According to the latest RICS Commercial Property Monitor, occupier and investment sentiment remains positive across main CEE markets, even though the Czech Republic has posted its most subdued set of readings in four years. In many countries, demand for retail assets fell on both the occupier and investment sides of the market. Based on rental and capital value projections, secondary retail is visibly suffering in Austria, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.

There’s a lot of capital targeting real estate in Central & Eastern Europe but finding the right investment product remains a huge challenge. Panellists of the CEE investment panel at Portfolio Property Investment Forum 2019 in Budapest discussed the risks investors in the region need to keep in mind.

M7 Real Estate has purchased the Nowa Kamienica office building in Kraków for €11 million. With this transaction, M7 Real Estate has fully invested its first dedicated Polish investment fund, M7 POLAF.

Czech investor CPI Property Group has completed the acquisition of the Eurocentrum office complex in Warsaw from Capital Park. JLL advised the buyer on the transaction.

In the first three quarters of 2019, the regional city investment volume reached €1.06 billion, matching the level recorded in the whole of last year. Cushman & Wakefield forecast this year’s total volume to hit €1.3–1.5bn, 25-40% above the equivalent level in 2018. Prime office yields stand at 5.50%–6.00% in Krakow and Wrocław, and at 6.75–7.25% in Gdansk, Poznań, Katowice and Łódź.

AXA XL has completed the acquisition of Secure Legal Title Limited, a London-based insurance agency and Lloyd’s approved coverholder, with major operations in the UK, Europe, India and the Americas.

The Executive Boards of S Immo and Immofinanz decided to end their discussions over the possible combination of the two companies. This decision was based, in particular, on the inability to reach an agreement over a possible exchange ratio.

Golub GetHouse has finalised the sale of a 170-metre-high residential tower with apartments for rent planned on the plot at ul. Grzybowska 59 in Warsaw to LRC Group. The residential high-rise to be delivered by Golub GetHouse will feature 900 units for rent.

Via a subsidiary, TAG Immobilien AG signed an investment agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Vantage Development S.A. with a simultaneous carve-out of its commercial real estate business which will be repurchased by the selling shareholders. The total transaction consideration amounts to c. €131 million, of which c. €46 million relate to the commercial real estate business unit. As a result, the total net consideration for TAG amounts to c. €85 million for the residential business and platform of Vantage Development.

HGA Capital, a member of the CARISTO Management Group, has sold the Oktogon House office building in central Budapest to a company belonging to RIMO Holding AG. The transaction price has not been disclosed.