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.
Investment into Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries (excluding Russia) for H1 2016 registered a substantial increase (59%) compared to same period of last year, surpassing €5 billion. Expectations are that for the entire year, investment volumes will reach and exceed the record volumes of 2015 with all CEE countries expected to perform strongly, says CBRE.
According to Cushman & Wakefield, robust commercial real estate investment activity in the core Central European markets of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania continued in the second quarter of 2016 and reached EUR 2.6 billion, a 56% increase on Q1. This has pushed volumes over the last twelve months to EUR 9.3 billion, close to 2007 record levels.
Mitiska REIM, an investor specialised in European retail parks, has tannounced the successful second closing of its First Retail International 2 Fund (FRI 2) close to €190 million, significantly exceeding its original target of €120 to 150 million. Allowing for gearing of 50%, the Fund’s gross investment capability is now close to €400 million.
P3 has reached the important milestone of 300,000 sqm of built space at its P3 Bucharest park, the largest logistics park in Romania. Since its purchase of the park at the beginning of 2015, P3 has added a total of 85,000 sqm of new space for existing and new clients.
Cushman & Wakefield has published its new CE industrial map to give a comprehensive overview of the most important logistics and industrial sites in Central Europe, Russia and Germany. In addition, this year’s edition has been expanded with figures for Italy’s Milan.
Cushman & Wakefield Echinox moves its headquarters to the office building developed by businessman and former tennis player Ion Tiriac near Piata Victoriei in Bucharest. The company rented here a space between 300 and 500 sqm.
CBRE Romania will move from this summer to a new headquarters. The company rented almost one floor of One Tower, which has 1,400 sqm.
Furniture retailer Mobexpert leased 2,000 sqm of warehouses and offices in Constanța Business Park, developed by Global Vision and Globalworth. Following recent transactions, Constanța Business Park has reached an occupancy rate of 70%.
New appointments
Olga Szczęsna has joined JLL Poland's Office Agency Department, where she has taken up the position of director. Olga will be responsible for the commercialization of buildings from the Patrizia portfolio, including N21, Metron and G9, as well as the Central Point building, currently under construction in the centre of Warsaw.
JLL Romania consolidates its industrial team by recruiting Ciprian Sîrbu in order to provide Supply Chain services on the local market. Ciprian Sîrbu has over 10 years of experience in logistics, e-commerce, and industrial supply chain, completed by 7 years in which he worked in the IT field. His role within JLL is to provide advice to customers in streamlining the supply chain like the need for such services increases.
Simona Costache has joined Romanian developer One United Properties as Executive Director, Residential Sales. With 15 years of experience in real estate, Simona has been involved in sales, rental and facility management for residential developers in Bucharest.
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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