Andrei Ianculescu, Head of Project & Development Services at Cushman & Wakefield Echinox, talked to Property Forum about the expansion of design and ESG advisory services, the industrial and logistics sector's growth post-Schengen, and the importance of independent project management for tenant fit-outs. Ianculescu also emphasised the potential in secondary cities and the increasing relevance of aligning projects with sustainability standards.
Bucharest continues to lead Romania's transformation of former industrial platforms due to its market scale and high number of available sites. The capital generates the largest volume of land transactions within urban areas, primarily through industrial space conversion, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. Investors increasingly target mixed-use developments integrating retail, office, and residential components.
Romania stands out in the European fiscal landscape with property taxation levels significantly lower than the EU average, according to an analysis by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox based on Eurostat data. This position has enhanced the attractiveness of the local real estate market and established a favorable tax framework for owners and investors.
Companies have contracted office spaces for over 7,000 new employees in the first half of 2025, with new demand totaling 64,300 sqm on the Bucharest market, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Romanians spent approximately €40 billion in large retail chains last year, marking a 7.1% increase compared to 2023, according to research by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. The result, while a slowdown from the 11.1% increase in 2023, still outpaced inflation.
Around 75% of investors plan to increase their exposure to rental housing (PRS), purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), and collective living solutions over the next five years, shows a survey by Cushman & Wakefield.
The office space market across CEE experienced a slowdown in demand during Q1 2025, with less than 30,000 sqm of office space delivered across the region, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Bucharest's hotel market is experiencing a strong recovery, with significant growth in key performance indicators, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
E-commerce companies are now among the top 5 occupiers of logistics spaces in Romania, utilising approximately 1 million sqm of industrial and logistics facilities, finds a report by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Romania's banking sector has a relatively low exposure to the commercial real estate (CRE) market, indicating stability and significant growth potential, according to an analysis by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Companies in IT, manufacturing, industry, and the medical and pharmaceutical sectors were the most active in Romania's office rental market over the past five years, generating over half of the demand for new space.
Western European investors have been the most active buyers of real estate assets in Romania over the past five years, making placements of €1.75 billion, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Romania's industrial and logistics sector saw a 27% rise in new supply in 2024, with 572,000 sqm of new spaces completed. The total stock now stands at almost 7.6 million sqm, and over 200,000 sqm are currently under development. according to research by Cushman & Wakefield Exhinox.
Vlad Săftoiu, Head of Research Cushman & Wakefield Echinox, talked to Property Forum about the demand trends in the Romanian office market and the outlook for industrial and retail investments in 2025.
Lion's Head Investments announced its entry into the Romanian logistics market by acquiring a 15.5-ha land plot in Popești Leordeni, in the south of Bucharest.
M Core Group has purchased seven strip malls in Romania from property investor MAS for an undisclosed sum. The projects with a combined leasable area of around 32,000 sqm have a full occupancy rate. The strip malls are based in Slobozia, Focșani, Râmnicu Sărat, Târgu Secuiesc, Sebeș, Făgăraș and Gheorgheni.
New retail projects with a combined leasable area of around 180,000 sqm were completed in Romania during 2024, down by around 15% versus 2023, with retail parks accounting for the biggest share of deliveries, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Investors view the logistics sector with optimism and, to a lesser extent, retail over the next 12 months, according to a Cushman & Wakefield Echinox study conducted among the most important investors and developers in Romania.
Bucharest is consolidating its position within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) real estate market, combining rental growth across major asset classes with investment yields that remain well above Western European levels, according to the DNA of Real Estate Europe Q2 2026 report published by Cushman & Wakefield. Across Europe in Q2 2026, prime office rents rose 4.5% year-on-year, retail rents increased 3.0%, and logistics rents grew 2.4%, while investors remained selective as yield movements pointed to a more balanced market following the repricing cycle of recent years.
Energy company Electrica informs investors and the capital market that it has obtained the technical grid connection permits (ATR) for 17 new battery energy storage projects (BESS), with a total capacity of approximately 700 MWh.
The European Retail Banking Radar, Kearney's latest study now in its 18th edition, shows that Europe is entering a period of normalisation following the conditions of 2023–2025. For Romania, the challenge extends beyond the normalisation of interest rates.
Romania's national electricity transmission network operator, Transelectrica, has halted scheduled maintenance shutdowns to ensure the grid operates at maximum capacity during an ongoing extreme heatwave. The preventive measures aim to mitigate operational risks associated with severe weather conditions.
Digi Spain has announced its intention to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the Spanish stock exchanges, aiming to raise approximately €150 million.
