Béranger Dumont, CEO of BPI Real Estate Poland talked to Property Forum about large scale mixed-use projects, the rapid development of the PRS market and the main problems of residential developers in the country.

The PRS market in the CEE region gathers pace and interest from investors but the majority of activity is currently centred around the Czech Republic and Poland. However, there is a larger number of PRS/BTR projects being announced in the pipeline for delivery over the next few years across the entire region. Colliers, in cooperation with Kinstellar and Greenberg Traurig, publishes a report entitled 'The Private Rental Sector: Has it found a home in CEE?'

Romania has one of the smallest private rental sectors (PRS) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and the domestic market counts a little over 1,000 residential units in construction or planned, according to a report by Colliers in collaboration with Greenberg Traurig and Kinstellar. 

Residential investment volumes across the CEE region have been limited and averaged out annually at just over €200 million in the past 5 years. The balance between private, owner-occupied dwellings and those that are for rent in CEE lean towards ownership according to “The Private Rental Sector: Has it found a home in CEE?” report just launched by Colliers in collaboration with Greenberg Traurig and Kinstellar. From the stock of existing developer/investor-owned, multiple-unit PRS schemes, the Czech Republic is ahead, followed by Poland and the remaining countries behind that. 

Nordic investor NREP has recently made headlines by entering the Polish market with the acquisition of a 130,000 sqm logistics portfolio and over 1,000 apartments. Stefan Wallander, Chief Business Officer of NREP talked to Property Forum about their entry into the local market, rising apartment prices and sustainability commitment.

Budimex SA has signed the final sales agreement of Budimex Nieruchomości. Therefore, the private equity investment firm Cornerstone Partners and Czech development group Crestyl took over the entire shareholding of the company.  This is the biggest acquisition in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. The next stage is changing the name of the company - Budimex Nieruchomości is now Spravia.

Heimstaden subsidiary, Heimstaden Bostad AB, is to buy a newly-built residential portfolio with 2,496 homes in Poland for €305 million (SEK 3.1 billion) from leading Polish residential development company, Budimex.

The pandemic has caused a lot of change on the market but these changes can easily be viewed as an opportunity for further growth as Jonathan Hallett, Head of Central & Eastern Europe at Cushman & Wakefield demonstrates. He talked to Property Forum about the results of the last year and shared his expectations for the future of work and the CEE advisory market.

Michał Okoń, Managing Director of Zeitgeist Asset Management in Poland talked to Property Forum about the forecasts for the PRS market in Poland, subscription services and the impact of the pandemic on the rented apartment segment.

Today, global investment capital, looking for safe options on the real estate markets, focuses on housing. Poland is the target of the largest global companies investing in the PRS sector, says advisory company Walter Herz.