More than two-thirds of modern retail space in the Czech Republic is over 15 years old, according to Colliers' ExCEEding Borders Retail 2026 report. Across the six major Central and Eastern European countries and the Baltic states combined, approximately 33.3 million sqm of modern retail space exists, of which roughly 20 million sqm, or around two-thirds, is older than 15 years. The Czech Republic's share stands at 69%, placing it among the more mature markets in the region.
Property Forum and The Poland Observer are joining forces at Expo Real 2026 for a dedicated conference session exploring the investment outlook for Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. Taking place from 15:00 to 16:30 on 6 October, the 90-minute programme will bring together real estate leaders to discuss where opportunities could emerge across the region as the market heads towards 2027.
North Bucharest Investments (NBI) and Denya are marking a new stage in their partnership for Denya Lake, a residential development in the Pipera area of northern Bucharest, with a private event called "Discover Denya Lake" scheduled for 8 October 2026. The event will take place on site from 6:30 PM and will bring together investors, clients and business partners for a private viewing of the €45 million project. Ronen Ginsburg, CEO of Denya Group, will travel to Bucharest for the occasion, joining Shlomi Mintzer, CEO of Danya Cebus Romania, and Vlad Musteata, Founder and CEO of North Bucharest Investments.
All five office buildings at West Gate Business District in Bucharest, covering a total assessed area of more than 94,000 sqm, have received a BREEAM In-Use Outstanding rating, the highest level under the international standard for assessing the performance of existing buildings under real operating conditions. The park is owned and managed by Genesis Property.
Property Forum is thrilled to announce the shortlist of nominees for the SEE Property Forum Awards 2026, celebrating the most outstanding projects, landmark transactions and influential personalities shaping Romania's real estate market. The winners will be selected soon by a jury committee comprising leading real estate professionals, and the recipients will be announced at our Awards Gala on 20 October, part of our annual SEE Property Forum conference.
UNIQA Real Estate Management GmbH is launching the UQA Real Estate Fund, a closed-ended real estate fund for institutional investors. The fund will invest in Core and Core Plus office properties across Europe, with a geographic focus on Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. The move represents a further step in UNIQA Real Estate's opening of its investment and management platform, previously dedicated to the UNIQA Group, to third-party investors.
Romanian real estate developer and operator IULIUS has partnered with Generatik, a platform for digitalising indoor advertising in shopping centres, becoming the first national mall operator to integrate the service. The partnership covers Iulius Town Timișoara, Palas Iași and the Iulius Mall network in Cluj-Napoca, Iași and Suceava.
Speculation has intensified over a possible sale of Tesco's operations in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with the Financial Times reporting that the Schwarz Group, which operates the Lidl and Kaufland chains, is expected to make an offer for the Czech and Slovak businesses. Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize and Polish discounter Biedronka are also named among potential bidders.
Romania's real estate market and investment opportunities will take centre stage at EXPO REAL 2026 in Munich. Hosted by AHK Romania with the support of Property Forum, Spotlight on Romania @ EXPO REAL 2026 will bring together investors, developers, public authorities and other industry stakeholders on 5 October for an evening of market insights and networking.
Nhood has become the development partner of Regata Imobiliare for the commercial component of Satul German, a large-scale urban development project in the Republic of Moldova. Under the mandate, Nhood will provide integrated development, leasing, property management and asset management services, with the aim of supporting the project's long-term performance.
Michał Kwinta is expanding his role at Mindspace, taking on responsibility for Romania in addition to his existing management of the company's Polish operations. The appointment broadens Mindspace's regional structure in Central and Eastern Europe across two office markets at different stages of development in the flexible workspace sector.
Romania's Urban Planning Code will require, from 1 January 2027, that office, commercial, industrial and storage buildings, including covered car parks, with a built area exceeding 1,000 sqm obtain authorisation only if green roofs adapted to local climatic conditions cover at least half of the roof surface. Industry association Converde welcomes the obligation, arguing that rooftops currently function as heat-accumulating surfaces that discharge rainwater rapidly into drainage systems, and that the new rules could turn them into active infrastructure for urban climate adaptation.
