The volume of new mortgage loans in Romania rose by 10.2% to 2.5 billion lei (€506 million) in H1 2023 compared to the same period of last year, of which refinancing operations had a 25% share, according to a report by SVN Romania | Credit & Financial Solutions. 

The new residential project Semerínka, backed by the developer Crestyl, has received a building permit and construction will begin during the autumn. The Semerínka project in Prague's Radlice district, consisting of four blocks of varying heights, will offer 185 apartments.

Romanian developer One United Properties has recorded a net profit of €52.8 million in H1 2023, up 13% compared to the same period of last year, while the turnover rose by 26% to €171 million in the same interval.

The first phase of the Le Jardin residential complex has reached its highest point. The residential park with 165 apartments is located on the shore of the Rákos stream, in a green zone location and developed by the Hungarian company Wing.

Speedwell has secured a loan of €13.6 million from Garanti Bank for the development of the third phase of The Ivy residential project in northern Bucharest.  

Romania ranks third in the top of the European countries with the cheapest housing, after Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece, with an average price of €1,417 per sqm, according to a Deloitte report. Homes prices in Romania rose by 10.6% compared to 2021. 

Offices might become hotels, hotels can be converted into apartment buildings and warehouses may serve as retail centres. But location, revenue-generating capacity and environmental considerations are the most important factors in converting successfully an existing commercial property, say experts of Hungarian developer Wing. Ernő Takács, Deputy CEO, responsible for hotels and retail at Wing and Chairman of the Association of Hungarian Property Developers and Gábor Angel, Deputy CEO, responsible for offices at Wing, talked to Property Forum about the challenges of changing the use of a property.

The residential estate market in Bulgaria cooled down in Q2 2023, with a 15% decrease in the number of transactions compared to the same period in 2022. This was due to several factors, including rising interest rates on mortgage loans, inflation, and economic uncertainty. Buyers have become more prudent, not rushing into purchases, and often negotiating discounts ranging from 5% to 10% off the initial property sale price. These are the conclusions made by Arco Real Estate for Q2 2023.

Monica Dudău, Marketing Manager, Storia.ro & OLX Imobiliare spoke to Property Forum about the development plans of the two digital platforms dedicated to real estate professionals and the role of technology in streamlining sales in the local residential sector.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Kyiv’s primary residential market has stalled for some time with the number of transactions in 2022 significantly decreasing. In 2023, however, most developers are observing positive trends and slow but steady growth. Iryna Nastych summarised the situation in an article prepared by the Ukrainian Real Estate Club for Property Forum.