CPI Property Group has committed to significantly reducing its portfolio’s carbon footprint and, at the same time, encourages its tenants to do the same. The Group also invests heavily in special building management systems to reach sustainable operation even faster, says Mátyás Gereben, Country Manager at CPI Hungary who talked to Property Forum about the company’s asset management strategy on the local market.

One United Properties continues to develop its Bucharest-based office portfolio which has reached an estimated value of almost €400 million. Property Forum spoke with Mihai Păduroiu, CEO of the Office Division of One United Properties, about the transformation in the office market triggered by the pandemic and the drivers of demand going forward.

With around 122,000 sqm of new industrial space under development in Romania, WDP is seeing growing demand across its entire portfolio. Property Forum talked to Gijs Klomp, Business Development Manager at WDP Romania, about the new demand drivers and the investment potential in areas where infrastructure development is accelerating.

There is scepticism in the market regarding the correlation between sustainability and financial performance but it is beneficial to be sustainable if you consider the overall life-cycle of the building, explains Oana Stamatin, ESG Chief Officer | CEE & Romania at Colliers. She talked to Property Forum about the challenges and opportunities owners of real estate face in striving for ESG compliance. 

Maxim Shkolnick, General Partner at CEE-based retail investor Focus Estate Fund talked to Property Forum about recent acquisitions in Poland, the Covid-driven evolution of the retail market and the astonishing popularity of convenience centres among investment funds.

S IMMO has recently made major commitments towards building a fully ESG-compliant office portfolio in Budapest with a large acquisition and an ambitious green energy initiative. Géza Barabas, Country Manager of S IMMO Hungary talked to Property Forum about upcoming investment plans and the company’s ESG strategy for the Hungarian market.

There is a belief that ESG costs money but in fact, the opposite can be true, says Stefan de Goeij, Head of Property Management at Avison Young in the Czech Republic. He talked to Property Forum about compliance, commitment and tackling all the components of ESG in the real estate industry.

Development margins in Poland have been under pressure in recent years which is taking effect in a smaller number of projects under construction with planned occupancy dates in 2022 and 2023. Property Forum talked to Mariusz Frąckiewicz, Country Director at Avestus Real Estate Poland about the post-Covid office market in Poland, the impact of inflation and surging land prices.

Karol Pilniewicz, Chief Investment Officer of Futureal Investment Partners talked to Property Forum about entering the investment market, the condition of the retail sector after two years of pandemic restrictions and current financing conditions.

COVID-19 has significantly changed what clients are looking for across different real estate sectors, including facility management. Libor Holík, CEO of B+N Czech Republic and Slovakia talked to Property Forum about current challenges and opportunities in the facility management business.