase of 270 basis points quarter-on-quarter and an increase of 220 basis points year-on-year, the Budapest Research Forum (BRF) reports.

The Academia office building in downtown Budapest has undergone complete renovation and modernization. The building will offer 12,500 sqm of office space from the first week of August. The complex has obtained the WiredScore-Gold certification and soon it will boast additional certifications, such as BREEAM, WELL and Access4you.