Upward pressure on rental rates and rising construction costs on the one hand and a growing focus on ESG and repositioning of commercial buildings on the other. Faced with the current pace of change in the real estate market, many investors are looking at 2023 with a degree of uncertainty. Are there any reasons to be fearful? And how will the economic slowdown shape trends and sentiments in each real estate sector in the short term? Cushman & Wakefield answers these questions and more in the fourth edition of its "Trends Radar" report, which presents forecasts and potential development trends for the Polish real estate market.

Romanian developer Alsin Management will invest €40 million in a new residential complex based in Pipera, northern Bucharest. 

Another skyscraper will be added to Bratislava's skyline. DRFG Investment Group will build the multi-functional Ister Tower complex in cooperation with local developer The Galata Group. The €249.5 million project will be located in the city centre near other high-rise buildings such as Sky Park, Eurovea Tower and Nivi Tower. Construction of the new skyscraper is expected to begin in 2024, DRFG said. 

All apartments in the AFIHome Třebešín rental project in Prague 3 are now fully leased. All tenants of 61 apartments have also moved in, AFI Europe has announced. 

The past year has been an extremely intense one for the housing market. A series of events from another Covid-19 wave, the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the ensuing influx of refugees, to the acceleration of inflation, a tightening of credit scoring criteria, the increase in interest rates and the coming into force of the Law of the Developer's Guarantee Fund, have significantly affected the market. These changes will certainly continue to resonate in 2023. JLL experts summarize what the coming months may have in store for the housing market.

December was the weakest month in 2022 in terms of sales and loans taken out to buy homes, local brokerage firm Duna House (DH) reports.

AFI Europe has completed its third rental housing project in Prague this year. AFIHome Kolbenova, the first apartment building in the new multifunctional district AFI City in Prague 9, has now been approved.

UDI Group, an international development group with Czech roots, is planning a massive construction in Belgrade, Serbia. It plans to build the Duga project with 2,320 apartments and 40,000 sqm of offices on the site of a former factory for almost €392 million. Construction is expected to start next year, UDI Group reported.

Average asking prices of new and old apartments in Romania fell by 0.2% in November compared to the previous month to €1,704 per sqm, with Constanța, Iași and Cluj-Napoca recording slight gains of prices, according to Imobiliare.ro. 

Berlin-based property developer firm Bauwert AG is entering a strategic partnership with Hungary’s Wing Group, as well as international investment & asset manager Griffin Capital Partners. For this purpose, the three companies signed an agreement under which Wing and Griffin will together acquire 60% of Bauwert’s shares. The remaining 40% will be kept in the ownership of the existing shareholders. Wing Group will have a controlling interest in the company.