The Share of Mortgage Loans Reached Its Highest Level in Seven Years in July

The residential market in Bucharest remained active in August, recording the second-best month of 2025 in terms of housing transactions. A total of 4,469 homes were sold in the capital, 10.1% fewer than in July, which marked an all-time high for this year. However, the August volume remained more than 15% above the 2025 monthly average.

Sector 3 District led in transactions, accounting for nearly one-third of all apartment sales in Bucharest. The next most active areas were Sector 6 District, with 796 homes sold, and Sector 1 District, with 784 units transacted.

“Demand for housing remains strong, even after the exceptional month of July. In August, we observed a return to a transaction pace like the first months of the year, but still above the general average, which confirms buyers’ confidence in the residential market,” explains George Călin, Residential Manager at Fortim Trusted Advisors, a member of the BNP Paribas Real Estate Alliance.

July was marked by a significant surge in sales, with a 48% increase compared to the previous month, driven by several factors: buyers’ desire to benefit from the old, reduced VAT rate before fiscal changes, as well as a record volume of approved mortgage loans.

Banks played an important role in energizing the residential market in July 2025, accelerating the approval of mortgage loans in anticipation of the imminent VAT increase on housing. As a result, 71% of real estate transactions in Bucharest were financed through mortgage loans, a record level for the past seven years.

“This unusually high share of bank financing reflects a strong mobilization from both buyers and financial institutions, which responded swiftly to the increased demand for loan approvals ahead of the fiscal changes,” explains George Călin, Residential Manager at Fortim Trusted Advisors, a member of the BNP Paribas Real Estate Alliance.

Vastint Romania Implements Ready Flex Space

Vastint Romania announces the launching of Ready Flex Space, a new business solution — the rental of autonomous, fully furnished office modules available through short-term lease agreements. Designed for both small and large companies, this concept responds to the increasing demand for flexibility in the office market.

The new Ready Flex Space formula has already been implemented in Business Garden Bucharest, covering a total area of 2,321 sqm divided into 9 independent units, ranging from 124 sqm to 416 sqm. Demand has been strong: eight of the units are already leased or in advanced negotiations, with half of the tenants already moved in. Current occupiers include Tesla Energy Forecasting (CEE), part of Yes Energy – a leader in real-time market data and electric power trading decision solutions focused on helping energy industry participants make better decisions in complex, rapidly changing markets, Innvigo Agro – European manufacturer of agricultural chemical products, Vertical Design – Romanian provider of modern door solutions, automation and gates and Hellmann Worldwide Logistics – one of the largest international logistics providers.

“In response to the evolving needs of our tenants, we created Ready Flex Space – independent, fully furnished offices that can function as an extension or even an alternative to a company’s headquarters. They are particularly attractive for fast-growing businesses, for companies in need of temporary additional space, or for teams working on project-based assignments. At the same time, large corporations with a smaller footprint—who until now often resorted to apartments or villas—can now benefit from the flexibility of a modern office building. The market response has been extremely encouraging: eight out of the nine units are already leased or in advanced negotiations, leaving just one unit available. This success demonstrates the effectiveness of the concept, and we are now preparing further modules with the Flex formula in both Business Garden Bucharest and Timpuri Noi Square,” said Sorin Macoveiu, Commercial Manager, Vastint Romania.

Unlike co-working spaces, Ready Flex Space offers fully independent offices where tenants do not share their rented area with other companies. Each module includes a reception, private offices, open areas, meeting rooms, social spaces, and restrooms. With lease terms ranging from 6 to 24 months, tenants can enjoy the independence of their own ready-made office, fully equipped, while also benefiting from the wide range of amenities available in Vastint’s properties, traditionally reserved for larger tenants.

Oresa Obtains Authorization for The Expansion of the Logistics Park in Iași

Oresa Industra, the real estate division of the Oresa investment group, a Swedish-capital company present in Romania since 1997, has obtained the construction authorization for a new expansion of 15,000 square meters of the Industra Park Iași park, in Letcani, with the new spaces to be delivered in the first part of next year.
Following this expansion, the Industra Park Iași logistics park will reach a total leasable area of over 50,000 square meters.

The company’s plans include the development of another 25,000 square meters in the following stages, confirming the attractiveness and high potential of the market in northern Moldova. The investment in Industra Park Iași was Oresa Industra’s first step into the industrial real estate sector, with the acquisition of the existing logistics park in Letcani, in 2021. Since then, the company has expanded its presence nationwide, with major projects in Arad and the Bucharest area.

Source: Profit.ro

VGP Starts Construction of the First Building in VGP Park Bucharest 2

VGP announces the start of construction of the first building in VGP Park Bucharest 2, the company’s newest development in Romania. Strategically located in the eastern part of the capital, at the intersection of the A2 motorway and the Bucharest Ring Road, the park offers direct access to downtown Bucharest and fast connections to the Port of Constanța and key cities such as Brașov, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara.

VGP Park Bucharest 2 will be developed in three phases, and the first phase, built on a 227,000 sqm plot, will include three modern buildings with a total leasable area of approximately 114,000 sqm: Building A: 32,979 sqm – under construction as of August 2025, with expected completion in Q1 2026; Building B: 19,092 sqm – planned for 2026; Building C: 60,938 sqm – the largest unit in the park.

