FLE, a relatively new player on the CEE investment market, plans to acquire €100 million worth of assets just in Hungary and expects new investors to join the race. Dr. Alexander Klafsky, LL.M. MRICS, Managing Partner at FLE GmbH talked investment strategy and market expectations.

Retail is changing rapidly with e-commerce having already brought on the death of several shopping centres overseas. Europe is not exempt from this phenomenon, even though the market in general strongly differs from that of the U. S. An interview with Savino Natalicchio MRICS, Director of the Retail Business Unit at Duff & Phelps Real Estate Advisory Group’s Advisory and Valuation Department in Milan, who talked about the future of retail and changing shopping centre valuation practices.

One of the most important local players on the Hungarian market has closed two transactions at the end of 2017 and there are more in the pipeline for 2018. Balázs Czifra, Property Investment Director at Diófa Asset Management talked to Property Forum about his plans and expectations.

Last year, in a landmark deal, CPI Property Group has acquired 11 CEE retail assets from funds managed by CBRE Global Investors. Country Manager Mátyás Gereben talked to us about the company’s future plans for Hungary and revealed what’s in store for the five assets – shopping centres Pólus and Campona, the Andrássy Complex and two Interpsar stores – that were added to CPI’s Hungarian portfolio as a result of the €650 million deal.

Founded almost 25 years ago by owners and managers of the former TriGranit Group, Granit Polus recently announced its intention to launch a major mixed-used development in the centre of Budapest. Owner Sándor Demján and CEO Gyula Ágházi shared the company’s new strategy with Property Forum.

As a response to continued strong demand from tenants in Budapest and Bucharest, Skanska plans to launch several new projects in both capital cities. Marcin Łapiński, Managing Director for Hungary and Romania talked to Property Forum about the differences between the two markets.

Strong economic growth, booming tourism and increasing construction activity characterise one of the least well-known markets of the CEE/SEE region. Total office stock in the capital barely exceeds 100,000 sqm, which results in one of the highest rental fees in the region. The situation is, however, about to change as new mixed-use projects of higher quality should increase the pressure on landlords. Stela Dhami, Managing Partner at Colliers International shared us her positive outlook on the Albanian market.

CBRE Global Investors have been one of the most active buyers on the CEE investment market recently. Having closed the off-market acquisition of a logistics/light industrial portfolio in the Czech Republic, Robert Snincak, Head of Investment Operations CEE talked to Property Forum about CBRE Global Investors’ investment strategy for the region.

The increased use of technology is already changing the way industrial property is being built and used. Tim Davies, Head of EMEA Industrial and Logistics Agency at Colliers International United Kingdom talked to Property Forum about e-commerce, robotics, big data and many more.

The growth of e-commerce is transforming the retail market all over the world. Experts don’t believe that physical stores will completely disappear but owners of developers of retail assets will need to come up with new ideas in order to attract customers. Jan Kotrbáček, Head of Retail Agency CEE at Cushman & Wakefield analysed the CEE retail market for Property Forum.