During the last six years, between 2015 and 2020, the Serbian construction industry rolled out into one of the strongest growth cycles in recent history. The powerful surge in construction outputs surpassed all initial expectations, and there are a number of converging factors behind its formidable result. The recovery after the recession gradually transformed itself into a fully-fledged construction boom, which more than doubled Serbia’s construction output, from €2 billion in 2015 to €4 billion in 2019. Even the pandemic in 2020 didn’t change the very positive outlook, although it did cause a slowdown and negative consolidation of construction outputs by some 5% at constant prices. The expected growth should return in 2021, however. The EECFA (Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association) has released its latest article about the Serbian construction industry, written by Dejan Krajinović, Beobuild Core D.O.O.

A total investment volume of €290 million was transacted in the Czech Republic during the first quarter of 2021, according to Savills’ latest research. Without the exceptional €1.3 billion Residomo portfolio sale transaction, the investment volume was only down by 8% y-o-y.

The Hungarian residential rental property market continues to be a mixed bag based on current asking prices, according to the latest monthly survey of real estate portal ingatlan.com, which presents the latest joint rent index of ingatlan.com and the Central Statistical Office (KSH) for March and summarises the supply and average rent as of the end of April based on 40,000 ads.

According to Colliers, CEE investment flows are down by almost 48% on Q1 2020, at ca. €2.0 billion. Despite the slow start, 2021 year-end volumes are estimated to accelerate to reach similar levels to 2020, of around €10.0 billion.

A total of 23 retail park projects with a total area of almost 55,000 sqm were completed in the Czech Republic last year, with the volume of development exceeding a ten-year average. In effect, the aggregate area of all retail parks in the Czech Republic has exceeded 1 million sqm. Retail park development currently focuses on smaller towns with up to 40,000 inhabitants. The greatest volume of new development was in the Central Bohemian Region last year, according to an analysis by Cushman & Wakefield.

In Q1 2021, industrial take-up on the Czech market registered an increase of 147% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The Industrial Research Forum announced industrial market figures for Q1 2021.

The industrial and logistics market in Romania recorded leasing deals for around 200,000 sqm in the first quarter of 2021, a volume that is double compared to the same period of 2020, according to a report by real estate consultancy firm Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. 

After a year from the beginning of the pandemic, investors are continuing their strategies adjusted to the new market conditions. Most of them are focusing mainly on safe, predictable investments. This year Avison Young has observed the third-best opening ever with almost €1.3 billion transacted in 31 deals during the first quarter of 2021.

The Q1 2021 results of the RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor indicate a slightly less negative market sentiment across Europe compared to the previous quarter. Rental growth expectations remain negative within the office and retail sectors across all European nations covered, while the outlook for industrial markets has never been more positive.

The volume of new real estate investments in Romania amounted to €98 million in the first quarter of 2021, driven by the office and industrial segments. The investments were down 19% compared to the same period of 2020, according to a report by CBRE.