M7 acquires Katowice office building for new CEE fund

M7 Real Estate has undertaken its first acquisition on behalf of M7 CEREF II, its value-add opportunities fund focused on offices and logistics/industrial properties in key Central European markets, including Poland, Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic. The investors purchased the 12,672 sqm Atrium office building in Katowice.

M7 CEREF II has held its first close and is targeting further closes to raise up to €100 million during Q3 2020. The target size of the Fund is circa €150 – €200 million with leverage and a significant pipeline of potential investments has been identified across the region.

The first investment, which is located in a well-established office and commercial district in the city of Katowice, in South-East Poland, is a multi-tenanted modern office building comprising 12,672 sqm over ground and six upper floors and with 183 car parking spaces. It is let to eight tenants, reflecting a diverse income profile and strong covenants including Santander, Capgemini and SGS.

The property provides a range of amenities such as a canteen, coffee bar, medical centre and a bank, whilst also being 200 metres away from Katowice’s largest shopping mall, Galeria 3 Stawy, and benefitting from strong transport links, including the adjacent A4 motorway providing direct access to the city centre and airport.

Katarzyna Parkot, Managing Director, Poland at M7 said: “The major Central European economies have continued to grow strongly over recent years and this particular asset, while in line with our strategy of investing in offices with upside potential through active asset management, also benefits from a defensive income profile and diversified occupier line up. The acquisition is also reflective of our ability to execute transactions in more challenging situations. We are seeing a structural shift in the Central European office and logistics markets, particularly in expanding urban centres where vacancy rates have significantly reduced due to limited supply. This is leading to strong rental growth that we are seeking to access on behalf of our investors.”