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108 REAL ESTATE Expands Further into the Balkans with a New Office Covering Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia, and Croatia

Following recent office openings in India and Romania, Czech real estate consulting firm 108 REAL ESTATE is expanding into Southeast Europe the Adriatic region. As of September, the company’s new office in Zagreb is operational, serving the property markets of Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia. Despite territorial differences, the entire region shares a growing interest from both developers and tenants, particularly in the industrial real estate sector. For instance, Serbia, a promising market, currently offers only 1.3 million square meters of modern warehouse and manufacturing space even less than newly developed office spaces.

The market in Croatia and Slovenia is even smaller. However, both countries have the potential to become key entry points to Europe for many importers and exporters, thanks to their well-equipped ports. Croatia’s logistics sector, benefiting from some of the world’s highest-quality highways, will see further improvements with the introduction of a new, digitized toll system set to launch in 2026. This initiative is expected to streamline traffic, even during peak summer months. Slovenia’s Koper port is already an important hub for international trade, including for Czech transport company ČD Cargo.

The expansion of 108 REAL ESTATE into this region is aligned with the growing interest of its clients in Southeast Europe.

"The Balkan market has been increasingly attracting the attention of Czech and Slovak development groups, such as Accolade, Atrios, Logexpert, Sympatia, Besico, BHM, and RC Europe, as well as international companies founded in the Czech Republic such as VGP and CTP. These players are significantly shaping the region's development. In all three new locations, we aim to offer the same high-quality services our clients are accustomed to in the Czech Republic and other markets where we operate," said Jakub Holec, CEO of 108 REAL ESTATE.

The company's Adriatic subsidiary will offer land development, investment advisory, and a full range of services related to leasing premium industrial properties. The team is also ready to provide top-tier services in other real estate segments, including office and retail.

Dario Tomljenović has been appointed to lead the newly established 108 REAL ESTATE ADVISORY ADRIA. Over the past seven years, he worked with global operator IWG, managing serviced office spaces under the Regus and Spaces brands. For the last three years, he served as Network Development Manager, focusing on the growth of this office space network in Balkan region covering Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.

According to the 108 REAL ESTATE team, entering the underdeveloped markets of Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia presents a unique opportunity. Despite their differing economic dynamics and structures, all three countries offer distinct advantages for both developers and tenants. With a combined population of nearly 12 million, these nations are becoming increasingly attractive as consumer purchasing power rises.

Czech developers are already active in the region, spearheading several planned logistics centers primarily focused on retail. These projects are not only catering to local demand but also to exports. Serbia, once regarded as the industrial heart of former Yugoslavia, continues to focus on manufacturing, engineering, and food processing.

"Serbia is the largest agricultural market in the Western Balkans, with major exports including automotive parts, non-ferrous metals, furniture, food products, machinery, sugar, tires, and clothing," explained Dario Tomljenović.

In Croatia, the leading industrial sectors are food, beverages, and tobacco production, followed by the chemical and oil industries. Meanwhile, Slovenia’s economy is driven by a diversified, progressive industrial base, with key sectors including automotive, consumer electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

"However, in all three countries, the supply of modern industrial spaces does not yet match the potential. We anticipate significant growth in the sector," concluded Jakub Holec.