In the Spotlight

Bucharest’s contribution to the total national GDP decreased by 2.4 percentage points from 2019 to 2021, the estimated losses for tax revenues being 17.2 billion lei (3.45 billion euros) until 2026. Those are the main conclusions of the first impact study regarding the blockage of the authorization process in Bucharest, carried out by financial analyst Iancu Guda and presented for the first time at the event organized by BUCHAREST REAL ESTATE CLUB, RESIDENTIAL CONFERENCE: The Future of Quality Living.

    The administrative blockage and the uncertainty of the urban climate are also reflected in the direct contribution of the construction industries and real estate transactions to Bucharest’s GDP. Thus, if in 2019, it stood at 14.2%, in 2020 it reached 14%, while in 2021 it amounted to 13.3%.

    At a national level, the construction and real estate transactions industries have been very dynamic in recent years, contributing the most to the economy’s recovery after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. These sectors register the highest increase in jobs in 2021 compared to 2019 (+80,703 new jobs), the highest increase in income (+90 billion lei), the highest increase in the balance of fixed assets (+44 billion lei), reflecting the largest investments compared to any other activity sector. Statistical data show that although there was an upward trend at the national level, Bucharest registered a considerable decrease.

    Considering the polarization of this sector (95% of companies have revenues below 1 million euros, representing 29% of total revenues), the decrease in the number of building permits determines that 9 out of 10 companies active in the analyzed sectors, which operate in Bucharest, are exposed to the risk of insolvency. The main vulnerability of these companies is their small size, in the context of a very high level of debt (almost 80%).

The estimated loss for tax revenues is 17.2 billion lei (3.45 billion euros), while the total loss of added value in the economy is approximately 52 billion lei (10.4 billion euros) for 2022 -2026. “The opportunity costs are enormous, given that the potential tax revenues that can be lost could be directed towards the construction of 5 hospitals, 5 high schools and 10 primary schools with kindergartens, in each sector of Bucharest. Alternatively, with these funds, the entire outworn heating network of Bucharest can be restored“, said financial analyst Iancu Guda during the BREC conference.

    “The consequences of the lack of predictability and the administrative blockage can generate financial losses greater than the 10.4 billion euros estimated in the study, through the reluctance of international and local investors to place their capital in new investments on the Bucharest market. The value of these losses is impossible to quantify“, said Despina Ponomarenco, President of the Bucharest Real Estate Club.

27.09.2022

Globalworth has completed in September 2022 the fit-out project for its tenant, WIPRO, after several months of work. Globalworth Square is now the most technologically advanced building in the landlord’s portfolio. This office building obtained the BREEAM Outstanding certification, with 99% scoring, the 3rd highest worldwide.

The space has nearly 11,000 square meters and includes: flexible workspaces, ergonomic furniture, relaxation areas, plenty of game areas, amphitheatres and fresh materials. The project covers 5 floors (floors 9 – 13 of Globalworth Square) and hosts over 1,000 workstations and a total of 100 meeting room seats. The design was created with the assistance of PROGRAPHIC concept design architects.

One of the key fit-out elements was the integration of nature in the workspace. In addition to the visual aspect, which is a plus, the plants have been placed to act as a biofilter, improving air quality and reducing the carbon dioxide in the environment, releasing fresh oxygen.

“We have truly enjoyed working for a partner like WIPRO. Extremely open to our suggestions, they have always encouraged and supported us. We are grateful for their trust and our fantastic collaboration! It is extremely satisfactory to see the result and we are glad that this space is used by WIPRO, a company that has been in the Globalworth community for many years. Out of the work put in by our team, a creative, vibrant and unconstrained project came out. An office where employees feel creative, inspired and free. An office of the future built and fitted out in the present.”, said Dimitris Pergamalis, MRICS, Group Head of Workplaces at Globalworth.

With Globalworth Square the landlord is creating a new standard when it comes to responsiveness, well-being, sustainability, and reduced costs of occupancy. An important part of the energy consumption will be provided by the photovoltaic roof and to increase safety, direct contact with the surfaces will be limited by implementing touchless solutions with IR sensors in all the sanity facilities, while the access to the building and office spaces will be available through Bluetooth and NFC technologies. Globalworth Square also has an innovative health and safety feature, increasing the air filtration and UVC light disinfection for a hygienic office environment: a system that disinfects the air introduced in the office area as well as in the common spaces with the help of UV-C lamps installed on the inlet connections of the air-treatment stations. This system ensures efficient and effective reduction of microorganisms by up to 99%, even in very confined spaces, and it works against viruses such as Covid-19 and other pathogens. Another innovation is the building’s cooling system, consisting of a heat pump, R1234ze ecological freon chillers and a boot storage, designed to generate low energy consumption. The implementation of the ice storage system is unique for a class A office building in Romania.

