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.
In the Bucharest office segment, the vacancy rate for new Class A buildings dropped to 10.2%, driven by increased demand for central locations and sustainable projects.
Tudor Ionescu, Head of Office Leasing at CBRE Romania, said: "With no significant new deliveries expected in the near future and vacancy rates continuing to fall, especially in the city centre, competition is intensifying. We anticipate that the transition to efficient, ESG-compliant workspaces will accelerate, supporting the preference for high-quality spaces and facilitating constant demand from financially stable, mid-sized companies."
The "hidden vacancy" phenomenon decreased by 40% compared to the previous year, having a minimal impact on the market.
Meanwhile, the retail sector's total stock reached 4.7 million sqm, with another 78,000 sqm under construction and scheduled for delivery in the second half of the year. Total deliveries for 2025 are projected to reach 195,000 sqm, a 15% increase year-on-year.
Carmen Ravon, Head of Retail CEE & Romania at CBRE Romania, said: "The investment sector is also seeing more transactions, with retail accounting for 44% of the total investment volume in Romania in the first half of 2025. Romanian retail is no longer just in a recovery process; it is already repositioning for long-term sustainable growth."
In the industrial sector, Romania set a new record with a stock of 8 million sqm of logistics and industrial spaces. Leasing activity in Q2 2025 reached 452,600 sqm, an 11% increase from last year. Bucharest accounted for 66% of the total leasing activity in H1 2025. This trend is supported by infrastructure investments, such as the opening of the southern section of the A0 motorway.
Răzvan Iorgu, Head of Industrial & Logistics Leasing at CBRE Romania, said: "We are seeing the change happening before our eyes: for the first time in history, there is a continuous motorway route from Constanța to Craiova, which lorries can now travel without having to use national or county roads."
