Rising borrowing costs and a more uncertain economic outlook have undoubtedly changed the way real estate projects are financed, but market participants suggested that access to debt remains relatively healthy for the right opportunities. The focus has shifted from chasing growth to assessing resilience, with lenders placing greater emphasis on cash flow, sector fundamentals and sponsor quality. These themes dominated the financing discussion at Prague Property Forum 2026.

The Czech commercial real estate market demonstrated calm and stability in the first quarter of 2026, with total investment volume reaching €431.5 million, according to Colliers. The share of individual asset classes was relatively balanced, and yields on premium properties remained unchanged.

Stefan de Goeij MRICS, Partner and Head of Sustainability & ESG for CEE and the Nordics at Cushman & Wakefield, has been appointed Chair of the European World Regional Board of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). He will also serve as a Member of the Global Members Committee.

At Prague Property Forum 2026, industry leaders from across the property and facility management ecosystem examined how digital tools are changing the way buildings are operated, valued and experienced. The discussion moved beyond the usual AI hype to focus on the real challenges behind transformation: organisational culture, data quality, workforce readiness and the growing expectation for buildings to function as responsive service platforms rather than static assets. While technologies such as AI, automation and occupancy analytics are advancing rapidly, the panel agreed that long-term success will depend less on the tools themselves and more on how effectively companies integrate them into everyday operations, decision-making and user experience.

The rapidly growing European data centre market is expected to generate additional demand for approximately 780,000 sqm of logistics space over the next three years across the five major European markets of Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin, according to a Savills report. There are currently 231 data centres under construction across Europe.

Czech retail continued its modest growth trajectory in 2025, with regional shopping centres recording a 1.2% increase in footfall and 2.1% growth in turnover, according to CBRE's Shopping Centre Index. The vacancy rate dropped to a historic low of 2.8%, while average rents increased by 2.3%.

At Prague Property Forum 2026, the residential panel, chaired by Radek Kučera, brought together leading public and private-sector players to dissect why Prague’s housing remains so expensive and what it will take to change course. The discussion revolved around sluggish permitting, structural undersupply, land policy, the role of institutional capital, and the capacity of the construction industry to scale up.

The Czech industrial and logistics real estate market closed Q1 2026 with strong results, completing approximately 307,000 sqm of new space - the second-highest volume of new construction in a single quarter in history. The market added its largest industrial building in modern domestic history, with construction activity remaining high, vacancy rates at a healthy 4.7%, and stable rents.

The Prague office market is showing signs of recovery as the developers launched three new office projects in Q1, and the volume of space under construction rose by 81% year-on-year. Pre-leasing is gradually returning, and there is a growing willingness to build speculatively without pre-secured tenants.

Passerinvest Group has completed the shell construction of the Hila multifunctional building in Prague's Brumlovka district. The 15-storey building reaches 55 metres at its highest point and combines offices, residential units, shops and services for the first time in the area.