(07.09.2022)

Skanska leased at the beginning of September 2022 a total 5,100 sqm office spaces to DBH Group, to serve as flex office space. The long-term partnership includes 1,800 sqm in the Equilibrium 1 building in Bucharest, Romania, and 3,300 sqm in H 2 Offices in Budapest, Hungary.

DBH Group develops and manages flex office spaces across the EU market. The new agreement allows Skanska’s commercial development business unit in the CEE to extend the services for tenants in the two buildings mentioned above. Spaces will be available for both smaller occupiers, while benefiting from the advantages of Skanska’s future-proof buildings, as well as for existing tenants looking for flexible growth.

”During the pandemic, DBH Serviced Office realized that large corporate clients are more and more open for premium flexible office solutions. When it was about the Bucharest opening, it was no question that DBH needs a high-quality building in a first-class location. Equilibrium is in the heart of Floreasca office district and, also close to the central business district. Skanska as a developer was the guarantee for the building’s finest materials & services, and a guarantee for an ecosystem appreciating flexible solutions”, said Dr. Sándor Erdei, CEO of DBH Group.

Equilibrium 1 is a 12-storey Class A office building with a leasable area of 20,700 sqm and 3,500 sqm of green area specially designed for outdoor work and recreation. After the completion of the second phase of the project, Equilibrium 2, the complex will provide a total area of 40,700 sqm.

Skanska and DBH can trace their business cooperation back to 2011 when Skanska opened its Romanian entity in a DBH flex office in Bucharest.

IMPACT Developer & Contractor issued a maximum of 125,000,000 shares in August 2022. The raised capital will support the company’s development strategy, which includes current projects with a gross development value of 1.3 billion EUR. 

IMPACT is the first real estate developer listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange and has the stock symbol „IMP”. This operation is the second share capital increase through private placement in 2022. The action comes after a successful first action finalized earlier this year and was intermediated by Swiss Capital as licensed broker. 

“Despite the challenges generated by the economical global context, IMPACT has proven that it has the ability to adapt and continue to implement its mid-term growth development strategy. We are continuing our expansion both in Bucharest, where we are accelerating the development of Greenfield Baneasa, and nationally, with ongoing projects in Constanta and Iasi. In the coming months we will focus to launch the project in Iasi, the biggest masterplan project in Moldova, as Iasi is one of the fastest growing cities in the country with strong presence of various companies and with an increasing demand for residential.“, says Constantin Sebeșanu, CEO of IMPACT Developer & Contractor. 

Greenfield Baneasa is IMPACT’s flagship project with an estimated total value of more than 800 mln EUR. The project will include more than 6,000 apartments situated on over 600,000 sqm of land in the northern part of the Capital. At the moment, at Greenfield Baneasa, work is underway to complete the last 435 apartments part of Phase 4, which totals 1,167 BREEAM Excellent certified apartments. Greenfield Baneasa has one more phase and will be finalized in 2028.

IMPACT will also start working this year at Greenfield Copou, in Iasi, as well as Boreal Plus project in Constanta. Greenfield Copou aims to be the largest sustainable residential project in Moldova. In Constanta IMPACT will develop a mixed project of villas and apartment blocks. 

In its more than 25 years of uninterrupted listing on the BVB, IMPACT has attracted financing of 128.5 mln EUR for the development of its projects, through a series of financial instruments, including investment loans and the issuance of new shares and bonds.

IMPACT has 31 years of experience on the market and is the first real estate developer listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The shares of IMPACT are listed on the premium category of the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The company has a market capitalization of 1,119,649,277.87 lei (aprox. 231 mln EUR). 

IMPACT uses the best practices of corporate governance, transparency, accountability and communication with investors, obtaining the 10th rating at the VEKTOR valuation made by the Association for Investor Relations on the Romanian Stock Exchange. The mission of IMPACT is to develop communities through sustainable projects, at BREEAM Excellent quality standards, nZEB certified, both in Bucharest and in the major cities of the country. 

Romanian industrial and logistic developer, Element Industrial, and Slovakian sustainable energy solutions provider, TESLA Group, have signed at the end of August 2022 a long-term partnership in which TESLA will produce and operate photovoltaic energy on the rooftops of the ELI Parks projects.

