The Eastern European construction market is facing a cooling period of "little less optimism", while Southeast Europe shows signs of stabilizing with a "little less pessimism", according to the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA) 2026 Summer Construction Forecast released on 22 June 2026. Despite the shifting sentiment, both regions are projected to sustain the record-high output levels achieved in 2025 through to 2028.

Construction has begun on a new retail park in Ruda Śląska, located on Bukowa Street near the junction with 1 Maja Street. The development, carried out as the second phase of a project led by Pkb Inwest Budowa in cooperation with Terg, has already achieved approximately 90% pre-leasing at the outset of construction. The leasing process is being managed by Scallier.

Hungary's construction sector had a mixed start to 2026, with projects worth around €1.8 billion entering construction in Q1, according to the latest EBI Construction Activity Report.

The Prague office market is showing signs of recovery as the developers launched three new office projects in Q1, and the volume of space under construction rose by 81% year-on-year. Pre-leasing is gradually returning, and there is a growing willingness to build speculatively without pre-secured tenants.

Romanian construction activity increased by over 6% in the first two months of 2026, following a record 2025, and remained the country's only major economic sector showing growth in April, according to Colliers analysis based on Eurostat data.

Croatia's construction sector is threatened with damage this summer due to the ongoing US-Israeli-Iran conflict. While the pain has not been intense so far, the situation could worsen significantly by mid-June or even late May, according to an analysis by the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA).

The average total office fit-out costs in Bucharest increased slightly in 2025 to around €1,000 per sqm, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. However, Bucharest remains one of the most affordable markets in CEE, with fit-out costs 18% and 15% lower than in Warsaw and Prague, respectively.

The Romanian residential market is currently navigating a complex boomerang effect as construction costs remain resilient despite previous forecasts of a decline, according Dr. Sebastian Sipos-Gug, analyst for Romania at Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA).

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.

Passerinvest Group has begun construction of the Sequoia office building, which will rise from a former brownfield site in the strategic development area of Nové Roztyly in Prague.