Knight Frank has been present in Hungary since 2018, mostly focusing office leasing – a process that will significantly be impacted by COVID-19. Erika Lóska, Head of Office Division at Knight Frank Hungary and Colin Fitzgerald, Partner International Occupier Services at Knight Frank London talked to Property Forum about the company’s plans for Hungary and how COVID-19 could change the occupier services sector.

The share of flexible office space take-up across Europe decreased in the first quarter of 2020 to reach 5% from 9.5% at the end of 2019. The sector has expanded exponentially from 2017-2019, and is reaching maturity, as large providers become less expansionary.

Businesses and landlords needing advice on how to safely bring their staff and tenants back to the office after the COVID-19 lockdown can now receive recommendations within a week from experts at Colliers International. The global real estate consultancy is using expertise from its Workplace Advisory and Project Management teams, within the EMEA Occupier Services department, to provide, quick, detailed and innovative solutions to maximise office capacity – including cost estimates.

Reopening the office requires rethinking the daily experience and setting clear protocols for how everything in the office operates while managing the health and safety risks of our employees. How the returning to work is managed will be critical for employee health and well-being but also for the confidence in their employer and landlord, according to the latest data from CBRE.

Since the first COVID-19 cases in Poland were diagnosed, analyses and reflections on the impact of the pandemic on the real estate industry have been conducted. One of the most interesting issues is the situation on the office market, especially if we take into account the changing needs of companies and their employees. Property managers and owners try to be constantly updated to meet the expectations of tenants and support their business. Marta Wiewiórowska-Kudła, Leasing Manager at Hines Polska summarised how this market has developed recently and what may change in the future.

The social distancing in office spaces after COVID-19 involves an immediate action strategy to adapt to the new workplace normality, which is why Cushman & Wakefield Echinox has formed a multidisciplinary team to help employers prepare for the gradual return of their employees in office spaces.

The coronavirus pandemic will transform the office property market, significantly driving demand for flex workspace solutions. In the next 12-18 months, flex formats will increase to approximately 30% of total modern office spaces in Central and Eastern Europe from 3-5% before the crisis. The winners will be landlords and operators who focus on flex office hubs which offer clients not only flex and flex & core formats but an integrated work/life service concept, according to a new report by flex space operator New Work.

A dramatic shift in the terms, functionality and layout of office rental space is predicted as a direct result of the global pandemic. Organisations could begin to develop innovative strategies that prevent and tackle environmental disasters which encompass disaster recovery plans and hygiene enablers. FreeOfficeFinder.com, an online agent marketing over 2500 UK serviced office providers, has spoken with tenants and landlords to gather perspectives and predictions of how the pandemic will drive changes and considerations for selecting office space.

Ever since the World Health Organization declared a pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, our lifestyles and the way business is done have changed completely worldwide. Although the end of the several-week-long isolation is close, it is quite certain that this period will have its effects on many aspects of life. This is also reflected in the results of a major survey recently conducted by a leading real estate consultancy CBS International, part of Cushman & Wakefield Group, called "Traditional Office vs. Home Office in a Changed Business Environment". The survey involved 250 domestic and international companies from different industries, based in Serbia, and the results comprehensively illustrated how COVID-19 affected and will affect their business in the future.

Cushman & Wakefield has formed the Recovery Readiness Task Force (RRTF) to lead the development of best practices, products and partnerships to prepare clients for post-COVID-19 recovery and the eventual return to the workplace. Additionally, Cushman & Wakefield has launched a new office design concept on its website, showcasing a new social distancing program developed by the firm and being piloted in The Netherlands.