A year into the pandemic, almost 55% of employees are working partially or exclusively from the office. 4 in 10 say they are satisfied with their current way of working, a study from Romanian Genesis Property shows.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly changed the model of work around the world, attitudes on this matter are still visibly evolving – since the first wave of the lockdown until today the number of people working only from the office has increased by 26%. Almost half of employees go to the office every day, despite over 60% of respondents claiming that they do have comfortable working conditions at home. Employees in all surveyed countries indicated the ability to maintain a work-life balance and have direct conversations with co-workers as the biggest advantages of working in the office. These are only some of the conclusions drawn from a study conducted on behalf of Skanska office development unit in CEE.

The activity on the Bulgarian real estate market was strongly affected by the COVID-19 crisis, but we saw more resilience for the investment and industrial sectors which registered both an increase during the last year. For 2021, the forecasts are still positive for the investment property market and for the industrial development sector, according to the Sofia City Report H2 2020, released by JLL Romania with the support of IPC Partners Bulgaria.

Echo Investment has started the construction of the Brain Park office complex in Kraków. Over 43,000 sqm of workspace and almost 10,000 sqm of green areas will be developed at Aleja Pokoju, one of the city's main arteries. The first phase of the project will be completed in the third quarter of 2022.

Colliers consultants expect a lot of buildings due in 2022 or later to be postponed at least until the market balances itself out.

Major upgrades have launched recently in the myhive Haller Gardens office building, owned by Immofinanz in Budapest and a showroom has been completed in the first phase as planned. The large-scale renovation will affect the entire office building. In addition to the significant energy and technical improvements, the building’s exterior facade, community and office spaces, restaurant and café will be renovated, just as the roof terrace and surrounding garden that will be significantly rebuilt.

The past year has turned every aspect of our lives upside down, including the way we work and use office space. CEE-based flex office provider New Work has updated its annual research that confronts these issues and shows how our habits to use office as a place of work have changed over the past year. Research shows that flexible office space in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania has increased tenfold and workplace needs now are completely different than ever before, so there should be an office ready to use at every corner.

Villa Offices, part of the Warsaw Brewery complex, was acquired by KGAL Group, a leading independent investment and asset manager. The building was sold for approximately €86.7 million.

Speedwell obtained the WELL v2 pre-certification for MIRO, a Class A office project developed by the Belgian company in the northern part of Bucharest.

Hagag Development Europe has started the construction works for the reconversion of the property it owns in the University area. H Tudor Arghezi 21 is the second office project that the company is developing on the local market, and the investment amounts to over €4 million.