The first project that will be fitted with photovoltaic panels will be ELI Park 4. The new 20,000 sqm building will be delivered in Bucharest during the second quarter of 2023. 

“This partnership reflects our strategy to develop a sustainable portfolio that will allow our tenants to cover at least 30% of their consumptions from green energy with a direct positive impact on the total occupancy cost” Andrei Jerca, Managing Director of Element Industrial, said. He added: “It is also an important commitment from our side towards green, sustainable logistics that will generate long term value for both our investors and occupiers. Our strategy is built on focusing on our clients’ needs in terms of business predictability, lower occupancy cost, support of their growth strategy and developing true business communities in our industrial parks. Having all these in mind, our partnership with TESLA Group became natural as both companies are sharing the same business principles and approaches.”

“Through this partnership with Element Industrial, we are focusing on solar energy conceptual innovation for long-term sustainability, which is our key mission,” says Dušan Lichardus, Chairman of the Board at TESLA Group. He added: “We brought engineering teams of our both companies together, to optimize the construction of buildings for easy photovoltaic rooftop installation before their physical construction. This reduces the costs and time to construct a local power plant, bringing higher safety to the buildings and operational efficiency to the photovoltaic panels. The innovative design of this local rooftop mounted photovoltaic power plants combines unique features of SolarEdge inverter technology, with energy management system TESLA AMOS (Advanced Microgrid Optimization System), to deliver operational control on individual panel level, which brings higher production, lower OPEX, longer technological life and highest industrial safety standards to the asset owners.”

Element Industrial is one of the most dynamic players in the logistics sector, developing a series of projects under the ELI Parks brand. Element Industrial is currently developing a class A logistics park in the Bucharest North-West area, adjacent to the future A0 highway. The company will have by the end of 2022 a 100,000 sqm delivered portfolio in the area. The company also aims to have around 200,000 sqm delivered throughout the country by 2023, with new projects in Ploiesti, Bacau and Braila. 

Element Industrial also offers an integrated package of built-to-suit services for production and storage facilities, starting from the identification of land suitable for such developments, authorization, design, and delivery according to the specific requirements for each project.

Element Industrial is a joint venture between Element Group, founded by Ionut Dumitrescu, and D Craig Real Estate, the real estate division of the investment fund D Craig Holding, controlled by Sacha Dragic. The CEO of D Craig Real Estate is Anca Damour.

The mission of TESLA Group is to bring people sustainable energy through new energy concepts. TESLA Group supports the development of renewable energy sources, contributes to the decentralization of energy, and helps people become less dependent on centralized energy, distribution, and transmission systems. Through its work TESLA Group aims at global zero emission and sustainability actions to help industries reach carbon neutrality targets.

Fortim Trusted Advisors, an alliance member of the BNP Paribas Real Estate, recruits Ștefan Oană, former Country Manager of Bluehouse, as Head of Capital Markets. 

Ștefan Oană, the new Head of Capital Markets, has a Real Estate management experience of over 20 years, of which for 13 years he was Country Manager at Bluehouse, a private equity real estate investment and asset management firm. 

Through his position, Ștefan Oană contributed to attracting financing, partnerships, developing and selling important projects such as Expo Business Park, Victoria Center and Olympia Tower office projects or selling to Impact the land on which they developed the Luxuria project. In his most recent deal as business advisor, he assisted residential developer Alesonor to secure a 21 million euros debt financing for Amber Forest project. 

“Ștefan Oană joins Fortim Trusted Advisors to strengthen the team of managers, in partnership with our international alliance group, BNP Paribas Real Estate, which annually provides assistance for real estate investments totaling tens of billions of euros. According to our strategy to provide as many services as possible to strategic partners, from the beginning of the year until now, our team has grown with three experienced consultants on the advisory market, for the retail and office segments, and we intend to continue the recruitments”, says Costin Nistor, Managing Director of Fortim Trusted Advisors, alliance member of the BNP Paribas Real Estate.

Fortim Trusted Advisors, an alliance member of the BNP Paribas Real Estate in Romania, is a real estate consulting company founded in 2002 and controlled since December 2020 by Costin Nistor, Bogdan Cange and Nicolae Ciobanu. The company provides real estate consulting services in the office, retail, industrial & logistics segments, evaluations, capital markets, research, but also Property Management and Project Management services. On the Property Management area, the company manages over 136,798 sqm of office, retail and industrial spaces. Among the most important recurring clients of Fortim Trusted Advisors are found Morgan Stanley, Add Value Management, Indotek, Kesz and First Property Asset Management. Also, on the office segment, the company handled the trading of premises for Reckit Benkiser, Renault, Fortech, Grohe, Credius, OLX Group, Multinode Network, AHI Carrier, AVL, UMT Software, Future Electronics, The Home or Bioderma. 

