Early 2026 could bring mortgage interest rate cuts

  Next year could start with a decrease in mortgage interest rates in Romania, both in the fixed segment, which represents over 98% of total new mortgage loans, and in the variable interest segment, as a result of the decrease in the reference indicator for mortgage loans granted to consumers (IRCC).According to an analysis conducted by Ipotecare.ro and the financial consulting company SVN Romania | Credit & Financial Solutions, IRCC will fall to 5.67% in the first quarter of 2026, a value similar to that recorded at the beginning of this year. Also, fixed interest rates recorded in the mortgage segment are expected to fall in the first months of next year, to an average of 5.55%, from a level of approximately 5.70% recorded in the last quarter of this year.The estimated 5.55% for fixed mortgage rates at the beginning of 2026 will be the third lowest recorded in four years, while the average variable interest rate, estimated at 8.17% and composed of IRCC plus a fixed margin of 2.5%, will be the fourth lowest recorded since the beginning of 2023 to date.The second quarter of next year could bring another interest rate cut, with calculations based on current daily IRCC values indicating a provisional level of approximately 5.58% of the benchmark - the IRCC level is set based on the daily benchmark quotes recorded two quarters ago.According to analysts, the year 2025 was characterized by stability in mortgage interest rates practiced in the first nine months of the year, with fixed rates ranging between 5.45% - 5.70% throughout the year, while the IRCC indicator varied between 5.55% - 6.06% in the last months of the year."2025 will set new records for the annual volumes of mortgage loans granted in Romania, both for new loans approved for home purchase and taking into account all forms of refinancing and conversions. And 2026 is set to be at least as good a year, in the absence of macroeconomic events with a strong negative impact - in the short term, the most important factor will be the evolution of the inflation rate, which will also determine the evolution of loan interest rates", said Alexandru Radulescu, managing partner of SVN Romania | Credit & Financial Solutions, the exclusive partner of Ipotecare.ro.The analysis also shows that 2025 will most likely end with a new record of mortgage loans granted in Romania. The latest statistics published by the Central Bank show that in the first ten months of this year, mortgage loans worth 9.2 billion euros were granted at national level, up 26% compared to the first ten months of 2024 - this volume also includes refinancings, conversions, transfers and restructurings.The number of houses and apartments sold nationally in the first ten months of 2025 was 2.7% lower compared to the result recorded in the first ten months of 2024, while the volume of residential sales in the Bucharest - Ilfov region decreased in the same period by 5.7% compared to the first ten months of 2024.Ipotecare.ro is an exclusively online credit broker, which uses multiple calculation algorithms to generate the most optimal financing option for each specific situation.SVN Romania | Credit & Financial Solutions is one of the leading mortgage brokers in Romania, with approximately 1,600 mortgage loan files brokered in the first half of 2025, worth 125 million euros. The company has four offices in Bucharest and 24 nationwide.