Thursday, 21 May 2026
The first Residential panel held at CEDER 2026 showed that the definition of luxury in Romania’s evolving residential market is undergoing an essential transformation. While premium real estate was once defined by prestigious addresses and expensive materials alone, the experts invited to take part in the panel suggest that the market has matured, shifting the focus toward personal well-being, time efficiency, and integrated communities.
Jan Demeyere, Architect and Co-founder of SPEEDWELL, emphasizes that luxury has moved beyond mere aesthetics, like marble or wood finishes. He argues that true luxury is now defined by the quality of one’s daily life, stating: “When we talk about luxury, that’s something very personal. How do you define luxury? What is luxury living? … For me, luxury really is being able to find a job very close to where you are, even change jobs, is to be able not to commute for 3, 4, 6 hours to your job, so you still have free time with your family, with your friends. That’s very important. And also, to have access to nature. That’s for me, luxury.”
This sentiment is echoed by marketing experts who see luxury as “an emotional purchase” rather than a simple acquisition of property. Andreea Dumitru, Chief Marketing Officer at Hagag Development Europe, explains that modern buyers are highly informed and travelled, seeking a an experience that validates their status: “People are not just buying square meters of an apartment… They are looking to buy something that elevates their lifestyle. So, they look for [a] curated experience, they look for floor to ceiling heights, they look for privacy, for wellness, and all these services that they didn’t have until now.”
A critical component of this redefinition is the concept of “buying time.” Irina Caraene of CORDIA notes that for clients with budgets exceeding €200,000, the priority is “complete urban living without compromises”. This often manifests in the “15-minute city” concept, where amenities like work hubs, gastro bars, and playgrounds are all within immediate reach.
Ultimately, the dividing line between upper-middle and genuine premium residential property is no longer just price or location, but the “depth of the product”. As Răzvan Brasla, CEO of Cloud9 Residence, puts it: “The upper mid products, they are selling good homes, and the premium developers are selling a way of living”.
In conclusion, the panelists agreed that nowadays, luxury is less about what a building looks like and more about the ecosystem it provides for a healthy, efficient, and connected life.
