Housing prices in Romania's major cities have increased by 60-90% over the past six years, making apartments increasingly unaffordable in central areas, according to a report by Colliers Romania. Bucharest saw a 60% rise, while Cluj leads with a 100% surge and Timișoara recorded 90% growth.

After several years of record demand, Romania's residential market entered 2025 in a cooling phase, marked by cautious buyer sentiment. Consumer confidence recorded the steepest half-yearly decline since the 2009-2010 crisis, excluding the temporary pandemic shock when optimism quickly rebounded, according to Colliers consultants. They note the deterioration runs deeper and is expected to last longer, fueled by labor market slowdown, political instability and fiscal changes eroding purchasing power.

Romania's residential market experienced a significant surge in July, with a record number of apartment sales recorded in Bucharest and other major cities.   

The Romanian residential market has seen transactions falling by nearly 9% in the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period in the previous year. In Bucharest, the fall in deals reached 12%, according to data released by Colliers.  

More Romanians are looking to rent homes over higher prices and tighter lending conditions, shows a recent survey by Unlock Market Research for Colliers. 

Romania's housing market faced a significant imbalance in 2024, with new home deliveries falling 15% nationwide and over 20% in Bucharest, while demand rose by 7%, finds a Colliers report.

Romania remains one of the countries with the lowest mortgage penetration rates in the European Union, according to a Colliers’ analysis.  

Romania’s residential market recorded around 26,000 new home completions during H1 2024, down 20% over the same period of last year, according to Colliers data. 

There is a high demand for private accommodation in Bucharest, offering students modern and flexible accommodation options, with the current supply covering less than half of the actual requirements, according to Colliers data.

The housing loan stock is now growing by only 1.2% in Romania, with the slowdown becoming noticeable starting with the second half of last year, while the number of apartment transactions fell by almost 30% in Bucharest and regional cities in the first five months of the year, according to Colliers.