The war in Ukraine has affected the economic situation of all countries from the CEE region, ESG moves from “nice to have” to a market standard in all real estate market segments and increasing construction, operation and transportation costs translate into increasing costs in all real estate sectors. These are some of the key findings discussed in the latest Colliers summarising the year 2022 in CEE.

Colliers has prepared a report that comprehensively analyzes the role of mixed-use projects in Polish cities – in terms of investment, architecture, and city-forming functions.

The real estate investment market is impacted by increased inflation expectations, higher interest rates and the inflated cost of financing, and it will continue into 2023. It inevitably leads to increasing yield expectations. In most European markets across various sectors, yields have increased this year. According to BNP Paribas Real Estate, some price corrections are expected in some markets and asset types in 2023. The market expects to stabilize in the second half of the year when investment activity could also see some revival, reported 108 real estate agency. 

The Czech retail market once again proved its appeal to retail brands, with 38 new arrivals last year. That is the same figure as in 2021 when the influx of 38 new brands was partly the result of the postponement of some entries due to the pandemic. These numbers represent a roughly 50% increase compared to 2019 (22 brands) and 2020 (25 brands), according to the Cushman & Wakefield analysis of the Czech retail market in 2022.

The concentration of population in rural areas, lower construction standards and less service-driven economy contribute to the divergence between the CEE region and Western European states when it comes to energy consumption structure, reveals Colliers in its recent report.

Recent data from Arnold Investments show that around €152 billion was transacted on the EU real estate investment markets in the first three quarters of 2022. Year-on-year, this represents a decline of around 4% due to a strong first quarter. However, investment activity slowed down sharply in the course of the year. At roughly 39 billion, the transaction volume for the third quarter was around 39% lower than in the previous year. The main EU investment markets analyzed show a significant decline in transaction volumes both over the course of the year and in the third quarter.

How will the current macroeconomic situation affect investment activity and further development within individual sectors, from offices to industrial and logistics complexes to retail real estate? All this is shown in CBRE's latest analysis of the Czech commercial real estate market, which also provides an updated outlook for 2023.

Mindspace, the global provider of flexible boutique office space, has published the results of its global employee survey. The goal of the survey was to illuminate new work patterns and shed light on both current and aspirational employee dynamics. The results gave insights showing how the 9 to 5 job is a dying phenomenon and the hybrid model is here to stay - with employee flexibility being the key determinant in employee satisfaction.

Negotiators of the Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement aimed at taxing imports based on the greenhouse gas emissions needed to make the products, which would extensively cover the imports of construction materials. 

Brno has changed over the past two decades. A total of 635,900 sqm of office space currently exists in the city thanks to the strong growth of companies from the business and IT services and R&D sectors. Brno Spielberg, along with the city centre around Vlněná Street, has become home to companies that create advanced technologies and innovations for global businesses. The city is preparing to expand this space – it will soon add almost 100,000 sqm to the currently unoccupied 70,900 sqm of modern office space, says Colliers in its latest report.