Czech investor Investika has quickly become one of the largest players in the local market and has already expanded internationally. The company is currently preparing two transactions in Warsaw and has its sights set on other EU countries, says Petr Čížek, CEO of Investika, in an interview with Property Forum.

The retail property investment market sector in Poland is thriving, thanks to the stable growth of retail parks (above 5,000 sqm GLA) and convenience retail (retail parks under 5,000 sqm GLA) schemes. Since 2016, 160 assets of this type have been finalized, says Avison Young Poland.

Forest Center (formerly Forest Offices) will be taken over by the University of Debrecen at the end of January 2023. The property was opened in 2019 and acquired by Central European developer and investor GTC in 2021. No details were disclosed about the size of the latest transaction. 

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the development of the secondary market for green commercial real estate in CEE with an equity investment of up to €50 million, in partnership with Adventum's Penta real estate fund. The partnership will acquire commercial real-estate assets, which will then undergo upgrades to improve their resource efficiency.

Hungary's BDPST Group is set to acquire Hotel Gellért in Budapest, located in the same building as one of the city's most famous spas, from Indotek Group. The price of the transaction was not disclosed. Indotek obtained the hotel in 2019, buying the property from Danubius Hotels Group, portfolio.hu reports.

Institutional investors have subscribed to bonds of Echo Investment with a total value of PLN 180 million (€38.4 million). The developer will use the funds raised to redeem existing bonds and strengthen the company's leadership position in the Polish real estate market.

Real estate investors and developers active in Romania argue that inflation, the increasing financing costs, the geopolitical situation and also the increasing construction costs are the main macroeconomic factors which may impact the Romanian real estate market, as these factors are expected to put pressure both on demand and on the rental levels. However, despite all the above-mentioned issues, investors remain positive and their expansion plans in Romania are mostly intact, according to the first edition of Cushman & Wakefield Echinox's “Real Estate Investors Sentiment Barometer”.

The First Real Estate Fund of IAD Investments (Prvý realitný fond) enlarged its Slovak part of the portfolio with a logistics hall with an administrative building in the Pharos location near Bratislava Airport.

Focus Estate Fund has closed the transaction on the acquisition of the Atrium Mosty shopping centre in Płock (Poland). The total area of the centre (GLA) is 18,000 sqm. The price has not been disclosed.

Savills has presented a preliminary summary of 2022 and predicted key trends for the coming months. The commercial property market in Poland is facing uncertainty and rising prices but remains underpinned by strong fundamentals, which bodes well for the future, reveals Savills.