Romania's land market is undergoing a significant transformation, with plots carrying clear zoning status, approved Zonal Urban Plans and the ability to enter development rapidly becoming the most sought-after assets, according to Crosspoint Real Estate, the International Associate of Savills in Romania. The value gap between fully entitled land and plots lacking planning documentation is continuing to widen.
North-East Romania has an increasingly important role to play in the economic transformation of the wider region. Positioned at the intersection of Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the region has the opportunity to become a significant gateway for investment, infrastructure development, industrial growth and future reconstruction.
The value of newly started construction projects in Romania fell considerably in the first half of 2026, with declines recorded across almost every submarket, according to the EBI Construction Activity Report Romania Q2 2026, prepared by Eltinga, Buildecon and iBuild. "Q1 was relatively strong, but not enough to change the overall downward trend. A combination of economic slowdown, persistent inflation, elevated interest rates, and reduced public spending continues to constrain the market," said Dr. Sebastian Sipos-Gug of Ebuild srl.
Bucharest's hotel market recorded revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth of 5% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, and 25.2% above pre-pandemic levels, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. The performance is underpinning a development pipeline of more than 1,500 new rooms expected to enter the market by 2028, equivalent to approximately 13% of existing hotel stock, spanning segments from midscale to luxury.
Property Forum's first EastGate Investment Showcase, held on 15 September, brought together investors, business leaders, financial institutions, public authorities and regional decision-makers at the Palace of Culture in Iași to explore how Northeast Romania and the wider Romania-Moldova-Ukraine corridor can translate its strategic position into investable opportunities. The event created a new meeting point between international capital and regional stakeholders, with discussions ranging from infrastructure and energy to real estate, logistics and Ukraine's reconstruction. EastGate's objective extends beyond the event itself: the initiative will continue with the development of the EastGate Investment Pipeline 2027, aimed at identifying and preparing concrete opportunities for investors.
Industrial and logistics facilities across CEE are under growing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption and adapt to workforce and sustainability challenges. Silviu Bulzan, Sales Leader Office & Industry SEE at Signify, discusses how connected infrastructure, data and AI are changing facility management, and why lighting is evolving from a basic utility into a tool for improving productivity, safety and ESG performance.
Speedwell has appointed Răzvan Enache as Executive Director of Development in Romania. In his new role, he will coordinate development strategy, planning and stakeholder engagement, and contribute to identifying new opportunities in the Romanian market. The appointment coincides with the company advancing several complex projects in key Romanian cities, including TINO in Brașov, the regeneration of the former 1 IUNIE textile factory site in Timișoara, and the large-scale mixed-use project CityZen in Bucharest.
Bucharest is consolidating its position within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) real estate market, combining rental growth across major asset classes with investment yields that remain well above Western European levels, according to the DNA of Real Estate Europe Q2 2026 report published by Cushman & Wakefield. Across Europe in Q2 2026, prime office rents rose 4.5% year-on-year, retail rents increased 3.0%, and logistics rents grew 2.4%, while investors remained selective as yield movements pointed to a more balanced market following the repricing cycle of recent years.
Bucharest is consolidating its position within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) real estate market, combining rental growth across major asset classes with investment yields that remain well above Western European levels, according to the DNA of Real Estate Europe Q2 2026 report published by Cushman & Wakefield. Across Europe in Q2 2026, prime office rents rose 4.5% year-on-year, retail rents increased 3.0%, and logistics rents grew 2.4%, while investors remained selective as yield movements pointed to a more balanced market following the repricing cycle of recent years.
Energy company Electrica informs investors and the capital market that it has obtained the technical grid connection permits (ATR) for 17 new battery energy storage projects (BESS), with a total capacity of approximately 700 MWh.
The European Retail Banking Radar, Kearney's latest study now in its 18th edition, shows that Europe is entering a period of normalisation following the conditions of 2023–2025. For Romania, the challenge extends beyond the normalisation of interest rates.
Romania's national electricity transmission network operator, Transelectrica, has halted scheduled maintenance shutdowns to ensure the grid operates at maximum capacity during an ongoing extreme heatwave. The preventive measures aim to mitigate operational risks associated with severe weather conditions.
Digi Spain has announced its intention to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the Spanish stock exchanges, aiming to raise approximately €150 million.
