JLL has appointed Tomasz Trzósło as Managing Director of the CEE Markets. He will oversee the company’s operations across Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, alongside his existing responsibilities as country manager for JLL’s business in Poland.

The annual volume of leased floorspace in 2018 was 3.7 million sqm on Poland’s industrial market. The market grew by a further 2 million sqm while nearly 2 million sqm of space is under construction. Last year also saw record-breaking total for industrial investment transactions - worth €1.84 billion, according to JLL’s market summary.

Decreasing supply of attractive land parcels combined with growing prices are directing investors' attention to areas with objects that require either demolition or revitalization. Multi-functional projects are still gaining popularity in Poland, according to JLL’s report.

Last year’s demand for office space on Poland’s markets was 1.5 million sqm. 744,000 sqm of office space was delivered to market while a further 1.6 million sqm is under construction, according to JLL’s report.

According to JLL, CEE's real estate investment transactional volume for 2018 was in excess of €13.23 billion and recorded an 11% increase over 2017 (€11.92 billion). JLL has registered continued appetite from investors for the full range of assets across the entire region. Poland smashed its previous record volume set in 2006 (€5.05 billion) with a spectacular €7.2 billion traded, and secured a massive regional share of 54%. Poland was followed by the Czech Republic (€2.51 billion - 19% share), Hungary (€1.85 billion - 14%), Romania (€900 million - 7%) and Slovakia (€820 million - 6%).

Last year an astonishing 860,000 sqm of office space was leased, with the vacancy rate dropping 8.7%, and new supply totalling 230,000 sqm. Currently, the total under-construction volume stands at 720,000 sqm. JLL summarised the Warsaw office market in 2018.

The expected reduction in construction activity in 2019 indicates the maturity of the traditional retail format market. New opportunities for owners and tenants come in the form of mixed-use projects and omni-channel retailing. JLL summarised the Polish retail market in 2018.

Służewiec, a district in Warsaw and one of the largest and most prominent business districts in Poland, currently offers nearly 1.1 million sqm of modern office space. According to recent estimates, there is approx. 87,000 office personnel employed in the area. As the needs of staff and residents of the city change, there is a groundswell of opinion suggesting that this part of Warsaw needs a new strategy and a fresh action plan. What activities would contribute to the improved functioning and more favorable perception of this district as well as maintaining its attractiveness as a key business hub?

Fund management company Redside has closed the largest industrial transaction of 2018 in Slovakia by purchasing Trencin Industrial Park for a sum close to €90 million. With this acquisition, Redside enters the Slovak industrial real estate market.

During 2018 the total commercial real estate investment transaction volume passed the €1.8 billion level in Hungary, marking the third consecutive year of stable and strong investor appetite and the highest annual transaction volume since 200, according to JLL Hungary's latest numbers. Hungarian funds were the most active purchasers with a market share above 50%.