How would you assess the current state of the commercial real estate market? From Singu’s perspective in particular, how has the sector progressed technologically? Is the market keeping pace with these changes?
Anna Bartoszewicz-Wnuk, the head of Central and Eastern Europe of Singu: It’s difficult to summarise such a complex and varied topic as the real estate market in just a few words – especially as, for the last year and a half, I’ve been observing its development through the lens of technological adoption. As a rule, the real estate market – with the exception of during extreme and utterly unexpected events like the pandemic – evolves slowly, and any changes are visible only over a longer period of time. This is due to its very nature: the lengthy planning and construction processes, and the duration of lease agreements. Against this backdrop, I must say that I’m very positively surprised by the speed at which modern technologies are being implemented by property owners and professional asset managers across the Central and Eastern European region. While the demand for tech tools does vary across sectors, I’m pleased that the Singu platform – which I’m developing in the region – is a universal solution. It supports the owners of shopping centres, office buildings and logistics hubs alike in streamlining operational and capital expenditure, accelerating processes, automating tasks and providing real-time management insights. I’m especially proud of the number of Singu deployments not only in Poland, where the company is headquartered, but also around the world.
Is there anything that could still surprise us? In your opinion, which direction might the sector take? What are the prospects for further transformation?
Personally, I prefer to avoid surprises – especially since the pandemic, when we’ve mostly had to face negative ones, driven by both economic and geopolitical events. That said, there are a few clear trends that we can expect to continue. Firstly, there’s the digitalisation of the real estate market, aimed at optimisation, simplification and supporting human resources. It’s a bit like having GPS in your car – during a journey, you can choose the optimal route knowing exactly when you’ll arrive. Similarly, property management will become more predictable, with anomalies and risks increasingly minimised or eliminated altogether. This brings us back to surprises – and the importance of avoiding them, whether it’s something as dramatic as a roof being torn off a building, or simply a landlord being unaware that a tenant is carrying out a refurbishment. Secondly, the market will increasingly have to respond to demographic trends, especially the growing population of seniors. We can already start to ask what impact this will have on the retail, office and residential sectors – and, crucially, how we can prepare in advance.
What event in recent years do you consider the most pivotal for the market?
This will likely come as no surprise – the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It triggered a whole series of consequences: higher energy costs, inflation, increased financing costs, and higher construction expenses – all of which clearly act as a brake on the growth of the real estate market, not just in Poland, but across the whole CEE region.
And what about for your own career? Was there a turning point that entirely changed your approach to work, business or development?
When I joined Singu at the beginning of 2024, it was already a dynamic and fast-growing organisation. One that listens to its clients and evolves flexibly with them. A company that combines global IT expertise with long-standing real estate experience – and I’m not talking about myself here, but about the many experts at Singu with years of experience and a strong track record of international implementations for the most demanding clients. It’s here that I’m truly learning, each day, how to manage a dispersed team, in Prague, Bucharest and Kraków, where most of the team is based.
You’ve cooperated with ‘Eurobuild’ more than once. Is there a particular memory that stands out?
Yes, the immensely enjoyable Eurobuild Awards Gala in 2011. At the time, I was responsible for marketing and PR among other things, and the company I worked for won every award in every category we were nominated for. It was a wonderful evening!
