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.
Construction costs and plot acquisition have become the primary concerns for real estate developers in Central Europe in 2026, affecting 27% and 25% of companies respectively, according to a Deloitte report.
Romania's residential construction sector recorded a 3.1% contraction in 2025 compared to the previous year. The total number of completed dwellings reached 59,062, marking a decrease of 1,916 units from the 60,978 reported in 2024, according to provisional data provided by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
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.
Romania's green certification market remained active in 2025, with over 4.6 million sqm of real estate space receiving sustainability credentials despite European changes to reporting obligations.
Belgian developer Atenor has sold its @Expo office building in Bucharest to a private real estate investment firm. The 57,666 sqm office building was delivered in 2023 and is currently 29% leased.
Shopping centres outside Bucharest were the most attractive real estate asset class for investors in 2025, accounting for almost 40% of the total transaction volume, according a new report by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. Bucharest office buildings came second, with a 30% share in the total investment volume.
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.
The commercial real estate investment market totalled approximately €525 million in 2025, and transaction volumes this year are projected to hit the €800 million mark, according to Colliers Romania data.
Romanian investors led the commercial real estate investment market in 2025, accounting for 34% of total transaction value worth €579.4 million, according to a study by Fortim Trusted Advisors, an alliance member of BNP Paribas Real Estate.
The fourth quarter of 2025 brought the weakest residential sales result in Bucharest-Ilfov in nine years and the weakest nationally in six years, according to SVN Romania. Overall, 2025 ended with a 5.3% annual decrease in home sales nationally and an 8.5% decrease in the Bucharest-Ilfov region.
Central Europe's commercial real estate sector is experiencing a transformation, with Hungary leading the recovery through an 86% year-on-year increase in investment driven by Asian capital from China and South Korea. The CATL factory in Debrecen and BYD in Szeged, along with the planned Volvo plant in Košice, Slovakia, are reshaping the region's industrial landscape and creating demand for logistics space.
The traditional December shopping surge has weakened across Europe, with Romania recording a 20% increase in non-food sales during the holiday month compared to the previous 11 months, according to Colliers analysis of Eurostat data from 2015-2024.
In the East European region, the aggregated construction outlook for next year has remained positive, only the trajectory has changed a little, according to the winter report of the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA).
GTC reported rental revenues of €152 million in the first nine months of 2025, up 9% from €139 million in the same period of 2024. The increase followed the acquisition of a residential portfolio in Germany, which contributed €18 million, partially offset by a €4 million decrease after the sale of the GTC X and Matrix C properties.
The closing panel of SEE Property Forum 2025 in Bucharest, moderated by Victor Constantinescu from Kinstellar, brought together leading local players to assess sentiment, shifting asset preferences, and the practical steps investors must take to navigate the year ahead. The panellists examined where capital is moving, what risks remain most pressing, and how legal, geopolitical, and market dynamics will shape investment decisions across Romania and CEE.
At the SEE Property Forum 2025 in Bucharest, leading voices from Romania's residential real estate sector came together to shed light on how developers, investors, and buyers are adapting to a period of economic uncertainty, rising construction costs, and shifting consumer priorities. From the growing appeal of build-to-rent and integrated communities to the urgent need for regulatory reform, the panel offered a forward-looking view of a market that is evolving rapidly yet remains defined by strong fundamentals and an enduring demand for quality homes.
Once considered a purely transactional asset class, retail in CEE is rapidly evolving into a platform for experience, community, and brand identity. This shift was at the centre of the discussion at SEE Property Forum 2025, where industry leaders explored how shopping centres are adapting to changing consumer expectations, ESG requirements, and the growing demand for meaningful, multi-use spaces.
Romanian developer One United Properties has been ranked among Europe's top 10 long-term growth champions, according to the Financial Times' FT1000 Long-Term Growth Champions 2025 list, which highlights companies that have achieved exceptional and sustained revenue growth over the past decade.
The hotel sector across South-Eastern Europe is evolving beyond its post-pandemic rebound. At SEE Property Forum 2025 in Bucharest, industry leaders agreed that while the “revenge travel” wave has subsided, the market remains on a strong footing—driven by solid fundamentals, new investment opportunities, and rising traveller expectations. What comes next, they noted, will be defined less by recovery and more by adaptation: sustainability, conversions, and smarter capital deployment are now shaping the region's hotel landscape.
Romanian M&A activity recorded 67 transactions in Q1 2026, representing a 29% increase compared to the same period last year when 52 deals were announced, according to a report by EY Romania.
BearingPoint, a management and technology consultancy, has relocated its Bucharest office to Timpuri Noi Square, the office development of Vastint Romania.
Romania's Ministry of Finance has announced the April 2026 edition of Fidelis government bonds, offering tax-free interest rates of up to 7.6% for RON-denominated issues.
PPC Renewables Romania will build a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 60 MW / 120 MWh at the Târgușor wind farm in Constanța County.
CITR, the judicial administrator of Șantierul Naval din Mangalia, announced that the creditors' assembly has rejected the proposed reorganisation plan for the company.