Romania has significantly strengthened its position as a favourable investment destination within Central & Eastern Europe and unlike other countries in the region, the Romanian property market is not entirely dominated by its capital city. Although investors and developers are most active in Bucharest, secondary and even tertiary cities have a lot of potential as well, and several companies have decided to explore what these regional hubs have to offer.
Central and Eastern European housing markets are over the crisis and prices have once again begun to rise. The general upswing, observed on European housing markets, is supported by a number of factors. Following the economic crisis, GDP has begun to grow once again in most countries and the interest environment is also favourable to borrowing. These both contribute to a recovery in housing market demand, which may then materialise in higher prices. In the case of housing markets in the Central and Eastern European region, significant differences in price dynamics may be observed. Hungary stands out from the field, where a highly significant price rise has been observed in the past two years with the prices of second-hand homes having grown by 29 percent. We take a look at Central and Eastern European housing markets.
L1 building, belonging to the second phase of Brasov’s Coresi Business Park, with an area of 8,300 sqm, was delivered in September 2016. There are ongoing construction works on the second new building, N1, with 8,500 sqm, planned for delivery in Q2 of 2017. Coresi Business Park now totals over 30,000 sqm of a class office space and aims to reach 100,000 sqm in the coming years.
This year has witnessed new players entering Central and Eastern European markets which, when combined with investments from the region's traditional players, has further increased CEE investment activity. Colliers, Skanska and JLL has released a joint report that analyses the region’s potential as an investment location.
CTP has announced the appointment of Ana Dumitrache as co-country head for CTP Romania who will co-ordinate operations with CTP CEO, Remon L. Vos. Mrs. Dumitrache will be responsible for funding, finance & accounting, focusing on business development in particular, and will support the overall operations of CTP in Romania. Her target within CTP will be to replicate her success in the banking industry, bringing strength and professionalism to the team, creating bridges with partners and supporting the dynamic growth of the company.
In the last quarter alone South African investors have spent €1 billion in CEE and it is most likely that they won’t stop chasing higher yields anytime soon. Even though investments in Central and Eastern Europe are generally considered risky by European standards, coming from other parts of the world opportunities in the region may seem rather safe. We report from CEE Property Forum 2016, co-organised by Portfolio Property Forum and RICS, where over 300 visitors and 70 speakers came together to discuss the most pressing issues concerning regional investment markets.
Romania and Hungary are seeing new capital flowing into their respective commercial real estate markets as a consequence of a significant yield spread between Western and Eastern Europe. Skanska has relased a new report, focuing on investment opportunities in the CEE region.
AFI Europe Romania has signed a letter of intent for the sale of three of its five office buildings located in AFI Park Bucharest. According to a company report, the letter of intent has been signed in June. AFI Europe wants to sell buildings 1, 2 & 3 of the complex with the option of selling AFI Park 4 & 5 to the same buyer. The name of the possible buyer has not been revealed.
Romanian real estate developer Primavera Development will build a shopping centre in the centre of Sibiu, on the plot of the former Simerom plant. Festival Shopping Center is set to have a 44,000 sqm rentable area and is expected to be opened in H2 2018. The investment in the mall will amount to 70 million euros.
Adval Asset Management supported by JLL's Capital Markets team has successfully secured the refinancing of €6 million of Cascade Offices. Cascade Offices is a 4200 sqm office building delivered in 2005 and located on Buzesti Street, in the heart of the Central Business District of Bucharest. Among the main tenants, the project counts Procredit Bank, Enel and Taiwan TC.
Online documentation and efficiency solutions company Craft Docs secured a 1,000 sqm of office space in the renewed Krausz Palace office complex in downtown Budapest. The company will move in August 2023. The startup has become the first tenant of the building, Jake Lodge, principal of Avision Young Hungary responsible for the leasing and operative management of the building said.
A new tenant has moved into the Eximius Park office complex near Kraków. GoE Wellness is a British healthy lifestyle start-up that is expanding its operations in Europe. The company's new office has an area of approximately 900 sqm and is located in building 200.
Galeria Jurajska is strengthening its offer. Three new tenants - fashion brands Quiosque and Lovisa and patisserie Lody Czewskie - will soon appear in the Częstochowa shopping centre.
New appointments
CPI Property Group is expanding its retail leasing department. Dariusz Kafara has been appointed as the new Leasing Manager. At the Warsaw branch of the company, Dariusz is responsible for maintaining the maximum level of commercialisation in two retail park chains from the group's portfolio - CityMarket and STOP SHOP.
Brian Nyeng Olesen, formerly head of commercial at the Salling Group, has been appointed as the new managing director of Netto Polska. The position was previously held by Hugo Mesquita.
M Core appoints Magdalena Kowalewska as the new Chief Operating Officer at LCP Properties, Poland. This comes at the same time that Krystian Modrzejewski has accepted a post as the Group Head of Expansion for Poland, where he will be responsible for realising the opportunity for land and asset acquisition in aid of portfolio growth. LCP Properties Poland is part of the M Core group, which brings together family-owned companies that invest in and manage real estate. It comprises LCP, Proudreed, Sheet Anchor, GIPAM and Evolve Estates.
Property Forum is a leading event hub in the CEE real estate industry with nearly 10 years of experience. We organise conferences, business breakfasts and workshops focused on real estate, in London, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava and Prague, amongst other locations.
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