Retail property investments continue to attract investors´ attention within the EMEA region as well as in the Czech Republic. Due to a lack of quality retail schemes available for purchase in the European core markets, investors´ interest has been broadening in terms of geographies as well as retail asset classes. The latest JLL study summarises the trends on the European retail market from an investors´ perspective. 

German retailer Lidl bought two XXL Mega Discount stores, located in Sibiu and Galati, from Penny Market. Each property offers 2,500 sqm of retail space. Lidl will also take over the land surrounding the stores. The transaction price is estimated to be between €6 million and €8 million, according to zf.ro.

Panattoni Europe announced the sale of Panattoni Park Warszawa–Konotopa, located in the Warsaw region. The multi-tenant logistics centre comprises two buildings totalling close to 50,000 sqm and is fully leased. After the sales transaction is completed, Panattoni Europe will retain responsibility for managing the park. 

According to CBRE, it is very likely that business deals in the Hungarian investment property market in 2017 will reach last year’s €1.54 billion (HUF480 billion) turnover.

CBRE sees continuing strong demand from investors in the Czech Republic across the core sectors of office, retail and industrial with an increased demand for more specialist sectors such as hotels and residential. The retail sector in Q1 clearly dominated with more than €900 million transacted, followed by the office sector with a 20% share of total market volume.

M7 Real Estate has acquired a further circa. €20 million of assets in Budapest, on behalf of its first Central European fund for third party investors, M7 CEREF I. This follows the Fund completing its final close, reaching its target raise of €60 million of investor capital in April 2017, as well as the agreement of a €68.5 million senior debt facility with Starwood European Real Estate Finance.  

NASDAQ and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange-listed Elbit Imaging has put two of its Bucharest hotels on the market. The company is hoping to finalise the sale of the five-star Radisson Blu and the four-star Park Inn by the end of the year. 

Hili Properties, the real estate division of Hili Ventures, has finalised the acquisition of ART Business Centre in Bucharest from FBC Exclusive Company for €30 million.

Ronny Pecik has, referring to RPR Management GmbH’s right to acquire 7.6 million shares in S IMMO AG granted by Anadoria Investments Ltd. on 6 April 2017, notified S IMMO AG via legal representatives, that RPR Management GmbH, a subsidiary of RPR Privatstiftung has named the affiliated companies Everest Investment GmbH & Co KG and Pavus Immobilien GmbH & Co KG as purchasers, which acquired the shares on 4 May 2017.

Futureal has sold its Sziget Center shopping mall in Hungary to OTP Property Investment Fund as part of the deal that also saw the purchase of the Skypark office building. After a successful repositioning, the 23,600 sqm center located on the outskirts of Budapest has managed to lure high-profile tenants and tripled its lease income over the last two and a half years.