Iulius Group inaugurated Family Market Miroslava, its first local retail project, launched in response to the needs of expanding communities in the metropolitan area of Iasi. Family Market was realized in partnership with Miroslava City Hall. Miroslava is one of the most expanding residential areas in Iasi County, which, in recent years, has also registered an accelerated economic development.

Family Market Miroslava represents the largest retail development in the commune, built following an investment of 12 million Euro. Family Market Miroslava has a leasable area of approximately 7,000 sqm and offers a varied mix of services, most belonging to national and local entrepreneurs and producers, such as: supermarket, grocery, butcher, pastry & pizzeria, restaurant, confectionery, pharmacy, fashion and products for house, bookstore, hairdresser, dry cleaner, pet shop, coffee shop, etc.

“Miroslava commune has developed strongly in recent years, due to local administration and investments in the area, creating a strong community that needs basic services near the house. The mix of shops and facilities, inaugurated today, has been customized to simplify the life of the residents and to offer them more quality time with their loved ones, reducing the time spent on roads to the city. At the same time, Family Market is a platform for supporting and promoting local entrepreneurs and producers, the majority in the project, who will offer quality local products “, said Radu Pârlea, Family Market Manager.

For the first time in Iasi, the first store of the Sinsay brand, part of the LPP group from Poland, was inaugurated in Family Market Miroslava, a new store concept, on an area of ​​1,000 sq m, which offers clothing and accessories for women, children, and men, as well as household items and beauty products.

Polish discounter retailer Pepco is also present with a store. The offer is completed by: Meat Concept Store butchers, Kosarom and Vascar, La Sibieni and La Bottega groceries, La Ciambella pizzeria and pastry shop, Blanca confectionery, Teo’s Cafe, Dolciano coffee shop, Saria florist, Mado, Agroland (petshop and garden products), Praxis medical analysis office, Autopit car parts store, Papiro stationery store, Lisnic Hair Studio, Omniclean ecological dry cleaning, Cătina ceiling, Inmedio, CEC Bank, Cobyul store, but also Let’s Play, a space with games for children.

On the 1^st floor, Family Market Miroslava includes a facility requested by the local community: the “Verdi” event hall of the Congress Hall brand. With a refined interior design and equipped with the latest equipment, the Verdi Hall can host private parties with up to 220 guests, as well as corporate events for up to 300 people.

14^th of July, 2022 

UNTOLD, one of the largest music festivals in the world, and Globalworth, the CEE office market leader, signed a long-term strategic partnership. One of the partnership’s components concerns the motivation and well-being of all the employees of the businesses accommodated in the Globalworth buildings. UNTOLD will bring the festival vibe to these locations, giving a taste of the magic and atmosphere of the most anticipated musical event in Europe. 

The first party will take place on the 28^th of June, when Globalworth and UNTOLD will bring to the Globalworth Tower lobby two DJs from the festival’s line-up. 

“After a break of two years when we could no longer organize any events for the Globalworth community, the largest business community in Romania, we are delighted to celebrate our return to the office through this partnership. Moreover, we are looking forward for UNTOLD to move to our home and become part of the community. We are confident that we will have fun together and we welcome you on the 28^th of June at the first party in the series of surprises that we are preparing for the Globalworth tenants and friends of UNTOLD”, added Georgiana Oltenescu, Group Head, Marketing & Communication at Globalworth.

DJ Kristian Nairn, who also played Hodor in GoT, and Spike, one of the most popular Romanian artists, will give a hint of the UNTOLD magic. Moreover, starting on the 15^th of July, the show made by DJ Kristian Nairn aka Hodor on the Globalworth Tower will also be available on the UNTOLD and Globalworth channels. 

The UNTOLD team is also moving, in 2023, to the Globalworth community, to one of the Green Court buildings. The area leased by the organizers of the UNTOLD festival has 630 sqm, and the move is part of a broader partnership between the two companies. 

Globalworth is a real estate company operating in the Central and Eastern Europe, listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM segment, active in Romania and Poland, becoming the main investor in the office real estate market in both countries. Globalworth acquires, develops and directly manages high-quality office and industrial and logistic parks, in premium locations, generating rental income from high-quality tenants from around the globe. In Romania, Globalworth is present in Bucharest, Timisoara, Arad, Oradea, Constanta and Pitesti.  

