Some companies have seen slight increases in the productivity of employees working remotely since the pandemic, which fuelled the idea that most employees can continue to work from anywhere since they can be just as productive as working from the office. But there is a contradiction here: on a global scale, more and more people worked and lived under stressful conditions in the last year and a half. In this context, the big question is if people can be more productive remotely in the long run. Moreover, this situation brings on a very important idea, that offices should become hubs designed for productivity and sustain a much less stressful way of working for employees in the long term. Gavin Bonner, Vice President at Genesis Property explains the topic in an opinion piece for Property Forum.

Housing prices rose just 0.5% in Q2 2021 in Hungary, according to the Central Statistical Office’s (KSH) latest Housing Price Index. Year on year, the increase was 11.5% in Q2, partly because of a low base as prices fell slightly between April and June 2020 due to pandemic-related uncertainty.

To explore the answers to this question, with a focus on the European real estate market, WiredScore is hosting The WiredScore Future Forum on Tuesday 23rd November.

Despite the ongoing disruption of the pandemic, investment volumes for the first three quarters of 2021, totalling €7.3 billion, are down just 10% year-on-year and ca. 20% lower than the same period of 2019.  Colliers estimates that 2021 year-end volumes will reach similar levels as in 2020 of between €10.0 and €11.0 billion.

Colliers has just launched a new report titled Commercial Real Estate – our industry today, tomorrow, and beyond: Engage, Evolve, Accelerate. By publishing this report, Colliers is providing a comprehensive guide for corporate occupiers and industry stakeholders on how to approach the commercial real estate and workplace landscape as we emerge post-pandemic. This will enable the adaption of occupational strategies, rethinking of organisational operating models and the delivery of enhanced growth in the next cycle.

According to Avison Young, investment activity in the Polish market speeded up in the third quarter of the year in comparison to the first half of 2021 in terms both of the investment volume and number of transactions.

Shopping malls need to boost their leisure propositions, while retailers must enhance their omnichannel strategies, mentioned speakers during the retail panel of SEE Property Forum 2021, Property Forum's annual event in Bucharest. 

Occupancy rates in Prague’s hotels were 50% higher during the summer holidays this year in comparison with last July and August, propelling Prague upwards in the European cities’ chart. Room rates exceeded €64 in the summer, also an improvement over last year. Many hotels worked with an operating profit and the growing number of reservations is also a positive sign. Autumn traditionally brings a drop in tourism and thus in performance – September occupancy rates are still comparable with summer rates and prices are even higher, but there are concerns about another wave of the pandemic and the potential operating restrictions. However, the improved performance in the summer has confirmed again that Prague’s hospitality market has been consistently sought after and popular, and its performance is hindered mostly by external and temporary factors.

Rising construction costs and strong demand from investors are at play, of course, but the picture is a lot more complicated than that. Players of the dynamically growing private rental sector (PRS) discussed market trends at Living Investment Forum 2021, Property Forum's annual event in Warsaw. 

Banks loans dominate the financing market for property development, but the stock exchange, EU funds and state aid are emerging instruments, suggested speakers during the lenders vs borrowers panel of SEE Property Forum 2021, Property Forum's annual event in Bucharest.