Aleksandra Mazzini, COO of Sierra Balmain Asset Management, talked to Property Forum about the current popularity of retail parks, the ongoing transformation of the retail sector and the point, where ESG and AI meet together.

Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as property manager for the VIG Fund’s three office buildings in Warsaw: Libra Business Center B, Life Building, and Jasna 26. The award of the mandate will see Cushman & Wakefield manage its entire Polish real estate portfolio of more than 47,000 sqm. 

White Star Real Estate has taken over the management of Galeria Sandecja in Nowy Sącz. This is another shopping center from the Focus Estate Fund portfolio, where WSRE assumes property management, and the first where it provides two management services in one facility for an external client.

EPP is taking over the management of nine M1 shopping centres and three Power Parks from Metro Properties Polska. Some of Metro Properties Polska's employees, including local property management teams will join EPP. The company plans to develop the properties through leasing activities and space rearrangements and upgrades.

Sierra Balmain is expanding its portfolio with another shopping mall. Starting in April, the company will take over property management of Galeria Pomorska in Bydgoszcz. The group will handle all the ongoing operations of the facility.

The Polish shopping centre market is now considered mature as many retail malls were built in the 1990s and 2000s, that is before the technological boom in energy efficiency and during a period of significantly lower awareness of the issue. A wave of upgrades is coming, but they will not happen overnight due to high levels of refurbishment expenditure required. In the face of rising challenges of energy and heat consumption, experts from Cushman & Wakefield managing a large and highly diverse portfolio of shopping centres and retail parks provide valuable insight into the results of their frequently innovative and low-cost measures.

CPI Property Group has appointed CBRE as manager of its Stop Shop retail park portfolio in Serbia, which comprises 14 retail parks in 14 cities and more than 120,000 sqm of leasable area. CBRE will provide integrated asset management solutions, including financial and property accounting services, leasing services, and will oversee all operational aspects of the property and tenants.

Savills has been appointed as property manager for Mogilska 35 Office in Kraków. The six-floor office building is one of the latest office projects delivered in southern Poland by Warimpex.

Savills has been appointed as property manager for the Lakeside office complex, developed by Atenor in Warsaw’s Mokotów district.

The panel discussion on the future of asset and property management, held as part of the Future of Real Estate 2023 conference in Warsaw, showed that proper management and use of data can be key to maintaining the value of real estate assets in tougher investment times. The November event was co-organized by Property Forum and RICS.