As we are seeing a slowing down of new office projects across Budapest and the region, occupancy has emerged as ‘king’, while energy efficiency has become the number one priority for both landlords and tenants. Property Forum asked Jake Lodge, Principal at Avison Young in Hungary about his view on the major changes in the local office market and the way landlords and tenants try to overcome mounting difficulties.

Forest Center (formerly Forest Offices) will be taken over by the University of Debrecen at the end of January 2023. The property was opened in 2019 and acquired by Central European developer and investor GTC in 2021. No details were disclosed about the size of the latest transaction. 

Hungary's BDPST Group is set to acquire Hotel Gellért in Budapest, located in the same building as one of the city's most famous spas, from Indotek Group. The price of the transaction was not disclosed. Indotek obtained the hotel in 2019, buying the property from Danubius Hotels Group, portfolio.hu reports.

Mol Campus, Hungarian oil company Mol's new headquarters, located within the BudaPart mixed-use project and built by Market Építő Zrt., is the highest office building in the country reaching 143 meters and offering 86,000 sqm of office and retail space. 

Mihály Schrancz, the CEO of Hungarian real estate development company Property Market has stepped down. The move was unexpected and no new leader has been announced yet.

The existing two buildings of Centerpoint, owned by GTC and located in the heart of the largest office district in Budapest, are set to undergo a massive technical refurbishment which is to be completed next year. 

The first tenant has already moved into the downtown office building recently modernised by Defactoring Zrt. Located in District 9, the office building has been equipped with solar panels and smart devices.

Duna House Group published its monthly Transaction Number Estimate, according to which 8,000 residential properties changed hands nationwide in November 2022. This value represents the weakest month this year, a 4 percent drop compared to the previous month and a 27 percent drop compared to November last year.

Indotek Group has appointed an International Sales Director to support the company's growing international presence. The position will be held by András Kovács, the company's current Sales Director, who will continue to oversee sales in Hungary. Under the appointment, the specialist will be responsible for international office (non-retail), warehouse and logistics real estate sales and leasing activities. The new position was necessitated by the dynamic growth of the company's international real estate portfolio and ambitious expansion plans.

As of December 1, Martin Baláž will step up into the position of Senior Vice President, Country Manager Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary, reporting to Pawel Sapek, Prologis Senior Vice President and Regional Head for Central Europe.