July sees record resi sales in Romania before VAT hike
Romania's residential market experienced a significant surge in July, with a record number of apartment sales recorded in Bucharest and other major cities.
Romania's residential market experienced a significant surge in July, with a record number of apartment sales recorded in Bucharest and other major cities.
AFI Loft, AFI Romania's newest Class A office project in Bucharest, has achieved LEED Platinum certification.
CBRE has reported almost €1 billion in hotel transactions across Central and South-Eastern Europe over the past year, alongside around 20 operator search and selection processes, according to its Hotels CEE team. Notable transactions included the sale of Hilton Prague, one of the largest single-asset hotel deals recorded in the region.
Nearly 60% of Romanian employees believe their employers should do more to support both professional and personal development, according to a survey conducted by Genesis Property in the first half of 2025 on a nationally representative sample of 1,012 respondents.
West Group has completed the acquisition of the iResidence residential project in northern Bucharest. The deal was carried out under agreed commercial conditions, with construction activity on site continuing without interruption.
Nepi Rockcastle, Europe's third-largest listed retail real estate company by portfolio value, reported a 12.1% year-on-year increase in net operating income (NOI) in the first half of 2025, reaching €307 million. The company's investment property portfolio exceeded €8 billion for the first time in its history, supported by acquisitions completed in 2024 and active asset management. Vacancy remained low at 1.6%.
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Forte Partners has announced that U•Center 3 in Bucharest has received the Access4you Design Gold Pre-Certification, making it the first office project in Romania to achieve this recognition. The certification was awarded just one month after construction began in July 2025 and ensures the project will meet high accessibility standards for people with diverse mobility, visual, hearing and cognitive needs.
Erste Group Bank AG has provided a €85.5 million refinancing facility for Argeş Mall in Piteşti, developed by Prime Kapital.
The total volume of housing loans granted to households reached almost RON 30 billion (around €6 billion), a 32% increase from the first half of 2024, according to the National Bank of Romania (BNR).
M Core has received approval for the Zonal Urban Plan (PUZ) for a new retail project in Lugoj.
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.
Romania's real estate market has seen sustained demand for office, retail, and industrial spaces with over 150,000 sqm of the total real estate stock occupied during H1 2025, finds a new report by CBRE Romania.
Romania's land market experienced a surge in activity during H1 2025 as investor interest returned and new buyers entered the market, according to a Colliers Romania analysis.
Smartown Group has successfully completed the sale of the historic Dionisie Lupu office building in Bucharest, at a yield of 8.2%
The residential market in Bucharest and Ilfov saw a 10% drop in the number of transactions during H1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, while sales prices have continued to climb, driven by high inflation, anticipated tax changes, and limited supply, finds a new analysis by iO Partners.
Urbano Group has secured a financing of over €16 million from BT for the development of Urbano Shopping & Living, a new commercial project located in the Cluj metropolitan area with a total planned investment of over €100 million.
The increase in VAT to 21% for new homes is having a direct impact on pricing and sales strategies in the residential market, with effects already becoming visible, according to Valentin Neagu, Managing Director at Crosspoint Real Estate.
The Accor hotel chain has announced the opening of its first international brand hotel in Alba Iulia. The new Mercure hotel is the tenth under this brand in Romania.
Although the hotel sector accounted for only 3% of the total investment of €390 million in Romania's commercial real estate during H1 2025, market indicators point to a possible increase in investments in H2 2025 and 2026, according to CBRE Romania data.
French Revolution, the Romanian confectionery brand specializing in artisanal éclairs, has opened its sixth store in Bucharest at Timpuri Noi Square, the office complex owned by Vastint Romania.
Industrial developer CTP said its gross rental income for H1 2025 reached €367.2 million, marking a 14.4% year-on-year increase, while signing 1 million sqm of new leases, an 11% increase compared to H1 2024.
Bucharest hosts over 50 flexible workspace locations operated by nearly 30 providers, with this niche holding a 2.3% share of the total office stock in the city, similar to Dublin or Prague, according to a report by Colliers.
Local developer Global Vision is taking its first step into the Romanian retail market with the development of Oradea Retail Plaza, a commercial project valued at €10 million.

The European Commission (EC) has finalised the signing of the SAFE loan agreement with Romania.
Sphera Franchise Group, Romania's largest food service group, reported consolidated sales of €75.6 million in Q1 2026, up 4.2% compared to the same period last year. Growth was driven by the return to positive performance of KFC Romania and the strong evolution of Taco Bell.
Hidroelectrica signed a €188.5 million contract for the refurbishment of Râul Mare Retezat Hydropower Plant. The project aims to modernize and improve the efficiency of the company's generation capacities.
Banca Transilvania (BT) said its consolidated net profit reached RON 1.14 billion lei (€228 million) in Q1, representing a 30.1% increase compared to the same period last year. Total assets for the group expanded to RON 227 billion lei (€45.4 billion) as the institution neared the milestone of five million active customers.
Vastint Romania has announced a new leasing contract with Arcadis Romania, which will occupy 1,183 sqm in building A of Business Garden Bucharest. The global design, engineering and consultancy company joins a growing community of international tenants at the development.