Despite many negative factors, Q4 2022 showed that the economy in Slovakia should grow by 1.8% in 2022. Energy prices were stabilized, inflation peaked and we could see the increase in yields. The Slovak industrial sector remained once more the most resilient real estate segment and experienced very solid performance in 2022. In the same period, the lack of new supply resulted in lowered vacancies in offices. Overall retail park projects dominate both this year’s new supply and future retail development with limited space for larger retail schemes due to high saturation. Cushman & Wakefield published its market reports for Q4 2022.

A 44% higher demand for offices in Prague was recorded year-on-year in Q4 2022. Renegotiations accounted for 58%, the remaining transactions included new leases, expansions, and subleases. By 2025, an additional 400,000 sqm of new office space, currently in different stages of preparation, is due to come online in Prague, says JLL.

The Warsaw office market saw a shrinking volume of space under construction and increasing pressure on rents in 2022. However, according to the latest report by Cushman & Wakefield, the capital's market could see a significant tenant recovery as contracts signed in the record period of 2018-2019 come up for renewal.

According to a Cushman & Wakefield report, the retail real estate sector saw the continued expansion of retail parks in 2022, accounting for 70% of new supply delivered to the market. Despite many challenges related to inflation and general economic uncertainty, 14 new brands made their debut in Poland during the year. However, the next few months may experience a downturn in consumer sentiment, with lower retail sales, and in turn, reduced turnover for retail tenants.

The Czech industrial real estate market in 2022 was again remarkably successful. It reached the highest annual new supply in the history of the market on the back of record-low vacancy and all-time high prime rents, JLL reports.

In 2022, a total of 333,210 sqm of new industrial/logistics space was added to the Greater Budapest stock, the Budapest Research Forum reports.

As of Q4 2022 in the Czech industrial market, the extremely low vacancy of around 1% persists. The share of speculative construction has grown to 40% and the modern, developer-led warehouse stock reached almost 10.8 million sqm, so experts expect that it will surpass 11 million sqm by the end of Q1 2023, the Industrial Research Forum announced in their report.

In their global real estate outlook for 2023, the Savills World Research team says that capital value increases in most real estate sectors around the world in 2023 will be minimal, and rental growth prospects limited, but investment activity may rebound in H2 2023.

According to a report published by Newmark Polska, new office supply reached 237,000 sqm in 2022, bringing Warsaw’s total prime office stock to close to 6.27 million sqm at the end of the year. The gross office take-up hit 860,000 sqm.

In 2022, 1,519 flats were sold in Bratislava's new buildings, the fewest since the financial crisis in 2008. The average price of available flats is €4,900/sqm including VAT. After almost eight years of strong sales and double-digit price growth, activity in the residential market has cooled significantly, according to a report by Bencont Investments.