ARTICLES LABELLED WITH TAG report

For a long time, the logistics and industrial market in Croatia has been overlooked by real estate developers, despite the country’s strategic geographical position, proximity to major European markets and developed, high-quality road network, as well as direct access to sea routes. Recent project completions and commencements, with a strong pipeline and the arrival of international developers, suggest that winds are changing, and Croatia could become a very attractive logistics market.

Duna House Group published its monthly Transaction Number Estimate, according to which 8,000 residential properties changed hands nationwide in November 2022. This value represents the weakest month this year, a 4 percent drop compared to the previous month and a 27 percent drop compared to November last year.

When it comes to residential real estate assets, Czechs are oriented largely towards an ownership model. The ratio of owner-occupied to rented apartments in Prague, for example, is approximately 70:30, similar to the EU27 average. Still, the Czech Republic is somewhat behind more advanced markets in terms of market evolution towards new trends. However, with the shift to hybrid working, intense talent searches, and the growth of the business services sector, Prague and other large Czech cities will need more flexible housing solutions soon. The average bid price for a newly built apartment in Prague was approximately CZK 155,000 per square meter during Q3 2022. This represents an increase of 7% since the start of the year, according to an analysis done by Colliers.

Following the pause caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Cushman & Wakefield has brought back the Main Streets Across the World report, ranking 47 countries by headline rents in best-in-class urban locations in each of them. The Czech Republic is newly represented by Prague’s Pařížská Street, which has replaced Na Příkopě as the country’s most expensive street. Among the other most expensive main streets of the world, Pařížská ranks 17th (Na Příkopě ranked 18th in 2019) and comes first in the CEE region. As compared by the survey, the highest prime rent achieved in Pařížská as of this year’s third quarter amounts to €2,719 per square metre per year, or approximately €227 per square metre a month.

Residential developers in Poland are aware of the importance of ESG but they feel that their customers are often still focused on the price only. The participants of the ESG panel of Living Investment Forum 2022, held by Property Forum in Warsaw recently, agreed that the legal and financial pressure put on the construction industry may not be enough and there is still a lot to be done in terms of education.

The Slovak industrial market slowed down slightly due to still rising energy prices and other costs. Developers are more cautious with new constructions and so are foreign investors. This will give an opportunity to local developers and larger companies with a stable background. At the beginning of 2023, 108 Agency Slovakia expects a cooling down of the market.

In Q3 2022, the Czech industrial market grew at a faster pace than at any time previously, adding 511,100 sqm of new modern industrial space to the market. The market stock overtook the level of 10.65 million sqm, further expanding after breaking the 10 million sqm milestone in H1 2022. The vacancy rate decreased to 0.99% for the first time in recorded history, plunging the national average just below 1% of all available space on the market, says Colliers.

Investment into the world’s office markets fell sharply in Q3 2022, however, there is plenty of capital still circulating poised to target the best assets, as well as any areas of discount, as debt-backed buyers withdraw and others pause decision-making. The Czech market is copying the global market, but the number of opportunities for buyers to source a ‘bargain’ is limited, says Savills in its latest Capital Markets Quarterly report. 

In Q1-Q3 2022, CA Immo was able to increase its recurring earnings (FFO I) by 2.4% year-on-year to €102.5 million in the third quarter. Rental income rose by 2.5% to €158.1 million in the first nine months. The recent portfolio expansions and higher rental income from investment properties thus more than offset the effects from portfolio sales. Consolidated net income rose by 40% to €267.5 million, driven among other things by a strong revaluation result (Q1-Q3 2021: €180.4 million). The positive development in the third quarter was mainly due to the good letting business and the takeover of two project completions into the own portfolio. Following the strong first nine months, CA Immo confirms its earnings forecast for 2022 and expects recurring earnings (FFO I) of more than €125 million.

In the first three quarters of 2022, Immofinanz’s rental income reached a high €216.9 million, the results of asset management improved by 3.2% to €168.4 million, and sustainable FFO 1 from the standing investment business (including the S Immo dividend) rose by more than 15% to €115.9 million. Net profit equalled €248.6 million.