Friday, 22 May 2026
Amongst the topics discussed by the experts invited to take part in the second Residential panel held at CEDER 2026 was the transition of the residential market from an emerging sector towards a more sophisticated and mature phase. Central to this evolution is a fundamental shift in buyer behavior; the modern Romanian consumer has moved away from the “irrational” purchasing patterns of the past to become a more cautious and educated stakeholder.
Silviu Stratulat, Managing Partner at Stratulat Albulescu Attorney at Law explains: “the end client is no longer irrational. I mean, I remember actually those times when people were just buying apartments just to buy apartments because, you know, they heard that a neighbor was buying an apartment, they wanted to buy another apartment. And [now] you know, the drive is different, of course, the purchase power is different as well.”
Simona Guțiu, Founding Partner of the Notarial Office EQUITY observes this newfound maturity in the decision-making process, while noting a persistence of the desire to become a homeowner: “The market is more mature, the buyers are more cautious and thoughtful when deciding to enter into acquisition of real estate of a residential unit… I see that the buyers are more educated and the decision is taken with homework done before. On one side. On the other side, we see that Romanians do have the old pattern of intending badly to be owner of a house. So, we see a lot of young people acquiring residential units, and very brave people, because they do not have the money to acquire in cash. So, they go to the bank, and they loan for the next 20 years the money to acquire the house”.
Despite a significant decrease in overall purchasing power and rising consumption costs, buyers are unwilling to lower their standards for interior living. Instead, they are demanding more facilities and the integration of modern technology. Ioana Darie, Interior Designer & Founder at YODA Interior Design explains that the modern client expects a premium experience even within a limited budget: “They are not going to decrease the quality of their living. Actually, they demand for more, because they have a limited budget, they have to be advised by our side, what to buy and what not to buy (…) people are not going to decrease their budget. They are willing to increase their level of life, and they are willing to have more facilities in the project”.
While the luxury segment remains steady, Bogdan Letcă, CEO of Bog’Art Residential notes that the mass market has seen a “scarcity in phone calls” as affordability decreases. However, he optimistically concludes: “clients are improving, are seeking for something that makes their life better. And the pattern and the mentality changed lately. So, they are giving extra notch in terms of their pockets just to have a better life.”
