Colliers International, Automotive Cluster Bulgaria and Pwc conducted a second consecutive survey of the automotive industry in Bulgaria. There are approximately 130 automotive companies in the country, producing components for top international automotive brands. These are predominantly Tier 1, 2 and 3 suppliers and include producers, which service other industries as well.

2017 was the best year ever for Poland's industrial market with gross demand totalling 3.9 million sqm, JLL reports. Retailers and logistics operators continued to drive the market, together accounting for more than 65% of net take-up in 2017.

Cushman & Wakefield Echinox assisted property transactions in Romania totalling over €300 million in 2017, accounting for 30% of the total local property investment volume of nearly €1 billion. The deals included projects such as Chitila Logistic Park, the Radisson Blu complex in Bucharest and two properties sold by REWE.

In 2017 approx. 90% of the total investment volumes in the commercial real estate were recorded in retail and HTL on the Croatian market. Most of the investment and development activity came from the investors already present on the market. Newcomers were mostly focused on distressed/value-add or brownfield opportunities in the HTL sector. Retail and HTL will remain the most active sectors in terms of investment and development volumes in 2018, Colliers projects.

Business services companies remain core office tenants in Wrocław, setting new market trends and trying to attract top talent. Michał Grabikowski, Head of the Wrocław Office of Cresa Poland summarised the key strengths of Lower Silesia’s capital city.

Economic sentiment indicators are still pointing towards further expansion in CEE-6 investment volumes in 2018, over and above 2017’s cycle high of €12.9 billion. The current economic and real estate investment cycle might top out in 2019. Colliers International has published its investment outlook for the CEE-6 real estate markets for 2018.

The fourth quarter of 2017 was very strong for the office market in Prague. Demand significantly increased and annual gross demand reached a new record. Five new office buildings were completed and the vacancy rate decreased to 7.5 %, while prime headline rents grew, JLL reports.

The supply of new Class A office space delivered in Bucharest in 2017 was absorbed almost entirely by demand, as per a report by CBRE regarding the office market in 2017, which also says 90% of the office space area completed in 2017 has already been leased.

The Polish warehouse market remains in great shape. New year-to-year records are being broken. Gross demand amounted to 4 million sqm, of which 75% was made up of new lease agreements and expansions. This is a 32% improvement compared to 2016. High demand side results are due to the accelerating economy, including internal consumption growing month by month, and an increase in investment by companies. Developers responded quickly to high demand from tenants, resulting in 2.36 million sqm delivered on the market and 1.39 million sqm under construction at the end of 2017. The high level of absorption caused the vacancy rate decrease to 4.5%, according to the report summarising 2017 in the warehouse space market in Poland, prepared by AXI IMMO experts.

Each new office leasing contract signed in Bucharest last year created at least 130 new jobs. Dimitrie Pompeiu and South sub-markets made the top, with more than 200 new jobs per transaction, according to the latest JLL market report.