Report:About two-thirds of Romanians feel an increase in housing costs

Nearly two-thirds of Romanians (64%) report that their housing costs increased in the past year, although in Romania, homeownership is markedly high, with 85% of respondents owning at least one property, which is well above the European average, according to Re/Max Europe's European Housing Trend Report 2024.Additionally, 30% of Romanian homeowners own a second property, but only 35% of respondents feel comfortable with housing costs. Nearly two-thirdsof Romanians (64%) report that theirhousing costs increased in the past year.Romanians place a high value on energy efficiency and newbuild properties, they are less concerned with being close to friends and family, with only 12% prioritising that. This is notably lower than in many other European countries, indicating that Romanians may be more focused on the practical aspects of their housing choices rather than social proximity.As many as 44% of Romanians think affordability is more important than location. Almost one third of potential home buyers would like their apartment or house to have access to nature/green spaces, while 37% of them would like to own some sort of outdoor space - balcony, terrace or garden.About a quarter of them (22%) would move abroad for a more affordable life.As many as 69% of Europeans own the home they live in - and a quarter of these homeowners own a secondary residence.These secondary properties are primarily used for holidaying or retirement.Increased government support could have substantial influence on the uptake of sustainability measures; 48% of adults report that government incentives would motivate them to install energy-efficient measures.In Romania, Re/Max is the largest network of franchised real estate offices, with the largest number of real estate agents, currently having over 60 franchises and over 700 members.Worldwide, the company founded in 1973 in Denver currently has more than 140,000 affiliated agencies in 8,300 offices in 110 countries. In Europe, Re/Max operates in 40 countries, with over 2,200 offices and 30,000 agencies.