Romania's housing market faced a significant imbalance in 2024, with new home deliveries falling 15% nationwide and over 20% in Bucharest, while demand rose by 7%, finds a Colliers report.
Bucharest recorded a 20% decline in office leasing, to 339,000 sqm, in 2024, compared to the previous year, although it remained above the five-year average, according to a Colliers report.
Romania's economy has fallen short of expectations, note Colliers consultants, who initially predicted a promising local economic scenario for 2024 that failed to materialize.
Modern shopping centers with a total leasable area of more than 160,000 square meters were built this year.
Romania records the strongest performance among the six largest economies in Central and Eastern Europe.
Other key factors motivating employees to come back include having a clear work routine, ease of commuting and managers' expectations of physical presence.
Romania's construction market has reached historic highs over the past two years over increased public investment, financed by both national and European funds. At the same time, demand from the residential market has remained limited due to the slow permitting process for new developments in Bucharest.
Total demand for office leasing in Bucharest dropped by 25% to 236,000 sqm in Q3 compared to the same period of 2023, while new demand fell 11% to 82,000 sqm in the same interval due to the slowdown of the IT&C sector, according to a Colliers report.
The year 2024 will mark three consecutive quarters without any new modern office completions, the longest period without deliveries since 2005.
Relative to incomes, buyers are experiencing one of the most favorable periods in history to buy a home in Romania.
Bucharest, often referred to as "Little Paris," has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the European Union over the past two decades.
Romania's industrial stock totaled 7.3 million sqm during H1 2024, while new projects spanning 700,000 sqm were under various development stages, according to a report by Colliers.
Romania's commercial investment transaction volume could hit €1 billion this year considering the amount of deals close to completion, according to a report by Colliers.
Romania's retail stock expanded by around 106,000 sqm during H1 2026, with another 205,000 sqm under development that could help the country reach the 5 million sqm milestone at the end of 2026, according to a Colliers report.
The largest openings in 2024 were Argeș Mall (51,400 square meters), the new Prime Kapital/MAS REI project in Pitești, followed by Aurora Mall in Giurgiu (13,500 square meters).
Logicor also owns an 8.2-hectare plot next to the Arabesque materials warehouse in eastern Bucharest.
Retail developers maintain intense activity nationwide, focusing both on developing retail parks and on standalone stores operated by major retailers.
AFI Europe has purchased the myhive Victoriei building in central Bucharest from Immofinanz for around €27 million. The new owner plans to turn the existing office building into a mixed-use project, with the conversion permit already secured.
The construction sector has reached historic highs, driven by massive EU fund investments and a quite active private sector.
Colliers: Logistics and industrial sectors remain in high demand for commercial property transactions.
Purcari Wineries announced a major step towards the completion of the voluntary public takeover bid by Maspex Romania.
Gas Transmission System Operators (TSOs) from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine have signed a joint letter requesting their national energy regulators.
MOL Group has announced its financial results for Q3 2025, achieving a $503 million profit before tax, which remained flat year-on-year.
The volume of retail trade in Romania saw a significant drop in September 2025, registering a -2.1% decrease compared to the same month in the previous year.
The Ministry of Finance (MF) has borrowed RON 833 million (around €167.3 million) from banks through two state bond issues, according to BNR data.