At CEE Property Forum 2025, the conversation around Southeast Europe shifted decisively from potential to performance. Chaired by Maja Šubic, Partner at Andersen Slovenia | Senica & Partners, the panel brought together investors, bankers and advisors to examine why capital is flowing more confidently into the Balkans and Adriatic markets — and what separates sustainable opportunities from short-term plays. Rather than broad optimism, the discussion focused on concrete drivers such as sector-specific demand, evolving financing structures and the growing importance of local partnerships in unlocking long-term value across the region.

At CEE Property Forum 2025, one message dominated the discussion on offices: standing still is no longer an option. Chaired by Paweł Nowakowski MRICS, Founder and CEO of PNC, the panel brought together investors, occupiers, lenders and developers to examine how the office sector in CEE is being reshaped by new work patterns, rising expectations from tenants and financiers, and growing pressure to reinvest in quality, experience and efficiency. The conversation focused less on whether offices still matter—and more on which ones will continue to matter in the years ahead.

Investment activity in Slovakia rebounded in 2025, with total annual volumes reaching €967 million. This represents a cyclical peak and outperforms the long-term annual average of approximately €700 million. 

The Russian full-scale invasion inflicted unprecedented damage on Ukraine’s housing stock. Hundreds of thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed, and millions of Ukrainians have lost their permanent residences, becoming internally displaced persons (IDPs). As the war enters its fourth year, reconstruction of housing has become one of the most urgent priorities — not only socially but strategically, for stabilising communities, restoring livelihoods and enabling return. In response to this crisis, multiple stakeholders — international financial institutions, the Government of Ukraine, regional authorities, and private and civil society actors — have mobilised a diverse set of programs aimed at delivering housing solutions. These include large-scale investment initiatives, state compensation mechanisms, municipal developments, and innovative mixed models with private partners. Below is an overview of the main programs and projects shaping the housing recovery landscape in Ukraine in 2025–2026, prepared by URE Club for Property Forum.

At CEE Property Forum 2025, one message cut through the discussion on technology and investment: data quality is no longer a technical concern, but a decisive factor in risk, returns and access to capital. Moderated by James Garner, Global Head of AI & Data at Gleeds, the panel brought together experts from real estate, finance, technology and law to examine how fragmented systems, regulatory pressure and rising investor expectations are forcing the industry to rethink how decisions are made—and what happens when data can no longer be trusted.

As ESG expectations move from aspiration to obligation, real estate leaders are being forced to confront how sustainability directly affects asset value, financing and long-term resilience. Chaired by ESG Partner Tjidsger Wierda of Walvius Partners, the sustainability session at CEE Property Forum 2025 brought together a range of expertise and pragmatic perspectives on the evolving role of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) in commercial real estate.

Central Europe's commercial real estate sector is experiencing a transformation, with Hungary leading the recovery through an 86% year-on-year increase in investment driven by Asian capital from China and South Korea. The CATL factory in Debrecen and BYD in Szeged, along with the planned Volvo plant in Košice, Slovakia, are reshaping the region's industrial landscape and creating demand for logistics space.

As liquidity gradually returns and pricing expectations realign, investors across CEE are reassessing where resilient income and long-term value can still be found. A session at CEE Property Forum 2025, moderated by James Fitzgerald, Director and Head of Industrial Agency at iO Partners, offered deep insights into how market dynamics have shifted over the past 18 months and what opportunities lie ahead as investors increasingly seek resilient, high-yielding assets.

The traditional December shopping surge has weakened across Europe, with Romania recording a 20% increase in non-food sales during the holiday month compared to the previous 11 months, according to Colliers analysis of Eurostat data from 2015-2024.

Analysts from Axi Immo's Research Department estimate that approximately 90,000 sqm of new office space will be delivered in Warsaw by year-end, consistent with 2024. Space under construction remains limited and is not expected to exceed 200,000 sqm, signalling a cautious approach from developers. Most activity is concentrated in central zones, where demand remains most resilient.