The total transaction volume on the CEE hotel investment market increased to €700 million in the first half of 2017 from the €630 million transacted in H1 2016. This represents a yearly growth of 11 percent which is significantly larger than the 0.3 percent growth registered in the western part of Europe. High yields, booming tourism and strong economic growth are the main reasons behind growing interest in the hotel markets of Central and Eastern European capitals on the behalf of international investors.

Slovakia’s commercial real estate market is expected to reach an all-time high in its investment activity this year, according to a market research conducted by Colliers International.

Demand on the Budapest office market in Q3 2017 increased by 67% compared to the previous quarter, reaching 164,985 sqm. Combined with a marginal growth in supply the vacancy rate further decreased to 7.6%. The Budapest Research Forum published its latest figures.

The Czech industrial & logistics real estate market has changed beyond all recognition over the past five years, with the total stock of logistics and warehouse space rising 66% over the period, driven by strong growth in e-commerce and retail, according to Colliers International’s latest Czech Industrial & Logistics Market Barometer.

In the past 18 months, three major Chinese logistics providers leased almost 100,000 sqm of new warehouse premises, one of them being 68,000 sqm leasing agreement in VGP Park Jeneč signed by the company 4PX Express (logistics operator of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba). This transaction ranks among the largest single industrial transactions of this year. Chinese concentration on the Czech market is expected to continue as there are several other major transactions currently underway.

Labour force is the key factor for auto player’s location decision-making process - says Colliers International in its latest research. The auto producers and component suppliers sector is very important in CEE industrial and is growing. Auto exports ranged from 4.7% of total exports in 2015 in Bulgaria, upwards to 28.0% in Hungary and 34.6% in Slovakia, growing at a regionally-weighted annual rate of 7.4% in the period 2010-2015.

According to Property Forum’s survey, real estate professionals in CEE are not afraid of future technologies and they think that just because the way we work is changing that doesn’t mean that we will need less office space in the future.

Central Poland, Prague and Bucharest are among the most desirable logistics locations in Europe, according to a new research by Prologis that examines why logistics customers in Europe choose certain locations over others.

Investors are increasingly looking at Polish regional cities such as Krakow, Wroclaw, Lodz, Poznan, Tricity and Katowice, says Colliers International in its latest research report.

Despite record low vacancy levels in Budapest and an increasingly landlord-friendly leasing environment, industry commentators have warned of an imminent oversupply around the corner. But there is no need to panic just yet, suggests Orsolya Hegedűs and Mike Edwards at Cushman & Wakefield, Hungary.