CEE real estate investment posts strong recovery in 2025
CEE real estate investment rebounded strongly in 2025, with volumes reaching €11.6 billion across six core markets, representing a 31% year-on-year increase according to Colliers.
CEE real estate investment rebounded strongly in 2025, with volumes reaching €11.6 billion across six core markets, representing a 31% year-on-year increase according to Colliers.
DHL Supply Chain and Pepco have extended their collaboration to strengthen distribution operations across Europe. The expanded partnership aims to ensure product availability, reduce delivery lead times, and enhance network performance for Pepco's growing store footprint.
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.
The EU's downward trend in transport costs ended abruptly in March 2026, with Romania emerging as one of the most heavily impacted member states.
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.
Real estate investor GTC has leased over 150,000 sqm of commercial space in 2025 across 30 office complexes and six shopping centres in CEE.
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.
NEPI Rockcastle, the largest owner of shopping centres in CEE, said its net operating income rose 11.2% year-on-year to a record €618 million in 2025, while the distributable earnings increased 6.7% to €441 million.
MOL Group disclosed its financial results for 2025, showing profit before tax of $1.3 billion, representing an 11% decrease compared to 2024. The Hungarian energy company faced a challenging macroeconomic environment, but strong downstream and consumer services results supported overall profitability.
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.
SafeFleet, one of Romania's largest fleet monitoring companies, closed 2025 with 15% revenue growth compared to the previous year.
The Austrian Post Group has acquired 100% of Hungarian parcel service provider Delivery Solutions Zrt., operating under the brand Sameday Hungary.
Premier Energy has completed its acquisition of a controlling stake in a 158 MW wind farm in Hungary.
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.
Lululemon announced plans to expand into six new markets in 2026 through franchise partnerships. The athletic apparel brand will launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania through a partnership with Arion Retail Group, as well as in India through Tata CLiQ.

Romanian state-owned gas company Romgaz has reached an agreement in principle with fertilizer producer Azomureș regarding the acquisition of its operational activity as a transfer of a going concern.
Polish pharmaceutical company Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma has agreed to launch a voluntary public takeover offer (VTO) for all shares of Romanian drugmaker Biofarm, according to a regulatory filing.
Romania ranks first in the European Union for the real burden of electricity prices, with a nominal value 21% above the European average, according to an analysis published by the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI).
Rezolv Energy has commissioned the St. George solar park in Silistra, near the Bulgaria-Romania border. Built on a former airport site, the €270 million project transforms abandoned land into a renewable energy facility.
Romanian employees demonstrate higher engagement and happiness levels at work compared to European averages, according to the 2026 "Workplace Happiness Barometer" launched by Pluxee in partnership with The Happiness Index.