Central and Eastern European housing markets are over the crisis and prices have once again begun to rise. The general upswing, observed on European housing markets, is supported by a number of factors. Following the economic crisis, GDP has begun to grow once again in most countries and the interest environment is also favourable to borrowing. These both contribute to a recovery in housing market demand, which may then materialise in higher prices. In the case of housing markets in the Central and Eastern European region, significant differences in price dynamics may be observed. Hungary stands out from the field, where a highly significant price rise has been observed in the past two years with the prices of second-hand homes having grown by 29 percent. We take a look at Central and Eastern European housing markets.

HB Reavis has selected JLL as the property manager of West Station I in Warsaw. JLL will be responsible for maintaining relations with tenants and supervising the technical, operational and administrative aspects of the building.

Inforsys, a business process outsourcing operator in Poland, is expanding its offer of comprehensive logistics services under a lease agreement with Panattoni Europe that will continue until July 2020. Inforsys will take up 10,000 sqm of warehouse space dedicated to e-commerce companies with an option to extend the lease by another 10,000 sqm. Inforsys will process orders in the facilities which will also be used as a second mass printing and envelope stuffing location in addition to the Radzymin operational centre. Cushman & Wakefield acted as the agent on the transaction.

TriGranit has completed the sale of two assets. Millennium Towers, an office complex in Budapest, has been sold to CA Immo for €175 million and Bonarka City Center, a shopping mall in Krakow has been purchased by Rockcastle. The developer will remain the property manager of both assets.

The Polish property market has long been the region’s frontrunner and it seems like that nothing can slow it down. In spite of all the fears of last year related to political instability and the Warsaw office market getting potentially overheated, investment volumes are up significantly and development activity is stronger than ever. Piotr Mirowski, Director of CEE Investment Services at Colliers International Poland talked to us about the country’s investment market. 

PwC has decided to extend its office space in Silesia Business Park in Katowice by over 2,000 sqm and plans to employ over 300 specialists. As a result, 100% of the leasable space in building A of the complex is leased now.

Echo Investment – a Polish developer – and Echo Polska Properties – an international fund operating as a REIT - signed agreements to jointly buy and jointly develop a real property at ul. Towarowa 22 in Warsaw from Griffin Real Estate, a Polish private equity fund. The buyers will pay €120 million for the property – €78 million upon signing the agreement, while the remaining amount will be paid after certain planning conditions are met.

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.