CEE real estate investment rebounded strongly in 2025, with volumes reaching €11.6 billion across six core markets, representing a 31% year-on-year increase according to Colliers.
The average total office fit-out costs in Bucharest increased slightly in 2025 to around €1,000 per sqm, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. However, Bucharest remains one of the most affordable markets in CEE, with fit-out costs 18% and 15% lower than in Warsaw and Prague, respectively.
Real estate investor GTC has leased over 150,000 sqm of commercial space in 2025 across 30 office complexes and six shopping centres in CEE.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania could raise labour productivity by up to 10 to 15% through wider adoption of digital technologies, particularly software and AI-enabled tools, according to a report by World Bank Group.
Commercial property investment in CEE rebounded strongly in 2025, with a combined volume of €11.3 billion across Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. This represents a 34% year-on-year increase and stands 24% above the five-year average, according to data by Knight Frank.
Industrial developer CTP recorded gross rental income of €759.8 million in 2025, up 14.4% year-on-year with like-for-like rental growth of 4.5%.
NEPI Rockcastle, the largest owner of shopping centres in CEE, said its net operating income rose 11.2% year-on-year to a record €618 million in 2025, while the distributable earnings increased 6.7% to €441 million.
In a video interview recorded at CEE Property Forum 2025 in Vienna, Marek Noetzel, COO of NEPI Rockcastle and incoming CEO from April 2026, shares his outlook on retail trade across the region, the company's growth strategy and his priorities for the next phase of leadership.
Retail developers continue to accelerate expansion plans across Romania, with projects totalling more than 750,000 sqm currently in construction and planning stages for delivery until 2029, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Romania's commercial real estate investment market recorded approximately €500 million in 2025, down 31% from the previous year, due to the absence of large transactions.
Romanian investors became the most important source of capital on the local real estate market, generating approximately 30% of transaction volume in 2025 and accumulating nearly €1.8 billion in investments over the past decade, according to Colliers' annual report.
CEE property investment reached a turning point in 2025, with transaction volumes across the region's six main markets totalling €11.6 billion, representing 31% annual growth according to Colliers' latest analysis.
Horațiu Papakonstantinou-Florescu, Chairman & CEO Romania, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia at Knight Frank, talked to Property Forum about the dominance of lease renewals, the anticipated 2026 delivery wave, and how Bucharest's high yields and infrastructure projects continue to attract multinational tenants.
Commercial real estate companies remain optimistic about 2026, with 83% expecting revenue growth, according to a Deloitte report. This represents a slight decline from 88% last year, while 68% plan to increase expenses in 2026.
Property Forum is excited to publish the timeline for its flagship awards programmes in 2026, celebrating excellence and innovation across Central & Eastern Europe's real estate markets. These awards recognise outstanding organisations, projects and individuals whose contributions have shaped the region's real estate landscape over the past year. SEE Property Forum Awards and CEE Property Forum Awards reflect the momentum and dynamism of regional property sectors and provide a platform to honour industry leadership, sustainability, design excellence and strategic impact.
PeliPartners assisted Second Foundation in acquiring stakes in energy storage projects with a combined capacity of approximately 150 MW in southern Romania.
Ebury, the global fintech specialising in international payments and FX risk management, has appointed Cosmin Bucur as its new Country Manager for Romania.
Colliers has published a new report focusing on CEE, examining economic and real estate trends across Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The study shows that 2025 brought moderate economic recovery, easing inflation and rising focus on sustainability, while real estate markets were shaped by modernization, limited new office supply, strong logistics demand and retail park expansion.
iO Partners has appointed Andrei Văcaru as Managing Director for Romania, effective January 2026. After a transition period with Văcaru until year-end, Vlad Stanislav will take time off before pursuing new opportunities.
Confidence is returning across CEE real estate markets, with investor sentiment shifting from cautious optimism to execution, according to Colliers. The region continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by moderating inflation, solid household consumption, and strong employment levels.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has signed an agreement with Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) to acquire approximately 10% of the shares of Carpathia Pensii, a Romanian private pension company.
Romania recorded the most significant increase in industrial electricity costs across the EU during H2 2025, according to data released by Eurostat.
Polish pharmaceutical company Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma has agreed to launch a voluntary public takeover offer (VTO) for all shares of Romanian drugmaker Biofarm, according to a regulatory filing.
Romania's Ministry of Finance has launched a public consultation for the TechUp Romania funding scheme, designed to support investments in research and development of advanced technologies with production capabilities.
Visual Fan has entered the shareholding of Solbess, a company active in electricity production.