Throughout the first quarter of 2020, the total transaction volume on the commercial real estate market in Poland exceeded €2.4 billion, according to preliminary results by Avison Young. This volume is almost three times as high as compared to the corresponding period of 2019, however, in line with Avison Young forecasts from December last year. Robust investment activity has been mainly noted in the industrial and office sectors. Asian investors dominated investment volume in terms of capital origin, with a particular focus on the industrial sector. At the same time, a growing investment activity of CEE investors is continuously observed, especially on the office market.

Colliers International launched a SEE and Baltics Infographic Pack to track the ever-changing situation across these countries and property markets.

As it was reported yesterday, the €300 million sale of NEPI Rockcastle’s Romanian office portfolio to AFI Europe has been suspended. In their separate announcements, the buyer claims that the completion of the transaction was impossible due to the COVID-19 related restrictions imposed by the authorities, while the seller insists that these restrictions did not prevent completion. The two companies have not reached a consensus on postponing the transaction’s deadline. NEPI Rockcastle has interpreted AFI Europe’s actions as a wish to cancel the acquisition and is now asking the company for a €15 million compensation.

The first online panel of Property Forum took place yesterday, where six experts discussed the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on the real estate market in CEE. Our panelists discussed who could be the biggest winners and losers of the current situation, what to expect in the logistics and retail markets and how the current spread of remote working may affect the office market and coworking operators. They also explained the possible impact of the coronavirus crisis on investments and ongoing and planned developments.

The €300 million sale of NEPI Rockcastle’s Romanian office portfolio to AFI Europe has been suspended due to the coronavirus crisis, Profit.ro reports.

A new report on the hotel investment scene in CEE reveals that in 2019 the CEE6 markets were rapidly catching up with their western neighbours, both in terms of investment volumes and sophistication. The second annual report by Cushman & Wakefield and international law firm CMS explores the underlying investment trends across CEE6 countries and looks at the various innovations that have shaped the hotel industry in recent years.

Savills Investment Management has completed the acquisition of the logistics unit leased to Leroy Merlin in Piątek from Invesco Real Estate, the global real estate investment manager, on behalf of Korean institutional investors managed by Vestas Investment Management.

Hillwood acquired new industrial land in Czestochowa where is intends to develop Hillwood Logistics Centre Częstochowa-Miasto, a modern park consisting of 2 warehouses totalling ca. 64,000 sqm GLA.

Nicklas Lindberg, CEO of Echo Investment, and Maciej Drozd, the company’s CFO, have bought over 1400 of the company’s bonds on the secondary market. The Management has confidence in Echo Investment and further development of the business consistent with the Strategy of Profitable Growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting the global economy hard, with all real estate sectors in the Czech Republic affected to varying degrees. But in the subsequent low interest rate environment, Czech real estate as an asset class should continue to offer superior returns, according to the latest research from Savills.