Southeast Europe is entering a new cycle: investment strategies are shifting, digitalisation is accelerating, tourism is reshaping demand, and developers are navigating a more complex macro environment. Against this backdrop, Balkans Property Forum 2025 returns to Belgrade on 9 December for the ninth time to bring together the people shaping the region’s real estate future.

At CEE Property Forum 2025, a panel of senior real estate leaders examined how investors can build resilience in a rapidly changing market. Moderated by Clare Sheils, Managing Director of CBRE in the Czech Republic, the discussion explored how ESG, technology, shifting customer expectations and evolving legal frameworks are redefining what it takes to maintain strong, future-proof portfolios in the region.

Although rental deposit alternatives have long been standard across many Western European markets – as in Switzerland, where the "Mietkaution" model is widely established – in Poland, such solutions are still relatively new. Bingo-Rent is the first Polish fintech working to change this by introducing a rental deposit surety service.

GTC reported rental revenues of €152 million in the first nine months of 2025, up 9% from €139 million in the same period of 2024. The increase followed the acquisition of a residential portfolio in Germany, which contributed €18 million, partially offset by a €4 million decrease after the sale of the GTC X and Matrix C properties.

The investment panel at the 2025 CEE Property Forum brought together leading dealmakers to examine how the flow of capital into the region is being reshaped by a mix of global uncertainty and local opportunity. Guided by moderator Philipp Zschaler, Managing Partner and Head of the Real Estate Industry Group at Andersen Germany, the discussion moved beyond headline trends to explore how investor profiles, pricing expectations, and cross-border strategies are shifting as markets across Central and Eastern Europe recalibrate.

The financing panel at CEE Property Forum 2025, chaired by Dorota Wysokińska-Kuzdra, Senior Partner and Head of Corporate Finance & Living Services CEE at Colliers, offered a sharp look at how lenders and investors are navigating a more complex capital environment. Rather than revisiting familiar challenges, the discussion focused on the practical shifts reshaping funding strategies across CEE — from the rising cost of debt and the search for liquidity to the evolving role of bonds, banks, and alternative capital sources.

Property Forum is proud to present the second edition of its annual publication, once again celebrating the movers and shakers shaping the constantly evolving CEE real estate market. To access the publication, please click here.

Property Forum is excited to announce the winners of its annual CEE Property Forum Awards for 2025. The winners of each category were selected from our shortlist by the jury committee, comprising leading players in the CEE real estate industry. The awards, celebrating the best projects, most impactful transactions and most inspiring personalities of the CEE market, were presented at our awards gala in Vienna, part of the annual CEE Property Forum conference.

Older buildings usually consume more energy in operation than new construction. That is not only a cost issue. It also affects how an asset performs against market standards like BREEAM, EU Taxonomy, and CRREM, as well as regulations such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the rules for Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS). Many owners assume the only way to close the gap is a major refurbishment. Better insulation and new equipment certainly help, but they are expensive and disruptive. Investments in deep fabric and equipment upgrades can reach one to five percent of the asset value.

The Czech Republic's commercial real estate investment market is on track for one of its most successful years in history, with transactions worth €2.46 billion completed in the first nine months of 2025, Colliers reports.