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.

International investors seem to have rediscovered one of the biggest and most important markets of Southeastern Europe that have matured a lot over the past few years. Michaela Lashova MRICS, CEO of Forton (an Alliance Partner of Cushman & Wakefield for Bulgaria and FYROM) and RICS SEE Ambassador talked to us about the present and future of the Bulgarian commercial property market. 

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.

The latest Colliers report reveals a stable retail property market in Bulgaria during the first half of 2016. Modern shopping centers in Sofia retained the absorption levels from the previous period – nearly 15,000 sqm of leasable space, compared to 16,370 sqm in the second half of 2015. In well-established projects enjoying active demand, this equals to an average share of 4% from the GLA. 

Delta Holding, a Serbian real estate investor, has announced that next year it will begin building a shopping mall in Banja Luka, the largest investment in the Republic Srpska region of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Immofinanz is continuing the expansion of its STOP SHOP retail park chain at a fast pace: the 57th location was opened today in the Polish city of Szczytno. After Niš in Serbia and Świnoujście in Poland, this represents the third project completion in two months and the next locations have already been identified. A STOP SHOP will open in the Serbian city of Valjevo during early autumn, and in Poland preparations are underway for retail parks in Pultusk and Gdynia. These projects will raise the total number of STOP SHOPs to 60.

New Europe Property Investments (NEPI) has closed several transactions in Southeastern Europe. The Group has concluded an agreement to acquire a shopping centre in Sibiu, Romania, a minority interest in Mega Mall Bucharest, Romania and a land plot in Novi Sad, Serbia.

In 2016 commercial real estate investment activity seems to be picking up again in Southeastern Europe after a slightly weaker 2015. Although financing conditions are continuing to improve a lack of high quality product and liquidity still presents a big challenge for all countries of the region. We report from Bucharest where Portfolio Conferences and RICS have organised SEE Property Forum for the second time.

Major cities of Southeastern Europe have had to face many challenges: wars, earthquakes and the drastic redevelopments of the socialist era. Today, they are trying to rebuild themselves and become modern, European capitals. We look at three countries, three capitals – and three very different plans for city developments. 

According to Colliers International's latest market research the Croatian real estate market experienced several significant investments in the retail, office and hotel and hospitality sectors in 2015. While the retail and office segments are experiencing upward pressure on rental prices, the industrial market, despite being the least developed sector, saw increased activity.