According to experts from Colliers, the Czech real estate market is facing several challenges this year.

Bulgaria's retail sector has displayed resilience and growth in Q2 2023, with positive economic indicators, aggressive retail park expansion, and stable pricing trends. Despite challenges faced by CEE countries, Bulgaria's economy is on a positive trajectory, setting the stage for a promising retail landscape. These are the highlights of Cushman & Wakefield/Forton's latest retail market report.

Sofia's office market faces shifting demand and moderating construction, according to a report by the real estate company MBL for the second quarter of 2023. Changing work patterns and preferences for hybrid models have raised concerns about the future demand for office space. The capital's vacancy rates decreased slightly, while rental rates remained stable. Investors are approaching the market with caution due to inflation and remote work practices. Despite the moderate activity, there is a potential for modern, well-located office spaces to attract higher occupancy and investment interest.

Brokers report a 30% drop in inquiries for purchasing a new home in Sofia. On an annual basis, the decrease in concluded deals is 15 %.

Bulgaria, with its growing economy and increasing consumer spending, has witnessed a recent surge in the construction of retail parks across the country. A total of 13 projects are under active construction and another 9 are at different stages of planning. The outlook for the retail park market in Bulgaria over the next year is positive, according to the latest report by Colliers.

The owner of the former Radetzky-barracks, Market Group has topped out the development of this mixed-use property. The 19th-century building will be transformed into a high-class hotel and office complex, portfolio.hu reports.

Properties in Sofia rank relatively cheap compared to other major cities in Europe. The Bulgarian capital is taking the last place in rankings by average price and the market has opportunities to grow. The opinion was expressed by Thomas Stanishev, Director of Galardo Real Estate, in an interview for the show "Club Investor'' of Bloomberg TV Bulgaria  

After the start of the pandemic in 2020, and its surge in 2021, the past 12 months have brought renewed market activity in an attempt to offset the previous slowdown. The retail sector, construction, and the IT sector managed to avoid the recession and maintain their position as the least affected industries by the pandemic. The investment market in Bulgaria for the second half of 2022 recorded twice as high activity in terms of volume as in H1 2022, according to the Sofia City Report by JLL with the support of IPC Partners Bulgaria and Avalant. Foreign investors are less cautious to expand to unload their cash given the limited amount of opportunities.

The Bulgarian commercial property market in 2023 will maintain activity around last year's levels. Main buyers are again expected to be local investors with sufficient funds or being able to obtain favourable credit terms. This is what Cushman & Wakefield Forton is forecasting for the period. C&W Forton estimates the total volume of commercial property transactions in 2022 to be just over €270 million. Transactions with traditional market assets – office and retail space – are predominant, while there is also a stir in the industrial property segment

S Immo AG has expanded its portfolio in the Hungarian capital with the BudaPart Gate, a LEED Gold certified Class A office building. The lettable area measures around 20,000 sqm, the building is fully let. The office property is located at the entrance to the BudaPart area, the largest ongoing urban development project in Budapest with a mix of office, residential, retail, gastronomy, entertainment and local recreation. The seller is Market Asset Management Zrt, a subsidiary of one of the largest construction companies in Hungary. The two parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.