At our annual SEE Property Forum 2025 in Bucharest, seasoned market professionals gathered to dissect the rapidly changing landscape of office real estate. Moderated by Ionut Oprea, the conversation brought together a dynamic roster of experts: Claudia Cetățoiu (iO Partners), Maria Jianu (Speedwell), Sorin Macoveiu (VASTINT Romania), Mădălina Marinescu (Crosspoint Real Estate), Ioana Roman (Filip & Company), and Adinel Tudor (Evo Properties).

A new CBRE survey reveals a persistent gap between employer expectations and employee office attendance across Europe. While 54% of companies require office presence at least 3 days per week, only 42% actually achieve this target. The survey included 117 European companies, including firms operating in the Czech Republic.

Nearly 60% of Romanian employees believe their employers should do more to support both professional and personal development, according to a survey conducted by Genesis Property in the first half of 2025 on a nationally representative sample of 1,012 respondents.

In a compelling panel discussion at the recent Bucharest Business Forum, industry leaders explored the complex landscape of modern workplace dynamics, addressing the ongoing debate between remote work and return-to-office strategies.

The Realism development group has introduced the concept of so-called unlimited vacation and encourages all members of its team to use as many days off as possible. At the same time, it has adopted a new method of corporate education.

Whilst significant ink has flowed in relation to the ‘E’ pillar from the vast ESG spectrum, the ‘S’ pillar is beginning to catch up in prominence particularly in the office sector across the UK and Continental Europe. Post-Covid behaviours have had a massive impact on the office offering and workforce demands - the office is by no means dead, but its role has certainly had a significant rethink, writes Mirela Calota, Director, Deal Advisory - Real Estate and Infrastructure at KPMG, in an article prepared for Property Forum.

Office real estate in Poland, as in the entire CEE region, is trying to forge a new identity for itself in the new times of hybrid work and lower demand. Participants in the panel on the future of offices at Future of Real Estate 2023 discussed how this process is taking place. The event was organised by Property Forum and RICS in Warsaw.

IWG, the world’s largest provider of hybrid working solutions with brands including Spaces, Regus, HQ and Signature, is expanding its Hungarian portfolio with four new openings, adding a total area of 5,944 sqm to its footprint. The openings are being delivered in partnerships with different locations that have chosen the IWG flexible workspace platform and have entered into a management agreement with the Regus and HQ brands.

Colliers has appointed Dávid Horváth as Head of Workplace Advisory Services in Hungary. He joined the Colliers Occupier Services team in 2015 as a workspace consultant. After a short break, he will continue as Head of Workplace Advisory Services, which has been strengthened into a strategic business unit, starting from February 2023.

Demand for offices will shrink in the future due to the adoption of hybrid work arrangements, which also helps companies save money, commented speakers of the workplace strategies panel of CEE Property Forum 2022, held in Vienna.