According to Knight Frank’s The Wealth Report 2021 released today, private capital has been undeterred by the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to invest in commercial real estate around the world. The volume of private capital invested globally was circa $232 billion - 9% above the ten-year average, albeit down on 2019 levels.

There was a monumental €26 billion (£23.5 billion) investment into the European data centre sector for the first half of 2020, despite the impact of COVID-19, according to a report by Knight Frank in partnership with DC Byte. This is over four times the $5 billion annual average figure and a colossal increase on last year’s $2 billion investment volumes. Take-up in H1 2020 was also 50% higher year-on-year at 282MW.

Knight Frank’s Active Capital 2020 finds that cross-border investment into safe-haven locations and ‘near-neighbours’ are set to dominate global capital flows in 2021, as COVID-19 shifts trends in real estate investment and global mobility. 

Knight Frank has been selected as the property manager of the building at Na Ostatnim Groszu Street, which is owned by Echo Investment. The office building with an area of over 21,000 square metres is the first stage constructed as part of the West 4 Business HUB office complex in Wrocław.

Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU, one of the largest investment fund companies in Poland, dealing inter alia in investments on the real estate market, has chosen a new manager of its office assets. Starting from the end of August, Knight Frank will be responsible for the management and commercialization of 9 buildings in Warsaw, Wrocław and Gdańsk.  

Cavatina Holding has entrusted Knight Frank with the management of the Carbon Tower office building in Wrocław. The building’s leasable floor area totals 19,000 sqm.

Speedwell has closed a significant deal with KPMG for office space lease at Miro, the company’s new project located in Băneasa, Bucharest. The project has marked a key milestone as it has just received its building permit and will welcome KPMG’s employees at the end of 2021. The office division of Knight Frank Romania was the consultant in the transaction.

Knight Frank has been present in Hungary since 2018, mostly focusing office leasing – a process that will significantly be impacted by COVID-19. Erika Lóska, Head of Office Division at Knight Frank Hungary and Colin Fitzgerald, Partner International Occupier Services at Knight Frank London talked to Property Forum about the company’s plans for Hungary and how COVID-19 could change the occupier services sector.

Fabryka Kart Trefl-Kraków has appointed Knight Frank to manage its Fabryka Kart office building. The nearly one-hundred-year-old building has been given a new life after the revitalisation completed in 2019. Currently, it is a loft-like building with a total floor area of more than 2,500 square metres.

Speedwell has mandated Knight Frank to sell the office buildings and sports centre of Record Park, a mixed-use project (office, sports centre & residential) situated in central Cluj-Napoca (next to Dedeman’s The Office). The sales mandate includes three separate buildings: two office buildings - a new Class A office building next to a renovated historic building of the former imperial stables - and a new stand-alone sports centre with a pool.