The land market remained very active in Romania in the first half of 2023, with an estimated turnover of around 250 million euros, a volume that only includes land transactions for commercial real estate projects in sectors such as the residential, office, retail ones, without taking into account segments such as the industrial or energy ones, shows Colliers in its market report on the evolution of the real estate market in the first half of this year.The retail segment is enjoying the most attention as developers continue to see opportunities in many areas of the country. As the summer period has been fairly quiet so far, Colliers consultants expect modest transaction volumes in the coming quarters.In terms of demand, it has been almost evenly split between the retail and residential segments. However, while retail developers remained quite active, focusing mainly on retail/big box stores parks in areas/cities with limited stock of modern retail space, in the residential sector there has been a more pronounced slowdown in transactions, as higher interest rates and rising construction costs have led to a fairly significant decline in activity, especially compared to the 2020-2022 period.In Bucharest, the adjustment of the supply of new dwellings amid lower demand was evidenced in the first quarter of the year by a sharper decline in the number of dwellings delivered. Only 4,666 dwellings were delivered in the first three months of 2023, down 16% compared to the same period last year.The evolution of the residential market is closely linked to the general evolution of the economy, and the good outlook for the Romanian economy was highlighted in the European Commission's latest forecast this spring. Despite the slowdown in economic growth in the European Union compared to 2022, Romania is the country with the highest projected economic growth in the EEC and the third highest in the EU, with 3.2% in 2023 and 3.5% in 2024. These prospects contribute to the positive investment climate, together with the second lowest inflation in the CEE-6 and the level of public investment in infrastructure.
Romania was formally designated the 43rd country to join the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) on Friday, January 10. According to the Romanian ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru, Romanian citizens will be able to travel to the US without the need for a visa starting March 31, 2025. "Romania becomes the first country in the […]
Cluj-Napoca, the city in Romania with some of the highest rents and a fast-growing IT industry, is closer to banning smoking in playgrounds and parks after mayor Emil Boc expressed his support for the measure. The mayor cited the prioritization of public health as the reason behind such a ban. He mentioned that he has […]
Romania's Sibiu County Emergency Clinical Hospital will receive a robotic system to prepare cytostatic drugs needed by cancer patients, along with other equipment, after the County Council obtained funds from the European Regional Development Fund. With an estimated value of EUR 1 million, the "Robotic Composition System for Sterile Preparations of Cytostatic Drugs" is among […]
Romania’s government adopted in its January 10 meeting a decision granting an extra day off to public sector employees at the beginning of May. Thus, Friday, May 2, will be an official day off for public sector workers, linking the legal holiday of May 1 (Labor Day) with the weekend (May 3-4). This...
The Ministry of Environment announced that 2024 was the hottest year in the history of Romania's meteorological records. Red alerts for heat waves began in June of 2024, with the longest consecutive periods of persistent and intense heat waves, six consecutive days, between July 13-18 and August 15-20. "The year 2024 is the hottest year...
Supporters of former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu gathered outside the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, which houses the Constitutional Court, on January 10, demanding a rerun of the second round of the presidential elections. The protest, dubbed "The Great Judicial Union," was initiated by Georgescu, who called on his supporters to challenge the election annulment, as […]
