Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. Romanians' appetite for lending returns, interest rates fall,...

Romanians' appetite for lending returns, interest rates fall, housing becomes more expensive 

March 10, 2024

The volume of mortgage loans in RON granted by banks doubled in the last three months of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, and exceeded RON 10 billion, according to the latest data published by the National Bank of Romania, quoted in a press release by Imobiliare.ro Finance."The lending market is coming back strongly after an extremely difficult period marked by uncertainty and high financing costs. More and more Romanians are now looking to take out a loan and are increasingly interested in working with a credit broker to obtain the most advantageous financing conditions," says the source.At the same time, 187,500 properties were transacted nationwide, up 3% from 2022, data from the National Agency of Cadastre and Real Estate Publicity, cited in the same release, show.Of the total, 49,700 were apartments, a segment where an advance of about 9% can be observed compared to the end of the previous year.For the whole of last year, there was a 31% increase in the volume of mortgage loans in RON, up to RON 31 billion. In the case of consumer loans, the advance was 13% in this period, up to about RON 28.7 billion.Specialists of the credit brokerage division of the real estate company estimate reductions in variable interest rates starting with the middle of this year, provided that the forecast decline in inflation will further reduce the existing pressure on interest rates.On the other hand, they forecast an increase in the price of housing in 2024, amid the increase in the reduced VAT rate from 5% to 9% for housing up to EUR 120,000, the alarming decline in the supply of available properties on the residential market, but also a potential increase in demand amid the reduction in interest rates.    

Read in full - click here
Romania plans to install surveillance cameras on main highways

Romania’s National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration (CNAIR) has announced plans to equip highways A1, A2, and A3, as well as national road DN1 with surveillance cameras, with the investment valued at RON 220 million (EUR 44.2 million) excluding VAT. The cameras will allow authorities to penalize drivers who exceed speed limits and detect other […]

Accor opens Swissôtel Poiana Brasov: A new benchmark for upscale hospitality in Romania’s premier ski resort

Accor, a global leader in hospitality, proudly announces the opening of Swissôtel Poiana Brașov, introducing the Swissôtel brand to Romania for the first time. Located in the heart of Poiana Brașov, Romania’s most popular ski resort, the hotel is surrounded by the lush landscapes of the Postăvarul Massif, making it an ideal escape for skiers, […]

Romanian MEP appointed chief negotiator of EUR 1.3 trillion multiannual EU fund

Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan (EPP/PNL) has been appointed by the political groups of the European Parliament as the chief negotiator for the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of the European Union post-2027.  Mureșan, who was chief negotiator for the EUR 800 billion European Recovery and Resilience Mechanism and the 2018 and 2024 EU annual budgets, […]

ING Bank analysts slash their Romania 2024 economic growth forecast as strong domestic activity dissipates through imports

Romania is failing to capitalize on strong positive private consumption and investments because of rising imports, which weigh visibly on economic growth, ING Bank analysts wrote in a note as they lowered their 2024 growth forecast from 2.0% to 1.3% on Friday, September 6. The detailed economic...

Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu meets with Israeli counterpart Netanyahu

Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu had a meeting with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday, September 5. During the meeting, Ciolacu highlighted the importance of peace in the Middle East. The Romanian and Israeli prime ministers discussed economic cooperation projects, focusing on the defense industry, tourism, and Romania's agri-food exports. "We have dynamic […]

Statistics confirm Romania’s steep economic slowdown in Q2 2024 due to drop in net exports, industry and IT&C

Romania’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.8% in the second quarter of 2024 compared with the same quarter of last year, based on both unadjusted data series and seasonally adjusted data series, the National Statistics Office (INS) announced on Friday, September 6. For the first half of 2024, Romania’s GDP recorded an annual growth […]