Czech investment group SCF has completed the acquisition of two Romanian NEST retail parks from developer RC Europe for nearly €40 million. The transaction marks SCF's entry into its fourth country, expanding its Central European retail portfolio beyond the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.
Manova Partners is expanding its investment activities in CEE with a focus on Poland. The international real estate investment manager currently manages a property portfolio in the region worth more than €1.4 billion.
Industrial developer CTP recorded gross rental income of €205.1 million in Q1-2026, up 12.3% year-on-year with like-for-like rental growth of 4.6%. The company's annualised rental income increased to €849.3 million by the end of March 2026.
CEE is transforming from Europe's periphery into a defence industry powerhouse, according to a new KPMG study. The region's combination of cost efficiency, industrial capacity, and strategic location is attracting investment as European defence spending increases.
Romania emerged as the most dynamic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), recording 9% growth in transaction numbers during 2025.
Construction costs and plot acquisition have become the primary concerns for real estate developers in Central Europe in 2026, affecting 27% and 25% of companies respectively, according to a Deloitte report.
Commercial property investment in CEE rebounded strongly in 2025, with a combined volume of €11.3 billion across Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. This represents a 34% year-on-year increase and stands 24% above the five-year average, according to data by Knight Frank.
The Middle East conflict is driving up energy prices and pushing inflation higher across CEE. Oil and gas shocks hit import-dependent economies hardest, forcing central banks to postpone planned rate cuts as markets turn risk-off, according to an analysis by ING Bank.
Industrial developer CTP recorded gross rental income of €759.8 million in 2025, up 14.4% year-on-year with like-for-like rental growth of 4.5%.
Romania's commercial real estate investment market recorded approximately €500 million in 2025, down 31% from the previous year, due to the absence of large transactions.
CEE property investment reached a turning point in 2025, with transaction volumes across the region's six main markets totalling €11.6 billion, representing 31% annual growth according to Colliers' latest analysis.
CEE is entering an uneven economic recovery against a backdrop of inflationary pressures, with Romania remaining under pressure from inflation...
Central Europe's commercial real estate sector is experiencing a transformation, with Hungary leading the recovery through an 86% year-on-year increase in investment driven by Asian capital from China and South Korea. The CATL factory in Debrecen and BYD in Szeged, along with the planned Volvo plant in Košice, Slovakia, are reshaping the region's industrial landscape and creating demand for logistics space.
Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have recorded an 18% increase in banking assets between 2021 and 2024.
Colliers has published a new report focusing on CEE, examining economic and real estate trends across Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The study shows that 2025 brought moderate economic recovery, easing inflation and rising focus on sustainability, while real estate markets were shaped by modernization, limited new office supply, strong logistics demand and retail park expansion.
Romania faces an economic maturity test, with the key question being whether it can transform current vulnerabilities into reforms and progress.
Romanian mobile phone accessories retailer Contakt has announced its entry into the Czech market with two locations in Prague, marking a new step in its European expansion plan. The company has signed for locations in high-traffic malls with official opening estimated for March 2026.
Industrial developer CTP reported net rental income growth of 15.4% year-on-year to €549 million in the first nine months of 2025. The company achieved like-for-like rental growth of 4.5%, driven by indexation and lease renewals.
CEE economies have been delivering solid GDP growth, outpacing many Western European peers despite external trade uncertainties and recent inflationary pressures, according to Colliers' latest report.
Romania's hospitality industry recorded a 19% increase in turnover in the first half of 2025, the third largest advance in the European Union after Greece (35%) and Hungary (22%), according to Eurostat data cited by Colliers. Rising room rates have pushed local pricing into line with established CEE markets such as Poland and the Czech Republic, even though the number of overnight stays in hotels almost stagnated, with an increase of less than 4%.
Romania is entering a new stage, with its multiannual economic recovery programme launching in 2026, carrying an estimated budget of around €5 billion through 2032 and a dedicated framework for anchor-type strategic investments above €200 million, according to experts at EY Romania.
FintechOS, the financial technology company founded in Romania that provides AI-based digitalisation solutions for banks and insurers, has reached profitability on the back of a 40% rise in recurring revenue at the end of Q1, company representatives said.
OMV Petrom, an integrated energy producer in Southeast Europe, has made the final investment decision for Gabare, an integrated solar energy and battery storage project in Bulgaria.
Romania has reached 31 da Vinci robotic surgery programs nationwide, of which 8 are in the public healthcare system. The most recent system, installed at Fundeni Clinical Institute, marks the expansion of robotic surgery in Romanian public hospitals and the regional milestone of 100 da Vinci systems across the SOFMEDICA region: Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary, Cyprus, Croatia and Slovenia.
The gap between European and Romanian agricultural economic pressures widened in Q1 2026.