Modern industrial stock in the Czech Republic grew by 314,800 sqm in H2 2020, indicating a mild (7%) decline in construction activity compared to H1. The total industrial inventory intended for lease according to the latest Savills report totalled 9.11 million sqm and 62% of the total inventory was held within the three largest submarkets of Prague (3.21 million sqm), the Pilsen region (1.33 million sqm) and the South Moravia region  (1.15 million sqm).

Commercial property investment volume in the Czech Republic amounted to €797 million in H2 2020 with 60% of the H2 transaction volume (i.e. €478 million) being for properties located in Prague, according to Savills research.

A quarter of all modern warehouse and industrial space in Poland was transacted in 2020, says real estate advisory firm Savills in its latest report. Despite the pandemic, take-up hit record levels last year, reaching more than 5 million sqm, while Poland’s total logistics stock surpassed the 20 million sqm mark.

InPost, which owns a network of parcel lockers Paczkomaty®, will launch a new 6,000 sqm logistics centre in Prologis Park Chorzów. One of Poland’s largest logistics operators was advised on the transaction by real estate advisory firm Savills.

In 2020, office take-up hit its lowest level in ten years amid pandemic headwinds despite the largest-ever single lease contract signed to date and one of the highest volumes of new office space coming onto the Warsaw market on record, says real estate advisory firm Savills. Rents remained resilient and the overall vacancy rate is still below the levels last seen during the previous supply peak five years ago.

Savills top picks for value-add investors this year are logistics developments in undersupplied markets such as the Nordics and Spain, short-term income sectors such as flexible offices and student housing, which are likely to recover in the second half of this year, and multifamily developments in markets with rising demand for rental such as Southern and Eastern Europe.

2020 has been dominated on the commercial real estate market in Poland by the pandemic, whose impact varied from sector to sector though. The pandemic has, however, given rise to or accelerated a number of developments, some of which are likely to stay with us for longer. Real estate advisory firm Savills explores future trends in its preliminary summary of 2020 and its outlook for the next 12 months.

Operational residential investment (which comprises multifamily, student housing and senior living assets) accounted for 27% of global real estate investment in the first three quarters of 2020, up from just 16% a decade ago, according to the Savills Global Living Report 2020.

This year is likely to be the best for the Polish warehouse and industrial market, predicts Savills, with leasing activity already setting an all-time high in Q1-Q3 2020. Occupier take-up predominantly came from food retailers operating without any disruption despite restrictions imposed on other retail sectors and from e-commerce, including logistics operators serving e-retailers.

According to Savills latest research, total property investment activity in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania for Q1-Q3 2020 was €7.6 billion, the third-highest volume on record, despite the global COVID-19 pandemic. Total investment volumes by year-end are forecast to surpass €10 billion, which would be in line with the five-year average.