AGENDA

The world has changed. People have changed. The property business must change as well. How to prepare the prop-erty business for a new future and new geopolitical, economic, social, environmental, and technological challenges? A risk map: What is a matter of the utmost concern to the sector? Strategies for tough times. New opportunities. And this is what we will ask key investors, developers and experts about:

Investment security:

• The ongoing war in Ukraine across our eastern border affects investment decisions being made by property players – global corporations, manufacturing companies, or investment funds. Uncertainty among investors, who have adopted a wait-and-see strategy, is one of the most noticeable effects of Russian aggression in the property market. How has the investment attractiveness of Poland changed in the eyes of investors? Is the invested capital safe? The end of the war, stable law, predictable taxes, and investment incentives: What does it take for Poland to remain a magnet for new investments?

Debt is getting increasingly expensive:

• Banks are cautious about financing commercial property. Nowadays, it is more difficult to get a loan for an office building. Are hotels and shopping centres doomed? Warehouses are still the jewel in the crown, but there are requirements too. How is the policy pursued by institutions providing funding for property chang-ing? Will the high cost of money result in fewer new investments?

Property is (not) profitable. The profitability of the property business:

• Double-digit inflation, interest rate hikes, the rising costs of building materials and labour, and rising energy prices… How have recent events changed the profitability of property investments? Strong warehouses; battered hotels and shopping centres; office buildings waiting for the end of remote working, and flats chas-ing record after record: Which sectors are at their best today? What attracts investors’ attention?

The institutional rental market in Poland is in its infancy, but there is every indication that it will soon be taking increas-ingly bold steps. Economic growth, urbanisation and generational shifts are the long-term drivers of demand. The war in Ukraine and the sharp increase in rental yields combined with double-digit inflation mean that investors perceive flats as a safe haven for their capital. Can the rapid influx of capital into the PRS sector possibly result in soaring hous-ing prices, higher rents, and lower supply? What regulation does the market need?

The pandemic has created a worst-case scenario for further development of the office market. The spectre of deserted office buildings and widespread work from home gave developers, investors and employers sleepless nights. Howev-er, the demand for offices is growing. Companies are still looking for additional office space. Poland has also been targeted by corporations that want to abandon the Russian and Ukrainian markets. Flexible solutions are gaining in popularity. What does the future hold for offices in Poland?

The technological race continues. Property is arming itself with technologies that facilitate work and provide security, while also being an effective way to decarbonise. We invite you to the next edition of the competition and related dis-cussions about technologies in the property market.

The last two years have seen numerous changes in the legal and tax environment in Poland, which have also affected the property market. A number of tax transformations introduced under the Polish Deal and the implementation of international regulations have had a key impact on the obligations of property players as well as on the returns they realise on their investments. These transformations also influence investors’ decisions. Property needs positive stimu-li: The Act on REITs can be one, but do we have something else in store as well? What is the government preparing? What changes does the industry expect?

The COVID-19 pandemic has digitalised consumers, and shopping centres have realised that the saturated market is at the crossroads. Today, it is necessary to entice customers and fight for them. What direction is the evolution of shopping centres taking? How are the products and services they offer changing? And how are new technologies influencing their operation? The challenge for the sector is omnichannel, which rules retail while dividing it at the same time. The sector has also ignited a dispute over rents. How to solve this problem?

Just when the hotel sector had begun to successfully heal its post-pandemic wounds, a new crisis has arrived, once again weakening the industry and depriving it of tourists, who are now concerned about the events taking place across our eastern border. Without the return of tourists and MICE events, hotels will not get back on their pre-COVID track, and investors will not return to their investment plans on the same large scale as before the pandemic. Is a hotel indus-try rebound in 2023 still possible? How does the refugee migration affect the performance of hotels? Is it time for condo hotels again?

Recent years have been difficult for the commercial property market. The pandemic forced many companies to change their operating models and turned upside down the facility management methods developed over many years. Inflation and rising energy prices have further forced the need for cost optimisation and energy efficiency. The FM market is increasingly focusing on integrated and comprehensive property services. Different buildings, different challenges. How is the role of property managers and facility management companies evolving?

The pandemic has shown that integrating employees and building organisational culture may be the most important tasks for offices. How to improve the process of community building, which is easier to manage in well-designed space? How to organise such space? What new challenges do HR departments have to deal with?

The demand for investment land in Poland exceeds its supply, and the rate of land price growth is dizzying. The hous-ing industry buys the most. Wherever there is land for a housing estate in a big city, it is bought in an instant. The logistics sector also needs a lot of land. Developers are now buying land not only alongside motorways, but increasing-ly within city limits as well. The pandemic has slowed down the demand for offices, hotels and shopping centres, but there are exceptions. What is the current state of play in the investment land market in Poland? How to release the potential of the land bank? Prices, supply, demand, and regulations. First demolish, and then provide new functions – redevelopment is gaining prominence. A growing number of new projects are being created on the basis of former hypermarkets, hotels or office buildings. Will such transformations increase in number? Is this a good way to acquire land for new investments?

Prime Property Prize 2022:

• The 11th edition of the competition will select companies and projects from the last year that had the greatest impact on events on the commercial real estate market, as well as personalities whose spectacular activities played a key role in the development of the entire industry. This year, for the first time, we will award compa-nies for ESG strategies on the real estate market. We will also distinguish projects implemented on the PRS market for the first time.

Proptech Festival 2022:

• Is an accompanying event to Property Forum 2022, addressed to the creators of innovative technologies for real estate. Creative, innovative, advanced, tailored to the future and market expectations - we want to promote and present such solutions to the heads of the largest companies operating on the commercial real estate market: developers, investors, managers and tenants.