Over the last few quarters, a new office space supply gap in Warsaw, caused by record low levels of space under construction and predominantly forecast for 2023, has been widely discussed. This appears to also be the case with Poland's largest regional markets albeit slightly lagging behind Warsaw, says JLL. 

Q3 2022 saw up to a 30% q/q drop in the number of flats sold on the primary markets of Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, the Tri-City, Poznań and Łódź. The total number of flats sold in these markets was only 6,600. JLL experts emphasise that the last time such low demand for real estate occurred in Q2 2020 when sales offices were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic wave.

Q3 2022 in the Warsaw office market saw record-low developer activity. At the end of September, only 160,000 sqm of space was under construction. As a result, new supply is expected to drop significantly in 2023, with only 60,000 sqm of office space coming to the market, JLL reports.

Prague's residential market is seeing record construction this year, with more housing starts, but demand for apartments is slowing down. On the other hand, however, the growth of housing prices is slowing and mortgage interest rates are rising. This is also why the share of vacant flats supply in the Prague residential market has increased too, says JLL's regular report.

The Prague office real estate market reached several records in the first nine months of 2022. It marked year-on-year records in the growth of new office space, record demand from tenants, and even much more office space was leased this year than a year earlier, according to JLL's regular quarterly analysis.     

Trei Real Estate and Jones Lang LaSalle Poland jointly published a new market report on retail parks and convenience centres in Poland. Here are the key findings: Within the retail sector as a whole, investors focus primarily on retail parks, convenience centres, DIY stores and food markets. Prime yields for high-end retail parks have maintained a stable level between 6.5 and 6.75%. The Polish retail investment market saw five banner years of very strong investment volumes between 2015 and 2019, each achieving a transaction total of €2.0 billion to 2.5 billion. The year-end volumes of 2020 and 2021 were significantly lower at c. €750 million and €1.0 billion, respectively. By contrast, investments in 2022 already stood at c. €760 million by mid-year. Accordingly, Trei and JLL Poland feel optimistic about 2022 as a whole.

Inflation and the energy crises have not influenced the Czech industrial real estate market yet as the market broke two historical records in the period of Q3 2022. More than half a million sqm of new industrial space was completed and the vacancy rate fell below 1% for the first time in recorded history, says the newest JLL report.

Interest in office space in Prague is not slowing down. Office demand is growing by tens of percents year-on-year, the vacancy rate is slightly decreasing and over 190,000 sqm is under construction, according to the latest office market analysis for Q3 2022 by the Prague Research Forum.

Poland has one of the most attractive tax systems for innovators in Europe. According to the JLL report 'Made in Poland', a comprehensive guide for investors prepared in cooperation with partners: Polish Investment and Trade Agency, Hays and ALTO, when doing business in Poland, companies have many opportunities to obtain financial support from both domestic and EU sources. Reliefs and subsidies translate into increased interest in the Polish market. Last year was a record year in terms of investment, with projects in Poland with a total value exceeding €3.5 billion implemented with the participation of PAIH. This is €800 million more than last year and €700 million more than in the record year so far in 2019.

JLL has announced that Robert Paulson has been appointed Head of Capital Markets for the Czech Republic. In a move to support the growth and evolution of its Capital Markets business across the region, Rob’s appointment is effective immediately.