The DNA of Real Estate Q2 2026
Bucharest, September 2026: Bucharest continues to consolidate its position within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) real estate landscape, combining solid rental growth across major asset classes with some of the most attractive investment yields in Europe, according to the latest DNA of Real Estate Europe Q2 2026 report released by Cushman & Wakefield.
Prime office rents increased by 4.5% year-on-year, retail rents by 3.0%, and logistics rents by 2.4% across Europe during Q2 2026. While rental growth continued across most sectors, investors remained selective, with yield movements indicating a more balanced market environment following the repricing cycle of the last few years.
Against this backdrop, Bucharest stood out as one of the most competitive markets in the CEE region, benefiting from a combination of relatively low occupancy costs, improving market fundamentals, and investment yields that remain significantly above those in Western Europe.
In the office sector, Bucharest recorded a benchmark of €22/ sq. m/ month, representing a 4.8% annual increase, broadly in line with the strongest-performing office markets in the region.
Prime office yields remained stable at 7.25%, substantially above the European average of 5.39%, underlining the attractiveness of the Romanian capital city for investors seeking higher returns.
The high street retail sector delivered the strongest performance. Prime rents on Calea Victoriei reached €90 /sq. m/ month, marking a 28.6% year-on-year increase, one of the highest growth rates among all European high street destinations monitored by Cushman & Wakefield.
At the same time, the prime yields for this segment stood at 7%, reflecting continued retailer demand and increasing confidence in Bucharest’s prime retail locations.
The logistics market also maintained its upward trajectory. Prime rents increased by 2.1% y-o-y to €4.8/ sq. m/ month, while prime yields remained stable at 7.5%, among the highest levels across Europe.
The combination of competitive occupancy costs, strategic location and expanding infrastructure enhances both Bucharest’s and Romania’s attractiveness for logistics operators and industrial occupiers.
Vlad Saftoiu, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox: “The European real estate market continues to be shaped by the occupiers’ focus on quality assets and the investors’ preference for markets offering an attractive balance between income return and long-term growth potential. In this context, Bucharest remains well positioned within the CEE region, combining solid occupier fundamentals with investment yields that are among the most competitive in Europe. The performance recorded across the office, retail and logistics sectors highlights the market’s resilience and its growing maturity compared with other regional capital cities.”
The CEE office markets recorded an average annual rental growth of 5.0%, while logistics rents increased by 0.8% and retail rents by 7.4%. The region continues to attract occupiers and investors searching for growth opportunities and higher returns than those available in more mature Western European markets.
Among the CEE capitals covered in the report, Bucharest remains one of the markets offering the highest prime yields across all major sectors, while maintaining positive rental growth and stable occupier demand.
This positioning reinforces the Romanian capital’s status as an increasingly relevant destination for international investors and companies pursuing expansion opportunities in the region.
