Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a structural factor in corporate operations rather than an emerging technology, according to a market report published by Colliers Hungary. The analysis, authored by Kristóf Tóth, Associate Director and Head of Research at Colliers, examines the economic impact of AI on Hungary and the wider region.

The European commercial real estate debt financing market is showing signs of renewed recovery, according to CBRE's European Lender Intentions Survey. Some 72% of European lenders plan to increase their volume of new loans in 2026 compared with 2025, while only 7% expect a decline. The survey, which gathered responses from 134 lenders between 18 March and 28 April 2026, reflects a stabilisation of the outlook amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Skanska has begun construction of the first phase of its Nowy Format office complex in central Kraków, on the site of a former newspaper printing press. The nine-storey building, designated Nowy Format A1, will provide 21,400 sqm of gross leasable area and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2028. The broader complex will ultimately comprise three buildings totalling approximately 48,000 sqm in the Grzegórzki district.

Signum Work Station, an office building on ul. Domaniewska in Warsaw's Mokotów district, has received the WELL Health-Safety Rating, awarded by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). The certification, which is independently verified and evidence-based, covers operational protocols, cleaning and maintenance, air and water quality management, emergency preparedness, and communication with building occupants.

Bucharest is consolidating its position within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) real estate market, combining rental growth across major asset classes with investment yields that remain well above Western European levels, according to the DNA of Real Estate Europe Q2 2026 report published by Cushman & Wakefield. Across Europe in Q2 2026, prime office rents rose 4.5% year-on-year, retail rents increased 3.0%, and logistics rents grew 2.4%, while investors remained selective as yield movements pointed to a more balanced market following the repricing cycle of recent years.

The first half of 2026 brought a shift in occupier demand in the Kraków office market towards the city centre, according to the "Office Occupier - Office Market in Kraków" report published by Newmark Polska. Although total take-up fell sharply compared with the same period in 2025, leasing activity recovered in the second quarter. The vacancy rate edged up to 19.0% across the city, though it stood at just 10.5% in the Centre.

GTC leased more than 69,000 sqm of space across its portfolio in the first half of 2026, comprising nearly 40,700 sqm of office space and nearly 28,700 sqm of retail and service space. The result surpassed the approximately 55,000 sqm leased in the same period of 2025.

The Czech commercial real estate investment market recorded approximately €1.02 billion across more than 30 transactions in Q2 2026, more than double the volume seen in Q1, according to analysis by Colliers. Residential assets accounted for the largest share at approximately 38% of total investment, with office properties close behind at 35%. Mixed-use, industrial, alternative, hotel and retail assets made up the remainder of a diversified quarter. Czech capital dominated overall, though Western European and global institutional investors also participated.

Hungary's commercial real estate investment volume reached €610 million in the first half of 2026, a 26.7% year-on-year increase and the strongest first-half result since 2021, according to Colliers Hungary. Domestic buyers accounted for 74% of activity. The office sector led with a 37.9% share, followed by retail at 32.9% and industrial and logistics at 18.5%. Prime yields held steady at 6.50% for offices, 7.00% for shopping centres and 6.75% for industrial assets. Based on the transaction pipeline, full-year volume could exceed €1.2 billion.

Westbridge Poland has advised Skanska Commercial Development Europe on procuring electricity from renewable energy sources for two office properties in Poland. Following a structured tendering process, electricity supply for the Wave in Gdańsk and Brama Miasta in Łódź was newly contracted for the 2027 supply year.