Total demand on the Budapest office market in Q3 2019 reached 191,235 sqm, representing a 41% growth compared to the same period of last year, according to BRF’s latest figures.

Work is well underway on site at Forte Partners’ U Centre, a new, eight-floor office development in the Bucharest. The investment is valued at €200 million.

Mint Investments acquired one of the most prominent buildings in Na Příkopě Street in Prague for its private investors. Mint Investments acted in the transaction as an investment advisor and asset manager supported by Sentient as a technical advisor. The acquisition was debt-financed by Česká spořitelna. The seller was represented in the transaction by CBRE. Mint Investments now plans a major investment in the building's technical equipment which will allow it to execute its value-add programme.

Hines European Value Fund, acting through its subsidiary Gisla, plans to acquire the Wola Center office building in Warsaw from Develia. The parties have signed a preliminary agreement with the deal value set at €101.9 million.

CPIPG expects to acquire more than €800 million of high-quality offices in Warsaw, Poland during Q4 2019 and early Q1 2020. The company’s team in Warsaw has identified eight properties totalling more than 235,000 sqm and has signed letters of intent (with exclusivity) on assets valued at more than €700 million.

Futureal Group has started the development of the final office complex on Corvin Promenade in Budapest, Hungary. Corvin7 developed in two phases will offer nearly 30,000 sqm of gross leasable area (GLA) in the immediate vicinity of Corvin Offices.

What’s next for the office market? What do occupiers want? What effect would an economic slowdown have on development? Heads of the European offices of real estate advisory firm Cresa talked about business opportunities and risks, and the global political uncertainty at their annual conference in Warsaw.

Spaces, a global concept originating from the Netherlands and offering solutions in the area of ​​flex work and coworking spaces, has leased over 3,300 sq m of space in the historic Matejki 3 building, which was previously the headquarters for the Union of Silesian Insurgents. The opening of this new branch of Spaces is scheduled for the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021. Experts from JLL advised Spaces during the process of searching for the office and negotiating lease terms.

The largest supply of modern office space in 15 CEE countries was recorded in Warsaw, Budapest and in Prague, while the biggest increase of new supply in H1 2019 was noted in Bucharest. The most active tenant sectors are IT, professional services, banking, and BPO/SSC. More and more office buildings can boast of prestigious certificates, modern technological and ecological solutions and innovatively designed space, according to Colliers International’s latest report.

Helaba, Berlin Hyp and pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank have jointly underwritten an investment facility totalling €230 million to refinance Warsaw Spire Tower. The asset is owned by Immofinanz. The financing transaction closed in September 2019. Helaba, Berlin Hyp and pbb are acting as joint lead arrangers providing equal portions of the funding, with Helaba acting as facility and security agent of the transaction.