As technology has taken an increasingly important strategic role in the evolution and development of real estate, the challenges facing the people leading that innovation charge are becoming apparent.

As Romania has eliminated all pandemic restrictions earlier this week, companies plan to increase the number of employees returning to the office in the near future. 

Half of Romanian employees believe that the office needs to be redesigned to create different areas that give them more flexibility and multiple working options, depending on the type of work and collaboration needs, according to a survey carried out by Romanian developer Genesis Property. 

Although real estate development, investment and lending to the sector have taken a beating due to the pandemic's effects on the global economy, according to the results of the latest edition of KPMG’s Property Lending Barometer, property lending has gained an increased importance for banks in 2021, as on the one hand real estate loan portfolios are deteriorating, and, on the other, market conditions continue to gradually improve. Moreover, the tougher times mean that lending institutions within the region are able to pick and choose what types of developments and investments to grant loans to under stricter terms and conditions.

Almost a fourth of all the respondents are planning to roll out apps for booking desks, meeting rooms and parking spaces, reveals a survey conducted among the tenants of office buildings under the management of Cushman & Wakefield.

A restaurant or a canteen, cycling facilities, a cash dispenser and a grocery store are the must-have amenities of an office building, reveals a survey conducted among the occupiers of office buildings under the management of Cushman & Wakefield.

Shoppers are becoming increasingly conscious and are looking for easily accessible, environmentally friendly shopping centres that also have outdoor green areas, a representative survey called "The role of shopping centres in the 21th century" by Westend and Marketing Resolution found. The survey examined the customer habits of people living in Budapest and its suburbs, including how often they visited their favourite malls, what experiences they were looking for there or what products were in highest demand.

56% of the respondents are looking for two-bedroom flats, reveals a survey from Cushman & Wakefield carried out by SW Research on a representative sample of the inhabitants of the largest Polish cities.

Commercial property is viewed as having below-average risk levels in most CEE countries. Revenues from different asset classes are expected to recover to pre-COVID levels most rapidly in Poland, according to the RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor for Q1 2021.

The Q1 2021 results of the RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor indicate a slightly less negative market sentiment across Europe compared to the previous quarter. Rental growth expectations remain negative within the office and retail sectors across all European nations covered, while the outlook for industrial markets has never been more positive.