New hotels are rapidly being built across Warsaw. Twelve new hotels have been opened across the city in the last eighteen months - more than in Berlin. Warsaw is frequented by more and more visitors and it is steadily becoming one of the most important hotel markets in CEE. Does it, however, have the chance to develop as much as the hotel markets in Prague or Budapest?

Tenants are still eager to choose Warsaw's Służewiec district for their headquarters. The district also has a rapidly developing residential sector. These factors are enhancing the district’s image as an attractive place to live.  Nearly 35,000 sqm of office space was leased in Q1 2019, 3,900 apartments delivered to the market in the last three years with transactions worth over €600 million concluded in the office market since 2015 - JLL analysed investor activity in Warsaw’s Służewiec Przemysłowy.

The advance of diversity and solidification of the retail market is creating attractive conditions for the expansion of global brands, according to the experts of JLL Poland. One such example is the decision made by Urban Outfitters to enter the Polish market.

JLL is responding to the strengthening trend of flexible offices along with the entry of new centres on the Czech market and introduces a unique consulting service in this sector in the Czech Republic. Tereza Bílá joined the JLL Landlord & Brokerage team as a Flexspace Consultant on June 1st.

One of the leading investment advisors of the region is seeing increased activity in Slovakia and Romania and expects further yield compression on these markets. Mike Atwell, Head of Capital Markets CEE and Czech Republic at JLL shared his thoughts on new investments, changing market trends and technology.

At the end of Q1 2019, the total modern Class A industrial stock in the Czech Republic stood at 7.97 million sqm. In the first three months of 2019, the Prague industrial market has exceeded the magical milestone of 3 million sqm, confirming its position as the largest industrial market in the country, followed by the Pilsen and South Moravian markets, according to JLL:

The first quarter of 2019 proved to be a very good one for the industrial sector in Poland - the gross take-up exceeded 800,000 sqm with more than 620,000 sqm being delivered to the market, and approx. two million sqm under construction. JLL summarized the situation on the Polish industrial market at the end of Q1 2019.

JLL advised Atrium European Real Estate Limited in the disposal process of two Polish shopping centres, namely Atrium Felicity and Atrium Koszalin to the ECE European Prime Shopping Centre Fund II, managed by the independent fund managing company ECE Real Estate Partners. The parties signed on 9th May 2019 an agreement concerning the sale of both assets for €298 million, representing around 3% premium to book value as at 31 March 2019. The transaction is subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions precedent and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2019.

Poland's office market in Q1 2019 saw office supply growing, vacancy rates dropping comparing to the last year, and demand predominantly being driven by IT, services and manufacturing. Advisory firm JLL summarised the situation on the Polish office market at the end of Q1 2019.

In the first quarter of this year, residential developers on the six major markets in Poland sold 16,500 new flats, repeating the result attained in Q4 2018. During this same period, a similar number, 16,800 units, were put up for sale. Poznań and Łódź are experiencing a late boom, as sales on these markets reached record highs in Q1 2019, according to JLL’s latest report.