The Russian full-scale invasion inflicted unprecedented damage on Ukraine’s housing stock. Hundreds of thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed, and millions of Ukrainians have lost their permanent residences, becoming internally displaced persons (IDPs). As the war enters its fourth year, reconstruction of housing has become one of the most urgent priorities — not only socially but strategically, for stabilising communities, restoring livelihoods and enabling return. In response to this crisis, multiple stakeholders — international financial institutions, the Government of Ukraine, regional authorities, and private and civil society actors — have mobilised a diverse set of programs aimed at delivering housing solutions. These include large-scale investment initiatives, state compensation mechanisms, municipal developments, and innovative mixed models with private partners. Below is an overview of the main programs and projects shaping the housing recovery landscape in Ukraine in 2025–2026, prepared by URE Club for Property Forum.

At CEE Property Forum 2025, one message cut through the discussion on technology and investment: data quality is no longer a technical concern, but a decisive factor in risk, returns and access to capital. Moderated by James Garner, Global Head of AI & Data at Gleeds, the panel brought together experts from real estate, finance, technology and law to examine how fragmented systems, regulatory pressure and rising investor expectations are forcing the industry to rethink how decisions are made—and what happens when data can no longer be trusted.

As ESG expectations move from aspiration to obligation, real estate leaders are being forced to confront how sustainability directly affects asset value, financing and long-term resilience. Chaired by ESG Partner Tjidsger Wierda of Walvius Partners, the sustainability session at CEE Property Forum 2025 brought together a range of expertise and pragmatic perspectives on the evolving role of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) in commercial real estate.

Central Europe's commercial real estate sector is experiencing a transformation, with Hungary leading the recovery through an 86% year-on-year increase in investment driven by Asian capital from China and South Korea. The CATL factory in Debrecen and BYD in Szeged, along with the planned Volvo plant in Košice, Slovakia, are reshaping the region's industrial landscape and creating demand for logistics space.

As liquidity gradually returns and pricing expectations realign, investors across CEE are reassessing where resilient income and long-term value can still be found. A session at CEE Property Forum 2025, moderated by James Fitzgerald, Director and Head of Industrial Agency at iO Partners, offered deep insights into how market dynamics have shifted over the past 18 months and what opportunities lie ahead as investors increasingly seek resilient, high-yielding assets.

The traditional December shopping surge has weakened across Europe, with Romania recording a 20% increase in non-food sales during the holiday month compared to the previous 11 months, according to Colliers analysis of Eurostat data from 2015-2024.

Analysts from Axi Immo's Research Department estimate that approximately 90,000 sqm of new office space will be delivered in Warsaw by year-end, consistent with 2024. Space under construction remains limited and is not expected to exceed 200,000 sqm, signalling a cautious approach from developers. Most activity is concentrated in central zones, where demand remains most resilient.

The executive data roundtable at the CEE Property Forum in Vienna marked a new format for senior real estate decision-makers in Central and Eastern Europe. Held under Chatham House rules, the session enabled an open and strategic exchange on the role of data in driving portfolio performance, risk management, and resilience.

In the East European region, the aggregated construction outlook for next year has remained positive, only the trajectory has changed a little, according to the winter report of the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA). 

At Balkans Property Forum 2025 in Belgrade, senior bankers, investors and developers came together to assess where capital is flowing in a market shaped by cautious optimism and selective growth. The investment and financing panel examined how asset preferences, financing conditions, regulatory capacity and ESG expectations are influencing investment decisions across Serbia and the wider region, revealing both the persistence of traditional strongholds and the gradual emergence of new priorities.