With the launch of VGP Park Bucharest 2, the company, reaches a portfolio of over 1 million sqm of gross leasable area across six modern parks: VGP Park Bucharest (North), VGP Park Bucharest 2 (East), VGP Park Arad, VGP Park Timișoara, VGP Park Brașov, and VGP Park Sibiu.

Liviu Stoleru is the New CEO of Symmetrica

Symmetrica, a manufacturer of vibropressed pavers and curbs, with a turnover of over EUR 63.5 million, has recruited Liviu Stoleru as Chief Executive Officer. Liviu Stoleru unexpectedly resigned last summer from the management of Roca Industry, just a few months after his appointment. He took over the management of ROCA Industry after being CEO of Cemacon for almost 12 years.

Symmetrica, a family business with over 30 years of activity and 10 factories in Romania, has made significant investments in recent years exceeding EUR 135 million. These include the development of the largest paving and slab factory in South-Eastern Europe, inaugurated in Bolintin Vale, as well as an extensive energy efficiency program through investments in 12 photovoltaic parks dedicated to its own production units.

Source: Profit.ro

Henkel Moved its Headquarters in Romania to the Equilibrium 2 Office Building

The German group Henkel, which has over 500 employees on the local market, moved its headquarters in Romania to the new Equilibrium 2 office building.

Henkel completed the sale of its old headquarters in the Floreasca neighborhood this summer to a premium housing developer, who wants to demolish the building and build a residential complex in its place. The building sold has an area of 1,800 square meters and will be demolished, in order to build a residential complex with several dozen apartments in its place.

Henkel has three adhesives production facilities in Romania, located in Pantelimon (near Bucharest), in Câmpia Turzii (Cluj County) and Roznov (Neamț County).
Source: Profit.ro

C&W Echinox Brokered the Lease of 7,300 sqm of Space in Agora Mall in Arad

The retail team of Cushman & Wakefield Echinox advised the developer of Agora Mall Arad (formerly Galleria Arad), which officially reopened on August 28, after a renovation and repositioning process. As part of this, approximately 7,300 sqm of commercial space were leased to brands such as Senic, Numero Uno, Hada, 18Gym, Maxi Pet and Kamalion.

“The retail sector in Romania remains dynamic, and regional cities such as Arad offer solid growth potential. With a significant increase in the surface area of modern retail spaces this year, but also considering the plans announced by developers, this segment continues to be an essential driver of investment and development in the local real estate market,” says Dana Radoveneanu, Head of Retail Agency, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Libra Internet Bank Granted EUR 35.5 mln Financing to Exigent Development

Libra Internet Bank granted a financing of EUR 35.5 million to the developer Exigent Development for the construction of the sixth phase of the Exigent Plaza Residence complex, a project consisting of five buildings and totaling 738 homes.

“The financing provided by Libra Internet Bank for the expansion of Exigent Plaza Residence highlights our objective to support the Real Estate sector, through partnerships with real estate developers who deliver solid residential projects and who bring added value to the community,” says Cristina Mahika-Voiconi, General Manager of Libra Internet Bank.

Primark to open fourth store in Romania, in VIVO! Cluj-Napoca

Primark, the international fashion retailer, has today announced the opening date of its fourth store in Romania. It will be Primark’s first store in the North-West region of the country, located in VIVO! Shopping Centre, and has created over 130 jobs locally. Primark VIVO! Cluj-Napoca has 3,700 sqm and will open to customers at 10.00am on Tuesday 9th September.

Maciej Podwojski, Head of CEE, Primark said: “We’re delighted to be opening our first store in Cluj-Napoca, a vibrant and fast-growing city. Since arriving in Romania in December 2022, we have seen continued growth and we’re not stopping anytime soon with plans to have six locations across the country by the end of next year. Our team is putting the finishing touches on the store, and we can’t wait to open our doors and welcome customers very soon.”

Fulga Dinu, Country Manager CPI Romania, stated: “Primark’s opening at VIVO! Cluj-Napoca is a key addition that strengthens our goal of making shopping more dynamic and international. As one of the most anticipated brands, Primark brings fresh energy and variety to our mix of retailers, enhancing customer experience. This is an important step in our vision of creating vibrant shopping destinations, and we’re thrilled to see it happen here.”

The new opening is part of Primark’s ambitious growth plans in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), where the brand already has 16 stores across the region in Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia.

West Group finalizes iResidence takeover to advance project delivery

West Group announces the completion of the full acquisition of the iResidence residential project, located in the northern part of the Capital.

“We have completed the transfer of the project company and kept the construction site in normal operating mode. Through this acquisition, we bring clarity, financial discipline and additional resources to deliver iResidence at the quality level promised to our clients,” said Dan Crăciunescu, founder of West Group.

iResidence is a residential project with 520 apartments, each unit benefiting from at least one parking space and a storage unit in the underground area. The underground space is designed on two levels, optimized both for parking and storage facilities, offering additional comfort and functionality to future residents.

The iResidence complex is conceived as a complete and sustainable community. The project includes a 15,000 sqm private park with playgrounds and bike paths, aims for BREEAM certification for energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact, and integrates a wellness center with swimming pool and gym, as well as a retail gallery.

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