Brașov Market: Residential transactions freeze, but prices refuse to drop

The New Home (NH) market grew steadily throughout 2025, climbing from €2,384/sqm in January to €2,668/sqm in December. This represents an annual increase of approximately 11.9%. Meanwhile, the Old Market experienced more tempered growth (from €1,999 to €2,190/sqm), suggesting that demand is increasingly shifting toward new properties, despite their higher price tags.

The growth peak was recorded in Q2, when the overall market average jumped by over 3% compared to the beginning of the year.

When it comes to the housing segment, Sânpetru emerged as the “star” of 2025. Although it started with the lowest price point (€1,512/sqm in January), it wrapped up the year at €1,824/sqm, making a massive recovery compared to other areas. It stands as the region with the highest appreciation rate. Conversely, Stupini and Ghimbav remained more expensive overall but showed a more linear evolution with minor month-to-month fluctuations—a clear sign of a market that has reached a certain level of maturity and local capping.

Apartment Market Evolution (Average Prices €/sqm) in 2025

The table below summarizes quarterly averages for the general market, highlighting the pricing gap between new and old constructions.

Regional Analysis (Housing Segment – NH Average Price) in 2025

For the house/villa segment in suburban areas, the evolution was more volatile but maintained an upward trajectory:

Market Resilience and the 2026 Outlook

The residential market analyzed shows a high resilience to price increases. There were no negative quarters (declines), only correction and stabilization periods (such as Q3 for apartments). The price gap between new and old apartments widened throughout the year, reaching nearly €480/sqm in December.

Currently, the market is undergoing a transaction volume “freeze” (fewer closed deals), yet prices stubbornly refuse to drop.

Brașov in 2026 is no longer playing in the apartment speculation league. The city has entered a phase of technical consolidation, where the price per square meter is no longer driven solely by supply and demand. Instead, it is dictated by new regulatory rigors and a metropolitan infrastructure that has outpaced any other city in Romania.

In 2026, the average listing price for new apartments hit the €2,700/sqm threshold. Moving forward, we expect stagnation or a slight increase (3-5%), below the inflation rate. In real terms, this translates to a massive drop in purchasing power, not in shelf prices.

Key influencing factors include lending (stubbornly high interest rates are dampening enthusiasm for credit buyers) and energy efficiency. Old buildings will begin to rapidly lose ground to new developments due to skyrocketing maintenance costs.

Why Prices Will NOT Drop

• The Regulatory Squeeze: New legislation (the “Nordis Law”) has cut off oxygen for developers who previously relied heavily on large down payments to finance other ongoing projects.
• Rising Financing Costs: Forced to seek external financing (bank loans, investment funds), developers are now facing high development interest rates. Furthermore, the banking system—compelled to create specific products to guarantee client down payments—charges risk fees. All of these financial costs (amounting to 2-4% of the project’s value) are transferred directly into the final price paid by the buyer.
• Higher Execution Costs: The mandatory implementation of high energy efficiency standards means construction costs are 15-20% higher than they were 5 years ago.

The Bottom Line: Price per square meter has become a direct reflection of legal security and energy efficiency. Anyone selling “cheap” in 2026 is, most likely, a project with a high risk of non-completion.

Market analysis conducted with the support of The Seller & Partners