The National Bank of Romania (NBR) reintroduced limits for the maximum indebtedness levels for individuals or families seeking out consumer or mortgage loans. These debt service-to-income (DSTI) ratios will become 40% for RON loans and 20% for hard currency starting in 2019. As per Colliers International Romania’s estimates, for the residential market, the impact in terms of prices will be uneven, geared more towards the low and medium-low segments of the residential market.

In the first three quarters of 2018, the total investment volume on the Warsaw office market hit €1.14 billion, which represented a threefold increase on the same period in 2017. Cushman & Wakefield presented a summary of Q3 2018 on the Warsaw office market.

The vacancy rate slightly increased on the Budapest industrial market to 3.7%. At the end of the Q3 2018 a total of 76,240 sqm stood vacant, and there are only two existing schemes with more than 5,000 sqm of available warehouse space. The Budapest Research Forum published its quarterly industrial market analysis

At the beginning of October, the total value of real estate investment transactions completed in Poland year-to-date exceeded €5 billion which is comparable to 2017's total. JLL analysed this year’s investment transactions conducted in the commercial real estate sector in Poland.

Transactions in the logistics sector have been dominating the Prague market this year. In the first half of 2018 alone, the take-up was 24% higher than in the full year 2017, precisely 226,600 sqm. During the same period, the overall gross take-up reached in Prague 408,000 sqm, showing an increase of 56 %. Besides the logistics sector, more than 90,000 sqm was taken by production and 76,000 sqm by distribution. The biggest new deal in Prague in the logistics sector was done by cargo-partner ČR, which signed a lease agreement for 12,450 sqm located in a stand-alone industrial building in the Logicor Prague Airport logistic park. The company will start operating from the new premises at the beginning of 2019. Cushman & Wakefield facilitated the lease of the premises.

Despite over 110,000 sqm of new supply coming to the market in Q3 2018, the office vacancy rate decreased to 6.4%, the lowest rate ever recorded in. The Budapest Research Forum published its latest figures.

Since the beginning of the year, more than €2.1 billion has been invested in Polish retail assets. JLL Poland summarised the situation on the local retail market at the end of Q3 2018.

The search for a new office is usually a long process that starts with defining our requirements and restrictions. We then move onto comparing and analysing various offers and options and finally select the best one. Signing the lease and finding subcontractors to set the framework for our workplace design, design the space, deliver our furniture and carry out the fit-out work are important points on the agenda. However, we must not forget a number of other crucial details. Experts from the Office Agency Department at BNP Paribas Real Estate summarise what to keep in mind once the lease is signed.

On 6 November 2018, Property Technology Forum Europe 2018, a conference and networking event for the proptech industry and real estate professionals from all over Europe will be held in Warsaw. Nearly 200 guests will come together in the Polish capital to discuss the future of the real estate industry and to explore the latest innovations in the profession. The mission of the event is to create a common ground for true collaboration between proptech startups, property professionals and occupiers.

Despite geopolitical uncertainty and a slowing in the economic cycle, investment in the global property market has seen a significant rise of 18% year-on-year to a new record high of $1.8 trillion (2017: $1.5 trillion), according to the report of Cushman & Wakefield, which examines global commercial real estate investment activity, assessing cities by their success at attracting capital.