CEDER 2025 in review: Buyer Behaviour and Trust in Romanian Residential Real Estate
Experts present at the “Sector-Specific Trends part 2” panel discussion held at CEDER 2025 noted that the market is highly dependent on the human element, with buyer behaviour and trust remaining central to its dynamics. As Victor Terheș, Sales Director at Bellemonde, put it, “real estate residential is not immune. It's actually emotionally anchored”. This emotional connection means external factors and market sentiment significantly influence potential buyers.
Adrian Stoichina, Co-CEO & Partner at Prima Development Group, highlighted the fact that clients can be split into three categories: those who need bank financing, cash buyers looking for their own home, and investors, each reacting differently to market conditions. Amongst these categories, cash buyers for their own homes are least likely to be deterred by turmoil, as their need for housing is constant.
Amidst recent uncertainties and challenges, buyers are exhibiting increased caution and diligence. Simona Guțiu, Founding Partner at the Notarial Office EQUITY, observed this shift directly. In her experience, clients “are raising questions to the notary they trust, and they rely on professionals with a strong background. They check yourself and your CV. They are raising a lot of questions and of course, if they receive the security, the certainty […], they will go forward.” This heightened scrutiny is partly a reaction to negative cases in the market, which, paradoxically, Simona Guțiu felt had a positive impact on buyers’ behaviour: they are now actively reading agreements and clauses and insisting on registering documents like agreements and mortgages with the land book for legal certainty.
Buyers are becoming more selective, preferring developers with a proven track record, as trust in the developer has become a critical factor. Leonidas Anastasopoulos, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Alesonor, noted that while “developers are story sellers”, it's crucial to distinguish “who delivers on the story, and who is true to the story and follows up to the end”. This consistent delivery enhances “the perceived value and what the clients eventually get”.
Andreea Dumitru, Chief Marketing Officer at Hagag Development Europe, confirms, stating that “buyers are conducting their own due diligence process and tend to pay increased attention not only to the project itself, area or price, but to the developer’s brand and delivery history”.
Victor Terheș emphasized the fact that “buyers really need to relate from who they buy”. Adrian Stoichina underscored this and warned against the illusion that good renders and good marketing make for good projects, adding: “There are a few things that we instruct our clients […] to look at when they're deciding to buy a home. One is constructor and developer, because the best predictor is how the previous projects have gone. How happy are the previous clients? Have the previous projects been delivered on time or late? Are there any problems related to warranty in the previous projects? Is there any bank financing? That's the second aspect, because bank financing ensures that the money that the client's paying is going in the project, that the permitting has no problems and that you have utility connections.”
Ultimately, navigating the market requires informed decision-making. Simona Guțiu also advised potential buyers to do their homework before and “try to connect with very good professional people, lawyers, notaries, everybody".