22.06.2022 

THETA Furniture & More, one of the most significant Romanian integrators of interior design solutions, officially opened the doors of the new custom-made furniture production factory, in Păulești, Prahova County. The investment in the production plant is about 4 million euros.

The current factory replaces the original one, which until the beginning of last year was in Blejoi, Prahova. The construction of the new factory started in May 2021 and was completed at the beginning of 2022. The land on which the unit is located in Păulești covers an area of ​​20,000 sq m and the production factory, the related storage spaces and its own car park totals an area of ​​5000 sq m.

“The opening of the new factory will support us to achieve our goals for the coming years: doubling our production capacity and to reach revenues of 25 million euros by 2025. The production plant was from the beginning our main investment; the initial role of the company was the one of a custom-made furniture producer, and in the last seven years we became an integrator with complete interior design solutions.” says Florin Gheorghe, CEO and co-founder of THETA Furniture & More.

Since its launch in 2008, THETA has worked with over 1,500 clients, both Romanian and international companies from segments such as office buildings, commercial, HoReCa and medical. Thus, the company has arranged over 350,000 sqm of interior space for customers with spaces located in buildings such as AFI Park, Ana Tower Building, The Mark Building, Green Court Building (B and C), Oregon Park, Enayati Medical City, Hotel Sinaia (restaurant area), Hotel Mamaia, Sky Club and others.

At this moment, the export segment represents 20% of the business and the company has delivered custom-made furniture for companies from countries such as Belgium, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland.

For this year, the company’s management estimates a turnover of 14 million euros compared to 10 million euros in 2021. Also, the management of THETA Furniture & More expects that by the end of the current year, the number of customers and projects delivered will increase by 20% compared to 2021.

14.06.2022

Rising costs for construction materials over the past year, massive delays in project implementation due to Covid-19 restrictions and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, galloping inflation and permitting freeze represent some of the main elements conducting to increase of prices for residential units in Bucharest, according to an analysis of DIRECTIMO.

The poor quality of life conditions in old apartment buildings, amplified in recent times (installations that have not been replaced, lack of hot water, lack of parking, etc.), will lead to high demand in the quality housing segment, given that the Bucharest-Ilfov region remains in the top 10 development areas in Europe in terms of GDP.

For more than a year, widespread inflation has already been reflected in the cost of building materials, which account for a significant percentage of their prices. Massive delays throughout the supply chain, initially caused by Covid-19 restrictions and more recently by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, also lead to cost increases. Higher interest rates on loans that developers use to finance themselves, coupled with delays caused by the Romanian state, increase the time it takes to close a project. Galloping inflation, expected to reach 20% in 2022, will generate high demand from investors for protection in quality properties.

“We are entering a period of high inflation where the value of money will be heavily eroded. Real estate remains both a primary savings method and a safe option for investors looking for secure, income-generating assets. With instability in the financial markets and based on historical analysis for the context of a period of stagflation in the US, for example, many investors choose real estate investing for safety versus the major fluctuations that can occur in the stock markets. Even if bank interest rates will rise and lending may be difficult, investing in real estate thus remains a safe option”, stated Matei Maloș, CEO Directimo.

The permit freeze, initiated by the City Hall starting February 2021, will lead to an acute shortage of supply during 2023-2024. Moreover, due to this situation, the price of land with permits has increased significantly, with an estimated average of 50%.
Compared to the market level in the region, Bucharest today has prices 10% lower than Belgrade (according to the Global Property Guide, the average price is $1,813/sqm in Bucharest versus $1,961/sqm in Belgrade).

At the same time, unlike in Vienna, luxury properties in prime areas are about 65% lower in Bucharest (approx. 5,000 – 7,000 euro/sqm) than in the Austrian capital (20,000 euro/sqm).
Compared to the US market, where prices have risen by 50% from their peak in 2007, prices in Romania are in some cases lower than their peak in the same period. While in Bucharest, incomes have more than tripled and household deposits have increased fivefold, according to the National Bank of Romania.

Directimo represents the only database with verified properties and updated information, without aggregated postings or false data. A hybrid model that brings buyers directly to developers through a friendly platform, real data and dedicated buyer advisory. The platform includes all new dwellings in the central and northern areas of Bucharest, in the upper segments of the market (medium, medium-upper, premium and luxury), and aims to cover other areas both nationally and internationally.

Read more Foster+Partners, MVRDV, UNStudio & Zaha Hadid Architects designing for the 1st time in Iași, Romania