Echo Polska Properties – an international fund operating as a REIT –is purchasing seven office buildings with almost 112,000 sqm of GLA from Echo Investment, a Polish developer. The total value of the properties as at the agreement amounts to almost €264 million. The sold properties are: O3 Business Campus in Kraków (phase I, II and III), Tryton Business House in Gdańsk, A4 Business Park in Katowice (phase III) and Symetris Business Park in Łódź (phase I and II).

This year has witnessed new players entering Central and Eastern European markets which, when combined with investments from the region's traditional players, has further increased CEE investment activity. Colliers, Skanska and JLL has released a joint report that analyses the region’s potential as an investment location.

Global law firm White & Case has signed a lease agreement for 2,500 sqm of modern space in the Q22 office building. The firm will relocate to its new office by the end of 2017 and will occupy floors 37-38 as well as part of floor 39. JLL represented White & Case during the process of selecting a new office and negotiating the lease terms.

Clothing company LPP SA, owner of brands such as Reserved, Tallinder, Mohito, House, Crops and Sinsay, decided to move into the Waterside building in Gdansk by leasing an office of more than 1,000 sqm. Knight Frank, acted as sole agent on behalf of the property’s owner, the Deka Immobilien fund.

KRM Poland, a distribution branch of the shoe retailer Ecco, has significantly expanded its warehousing and operations at Bokserska Distribution Center in Warsaw. The company is introducing its e-commerce platform to the facility and will occupy more than 10,500 sqm. Knight Frank, the manager of the property, advised the owner, UK & European in the transaction.

Skanska has laid the cornerstone for its third Kraków office project, High5ive. In the first phase of the project two buildings will be constructed by Q4 2017 with a GLA of 23,500 sqm. Upon completion the entire complex will offer 70,000 sqm of leasable space. 

In the last quarter alone South African investors have spent €1 billion in CEE and it is most likely that they won’t stop chasing higher yields anytime soon. Even though investments in Central and Eastern Europe are generally considered risky by European standards, coming from other parts of the world opportunities in the region may seem rather safe. We report from CEE Property Forum 2016, co-organised by Portfolio Property Forum and RICS, where over 300 visitors and 70 speakers came together to discuss the most pressing issues concerning regional investment markets.

The Polish branch of Berner, a European direct seller, has signed a lease for more than 2,900 sqm of warehouse and office space in Panattoni Park Kraków III. The developer Panattoni was represented by Cushman & Wakefield.

Altium, an Australian owned international IT company, will launch its first office in Poland. The company has selected Silesia Business Park office complex in Katowice for its Poland-based operations. Altium has leased nearly 770 sqm of office space in the complex developed by Skanska Property Poland.

TriGranit has completed the sale of Bonarka City Center (BCC) in Krakow to Rockcastle, a property company specializing in retail centres in Central and Eastern Europe. TriGranit, which is owned by TPG Real Estate and was the developer of the shopping centre, will remain the property manager for two years. In addition to managing BCC, TriGranit will remain active in Krakow and is currently developing three office buildings in the ‘Bonarka for Business’ (B4B) area.