The social distancing in office spaces after COVID-19 involves an immediate action strategy to adapt to the new workplace normality, which is why Cushman & Wakefield Echinox has formed a multidisciplinary team to help employers prepare for the gradual return of their employees in office spaces.

The immediate impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the real estate market will be felt during the second quarter of the year while on the medium and long term the focus will be on health and safety measures as well as on technology, these are the main takeaways from the Romania Call Flash, organized by CBRE Romania.

Colliers International has been appointed to manage the first stage of the Face2Face Business Campus in Katowice, which is being developed by Echo Investment. The commission brings the Silesian portfolio of Colliers’ property management department up to more than 40,000 sqm of office space.

Construction work on Villa Offices, the highest commercial building in Warsaw Brewery mixed-use complex, has been completed by developer Echo Investment. WeWork will soon open its headquarters in the new office building.

Bucharest and the major university centres in Romania, such as Cluj-Napoca, Timişoara, Iaşi, Braşov or Craiova, are well-positioned to attract new business in the services sector, despite the Covid-19 pandemic that slowed down the transactional activity and led companies to work from home, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

This year’s first quarter on Poland’s regional office markets was marked by a high level of activity from tenants in the IT sector. The next few months may bring acceleration in activity from companies in the business services sector. JLL summarised the situation on the Polish office market at the end of Q1 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic will transform the office property market, significantly driving demand for flex workspace solutions. In the next 12-18 months, flex formats will increase to approximately 30% of total modern office spaces in Central and Eastern Europe from 3-5% before the crisis. The winners will be landlords and operators who focus on flex office hubs which offer clients not only flex and flex & core formats but an integrated work/life service concept, according to a new report by flex space operator New Work.

CPI Property Group announced the acquisition of a 50.3% stake in the Chałubinskiego 8 office building in central Warsaw. The stake has been acquired from First Property Group for €44 million. 

The Polish Commercial Real Estate Chamber (PINK) published figures on Poland’s regional office markets for Q1 2020. The data is sourced from advisory companies from the commercial real estate sector (BNP Paribas Real Estate, CBRE, Colliers International, Cresa, Cushman & Wakefield, JLL, Knight Frank, Savills) and includes information on modern office stock, new completions, take-up volumes and vacancy rates.

A dramatic shift in the terms, functionality and layout of office rental space is predicted as a direct result of the global pandemic. Organisations could begin to develop innovative strategies that prevent and tackle environmental disasters which encompass disaster recovery plans and hygiene enablers. FreeOfficeFinder.com, an online agent marketing over 2500 UK serviced office providers, has spoken with tenants and landlords to gather perspectives and predictions of how the pandemic will drive changes and considerations for selecting office space.