Despite the slowdown in activity in the first half of 2020 due to COVID-19 and the earthquake that hit Zagreb in April, the Croatian capital’s office market was very active in 2020 with total leasing activity amounting to 55,000 sqm, according to a market report by Cushman & Wakefield | CBS International Croatia.

Commercial property investment volume in the Czech Republic amounted to €797 million in H2 2020 with 60% of the H2 transaction volume (i.e. €478 million) being for properties located in Prague, according to Savills research.

In Q4 2020, dwellings' prices in Slovakia increased by 7.3 % compared to Q4 2019, while prices of new dwellings increased by 6,6 % and prices of used dwellings rose by 7.8 %, the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic announced.

Logistics developer and investor VGP announced a record net profit of €370.9 million for 2020 which is an 80.4% y-o-y increase. The company announced its financial results for 2020.

NEPI Rockcastle has published its condensed consolidated financial results for 2020, according to which the retail landlord’s net rental and related income was €323 million last year, 19.4% lower than in 2019.

The Q4 2020 results of the RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor continue to point to a challenging backdrop across Europe. Both the office and retail sectors remain under significant pressure, with demand still falling sharply amid the difficult economic climate induced by the pandemic. On a brighter note, supported by structural tailwinds, the industrial sector continues to defy this downbeat overall assessment, prompting respondents to upgrade expectations for rental and capital value growth.

In 2020, 28,208 new dwellings were built in Hungary, 34% more than a year earlier, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said. The annual figure is an 11-year high. Meanwhile, based on issued dwelling construction permits and simple declarations, the number of homes to be built decreased by 36% compared to 2019 to 22,556.

Accolade published its results for 2020. Last year saw the expansion of the portfolio area by 30%, almost 400 new qualified investors and a year-on-year return of 10,02%. The biggest industrial real estate fund in the Czech Republic now owns a total of 16 industrial parks in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany with an area of 936,304 sqm.1,200 investors benefit from the rental income which was increased by 35%, in 2020.

Bucharest-listed Impact Developer & Contractor closed the year 2020 with revenues from the sale of real estate properties worth €42.7 million, up 29,4% compared to 2019, representing the best result of the developer in the last decade. In a pandemic year, the company sold a total of 369 units (31,191 sqm built area), out of which 205 were contracted in Greenfield Residence Băneasa and 164 in Luxuria Residence compound.  

Disruptions from the pandemic are poised to continue, according to the Prologis Logistics Rent Index. Lockdowns and other COVID-19-related situations may constrain customers’ operations, though the volatility is expected to be less severe than in 2020 as many customers now have better supply chain visibility.