Rental and Sales Market Trends in Romania: January 2025 vs. 2024
In January 2025, compared to the same month in 2024, interactions between users and real estate advertisers for rental properties recorded notable increases. Romanians’ interest in renting grew by 31% for apartments, 13% for houses, and 12% for commercial spaces, while the demand for rental land decreased by 14%.
On the sales segment, in the first month of this year, apartments were searched for 39% more than in the same period of 2024, houses by 42%, land by 43%, and commercial spaces by 23%, according to data from Storia, the real estate platform launched by OLX.
“We have observed that the sales segment has registered higher growth than rentals, an effect of more stable financing costs in 2024 and 2025. However, a surprise comes from the rental sector, where demand continues to rise, albeit at a more moderate pace in certain categories. This is a noteworthy result, considering we are comparing it to 2023, a benchmark year for the rental market when demand reached record levels,” said Monica Dudău, Senior Marketing Manager at Storia & OLX Imobiliare.
What Types of Properties Were in Demand in 2024 vs. 2023
Throughout 2024, compared to 2023, user interactions with rental listings continued to increase for apartments (+7%), houses (+13%), and commercial spaces (+11%), reflecting sustained demand for these property types. The only category that declined was rental land, which saw a 5% decrease in 2024 compared to 2023, indicating reduced interest in this segment.
On the sales segment, data show a strong increase in interactions for all property categories. Apartments saw the highest growth, with 46% more interactions than the previous year, followed by houses (+33%) and land (+28%). Interest in commercial spaces for sale also rose by 21%, suggesting a revitalization of this segment throughout 2024.
Regarding user interactions with listings published by agents and developers for both sales and rentals, there was a 24% increase compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, interactions generated by listings posted directly by owners grew by 29%, indicating a slight preference for direct transactions.
This analysis was conducted by Storia – the real estate platform launched by OLX, as part of the “Smart Path to Home” initiative, which aims to enhance transparency in real estate information for buyers, tenants, owners, agents, and developers, helping them make informed decisions.
About Storia
Storia is the real estate platform launched by OLX, designed to bring greater clarity to the property market. It is a space where thousands of owners, real estate agents, and developers showcase their listings. Storia supports home seekers by providing valuable tools and insights about the real estate market to help them make well-informed decisions.
In 2022, Storia introduced the T.R.A.I. index, an initiative that offers insights into living conditions in different Romanian neighborhoods, measuring quality of life beyond the four walls of a home. T.R.A.I. gathers expert data such as air pollution levels, traffic intensity, density of points of interest, and average property prices per square meter, providing a comprehensive view of each neighborhood’s well-being.
In 2024, the index was updated with the “Voice of the Neighborhoods” section, integrating subjective data collected directly from residents of each evaluated area. Anyone interested in assessing their neighborhood is invited to complete the survey at trai.storia.ro.
