(P) Best of real estate celebrated at EuropaProperty’s 9th annual SEE Real Estate Awards Gala

The 9th annual EuropaProperty SEE Real Estate Awards, celebrating the region’s ever-changing commercial real estate markets and reflecting its evolving nature, again highlighted some of the best and most accomplished companies, projects and professionals for 2013. The awards gala, held on April 10th at the five-star Athenee Palace Hilton Hotel in Bucharest, brought together some of the top-performing firms and professionals operating in the SEE region. Chosen by members of EuropaProperty’s esteemed SEE Real Estate Awards Academy, this year’s winners were recognised for their continued market success in the region. The big winners of this year’s ceremony was AFI Europe which collected Retail Development of the Year for AFI Palace Ploiesti as well Office and Retail Developer of the Year awards. The jury also awarded the company Overall Developer of the Year and Shopping Center Manager of the Year went to the company’s Israel Vizel, who also collected this award last year. “We are extremely honoured and grateful for all the awards,” commented David Hay, AFI Europe CEO for the SEE region. “The EuropaProperty SEE Real Estate Awards are of significant importance to us, as they represent the voice of some of the most valuable real estate professionals.” Further crowning a successful evening, David Hay picked up the coveted Professional of the Year award for the second year in a row. “I am extremely happy and honoured to receive such recognition, based on the accomplishments of AFI Europe,” Hay said on collecting his award. Another big winner on the night was JLL, which collected a treble of awards including Agency of the Year in the Retail and Investment categories as well as Property Management Firm of the Year. Other Agency of the Year awards went CBRE as Warehouse Agency of the Year and The Advisers/Knight Frank again received the Office Agency of the Year. Developer Portland Trust also received a couple of awards including Warehouse Developer of the Year as well as Office Development of the Year for its Floresaca Park development in Bucharest. Other developments awarded on the night included a new first for this year in the Leisure/Entertainment Project of the Year for Grand Cinema & More (Baneasa Shopping City) by Baneasa Developments. Residential Development of the Year went Vitan Residence by RPF Development and Overall Project of the Year went to Promenada Mall by Raiffeisen evolution. Other popular winners on the night included BCR/Erste Group Immorent which received Bank Of the Year. Bluehouse Captial collected Investor of the Year and Dentons scored a brace of awards by picking Law Firm of the Year as well as Professional Woman of the Year for its very own Luica Tuca. H&M proved its continuing consumer popularity and unrivalled expansion throughout the region by picking up the Fashion Retailer as well as Overall Retailer of the Year awards. Other retail specific awards went World Fitness as Health Club of the Year and Mega Image collected the Specialty Retailer of the Year. Further company awards were received by First Title which picked up Professional Service Provider of the Year. Project Management Firm of the Year went to Sentient, Adama Group won Residential Developer of the Year and Epstein Architecture & Engineering received Architectural Firm of the Year. The gala dinner was preceded by the SEE Real Estate Forum, a series of high impact panel discussions on some of the main issues affecting the SEE markets in Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria. Highlights including, the growing importance of the BPO sector in the region as well as an overview of its retail markets. Speakers and participants agreed that although the market is still difficult in some countries, a brighter outlook is on the horizon. The EuropaProperty SEE Real Estate Awards for 2013 was sponsored by