The Vienna-based company CC Real is today among the most significant, albeit so far relatively low-profile, players in the European retail real estate market. In an interview with ACROSS, founders Fabian Kaufmann and Sven Vorih, describe the journey from their beginnings in Croatia to their current expansion strategies in Europe and Australia. The discussion covers experiences in times of crisis, strategic partnerships, refurbishment successes, and the question of why CC Real still firmly believes in the future of retail.
HyperIn, a Finland-based proptech company with R&D hubs in Helsinki and Hong Kong, is expanding its platform from shopping centers to the wider commercial real estate sector, including mixed-use developments, business parks, airports, and specialty leasing environments.
On November 11, 2025, Munich will once again become the hub of the retail real estate industry as the 16th Münchner Handelsimmobilientag (MHIT) opens its doors. Under the guiding theme “City. Space. Direction. How Polarization Shapes New Retail Formats and Locations”, the conference will gather leading experts, investors, and practitioners to debate the transformative forces reshaping Europe’s retail landscape.
Sonae Sierra, a vertically integrated real estate company and a leading player in the European Shopping Center space, has signed an agreement with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield to acquire its German business unit dedicated to the management of shopping centers for third parties – Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Real Estate Management (“URW REM”). The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities.
At the upcoming Expo Real 2025 in Munich (October 6–8), retail real estate takes center stage: a redesigned layout in Hall B3 promises better visibility and connectivity, while keynote addresses and panel talks—including a session on AI‑powered customer loyalty—underscore the industry’s forward-looking agenda.
With a dynamic mix of shopping malls, retail parks, hotels, and residential developments, BALFIN Group is setting new benchmarks for real estate in Southeast Europe. In this exclusive interview, the company’s Vice President of Real Estate Asset Management, Csaba Toth, outlines BALFIN’s growth strategy, from expanding its footprint across the Balkans to entering mature Western markets. He explains how the group is redefining retail, embracing digital innovation, and why its integrated approach makes BALFIN a one-stop gateway for international investors and retail brands eyeing this fast-growing region.
ESG is everywhere in commercial real estate – on investor slides, in procurement tenders, in board-level commitments. However, while the environmental and governance pillars are well-institutionalized, the social side often remains vague, difficult to quantify, and harder to activate. That gap caught my attention, states Jean Carlos Delgado, Brand and Marketing Director, HyperIn Inc.
Hamburg-based real estate developer HBB has once again been recognized as Germany’s top retail developer, receiving the prestigious European Real Estate Brand Award for the third year in a row. The accolade highlights HBB’s strength in innovation, sustainability, and brand resilience in a rapidly evolving market.
Union Investment Real Estate GmbH has announced a key leadership change, appointing Karim Esch to the company’s management board effective July 1. At the same time, Kirsten Ludwig will join the executive team of Union Investment Institutional Property GmbH, taking over Esch’s responsibilities in fund management for both open- and closed-end real estate funds.
ISZ Immobilien Service Zentrum GmbH and Union Investment signed a lease agreement for the use of the space in the former Karstadt property in the Wandsbek Markt district by the Wandsbek district office. The new location for the Wandsbek district office has been leased for a term of 20 years. The move is scheduled to take place by 2029.
Under the motto “Creating beloved places – social, sustainable & successful”, the 2025 European Shopping Places Summit brought together leading experts in the retail real estate sector from 14 different countries to discuss how to make shopping places more sustainability-oriented, successful, and impactful on a social level, while giving voice to the different markets in Europe.
Never before has the real estate industry undergone such rapid change as in current times. Embedded in geopolitical and economic upheavals, the real estate industry has to deal with climate change, digitalization, demographic change and high construction costs. This requires comprehensive information and thinking outside the box. The third investment congress held in at Palais Berg in Vienna, Austria, on October 22, 2025, aims to provide a platform for exactly this purpose.
Redevco strengthens its recently established Real Estate Debt platform with the strategic appointments of Emma Huepfl as a Senior Advisor and Rosalind Walker as Senior Associate, demonstrating the firm’s ambition to build a market-leading platform.
The Nordic Real Estate Forum 2025, held March 20 in Tallinn under the theme “New Normal in Real Estate,” examined the critical intersection of technology and sustainability in commercial real estate. Key discussions revolved around geopolitical uncertainties, infl ation, and shifting investment strategies, but one theme stood out across panels: technology’s role in enabling ESG compliance and operational efficiency.
Shopping centers have evolved beyond physical spaces into dynamic digital ecosystems where every interaction generates valuable insights. The challenge isn’t just collecting data—it’s about using it responsibly to drive tenant success, states Jean Carlos Delgado, the Brand and Marketing Director of HyperIn. In this guest article, he explains the benefits and conditions of data sharing on the B2B and B2C levels and why trust is most important in all aspects.
Retail real estate is back on the menu and continues to qualify as a significant portfolio component in the portfolios of institutional real estate investors, says Steffen Hofmann, Managing Partner at ambas. Even very large assets have proven eligible for transactions in the challenging investment market environment. Therefore, he is rather optimistic about the upcoming months. In this interview, he takes a look at the 2025 investment market.
Coresight Research, a research and advisory firm specializing in retail and technology, and NextRivet, a digital innovation and implementation consultancy specializing in retail real estate, announced their strategic partnership and the launch of CoreRivet. The CoreRivet service is designed to empower retail and real estate executives with actionable insights and cutting-edge technologies that drive sales growth, operational efficiencies, and elevated customer engagement.
“We need something that is consistent between retailer, operator, landlord and investor, and can be the key behind every decision, and shopping experience is the obvious answer.” Our latest Retail Talk, “Uncovering the REAL Issues, Problems and Challenges of Retail Real Estate”, revealed that many of the retail industry’s current issues can only be tackled if first we solve the problems that stem from within, as skills such as leadership, fast adaptability to the changing market environment, courage, as well as mutual understanding during the decision-making process are necessary yet barely present in the industry.
The challenges facing the retail real estate sector are more significant than ever. Future-oriented solutions for retail properties such as retail parks are urgently needed – this is precisely where the Retail PIN comes in. This newly founded think tank, an initiative of six leading companies in the retail real estate industry, pools strategic expertise and a shared vision: to actively and sustainably shape the future of retail locations.
NEINVER and Nuveen Real Estate have obtained the top 5-star rating in the 2024 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark for Neptune – a joint venture between NEINVER and Nuveen’s parent company, TIAA – marking its fifth straight year achieving this top rating and outperforming last year’s scores on both ESG management and performance.
NEINVER and Nuveen Real Estate have successfully carried out a 73-million-euro debt refinancing for the French center Roppenheim The Style Outlets, located close to Strasbourg and owned by Neptune – a joint venture between NEINVER and NUVEEN’s parent company, TIAA.
Speaking frankly – what are our industry’s real issues, problems, and challenges? The next ACROSS Retail Talk “Uncovering the REAL issues, problem and challenges of Retail Real Estate” will cover the most significant challenges and problems in the mall business, and search for tailored solutions.
Expo Real, Europe’s largest property and investment trade fair, concluded with a strong focus on digital transformation in the real estate sector. Among the key exhibitors, HyperIn stood out for its contributions to discussions on the evolving landscape of commercial real estate technology. The event served as an important platform for HyperIn to showcase their all-in-one platform, engaging industry leaders and sharing insights on how technology is shaping the future of property management.
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