International real estate advisor Savills has reported that investors into Europe’s retail sector are shifting their interest to some of the continent’s non-core markets. Investment into Europe’s retail sector during Q1-Q3 2016 reached €33.3 billion across the 15 markets that Savills covers, down 28% from the 2015 record volume. However, despite the overall drop of total turnover in the two largest markets of the UK (-18%) and Germany (-46%) during this time period, Europe’s non-core markets in contrast have experienced a significant rise in retail investment. These include: Ireland (223% to €1.46 billion); Poland (126% to €1.4 billion) and Italy (119% to €1.8 billion).

The Budapest office of CBRE has been appointed property manager and leasing agent of M7 Real Estate’s new Hungarian property portfolio. M7 Real Estate has acquired two retail centres, the Atom Center in Paks and Csillagvár in Budapest, and the Acélforma industrial hall in Dunaharaszti. The British investor has commissioned CBRE with the management and leasing of almost 22,000 sqm of GLA.

Real Estate Central Europe Group has finalised its sale of eight retail and service schemes totalling more than 16,000 sqm to Dutch investment fund Arcona Property Fund. Cushman & Wakefield represented the vendor in the transaction.

Strong demand across all investment sectors is expected to continue into 2017 in the Czech Republic and the €3 billion boundary could be exceeded once again. Retail is likely to become the most popular asset class next year, followed by offices and industrial. CBRE has released the Czech Republic Real Estate Market Outlook 2017.

Slovak investor IAD Investments, acting through its fund Prvý realitný fond o.p.f., has purchased Laugaricio Shopping Centre in Trenčín, Slovakia. The original owners were private investors represented by Mint Investments. This sale, the largest property transaction in Slovakia this year, was brokered by Cushman & Wakefield. 

M7 Real Estate, the pan-European investor and asset manager, announces that it has made two further acquisitions for the recently launched CEREF I fund. The acquisitions in Croatia and Hungary totalling €14 million mark M7's first entry into both countries.

As announced in October 2016, Rockcastle concluded a preliminary agreement to acquire Galeria Warmińska shopping centre in the city of Olsztyn in Poland from Galeria Warmińska Spółka z Ograniczoną Odpowiedzialnością Spółka Komandytowa. All conditions precedent have been met and the transaction was concluded effective as of 15 December 2016.

Immofinanz has announced the sale of a smaller Austrian retail portfolio to an Austrian real estate investor and, with this transaction, continues its strategic withdrawal from properties that are not part of the core business. The portfolio covers 88 properties with approx. 108,000 sqm of rentable space in eight Austrian provinces. The parties to the transaction have agreed not to disclose any information on the purchase price. The closing will take place in several steps through the end of 2017. 

An opportunity fund advised by Tristan Capital Partners, a pan-European real estate investment manager, has agreed to sell the Zakopianka Shopping Centre in Krakow, Poland, to Johannesburg-listed Echo Polska Properties for approximately €54 million.

Immofinanz is continuing the expansion of its Stop Shop retail park chain in Serbia. Three new locations will be added in Požarevac, Lazarevac and Vršac, with a total of 23,800 sqm of rentable space. The individual projects are in different stages, but should all be completed before the end of 2017.