Bucharest Office Leasing Market Remained Stable in H1 2026, While the Pre-Lease Transactions Make a Comeback

Bucharest’s office leasing market remained stable in the first half of 2026 in terms of total leasing volume. However, the structure of demand points to a notable shift in occupier behaviour. More companies are choosing to relocate to new office buildings, while pre-leasing transactions have returned after being absent during the same period last year.

A total of 103,208 sqm of office space was leased in Bucharest during the first six months of 2026, broadly in line with the 104,350 sqm transacted in the first half of 2025.

The key difference lies in the composition of leasing activity. New lease transactions accounted for 72,770 sqm, representing nearly 71% of the total volume leased in H1 2026, while lease renewals totalled 30,438 sqm. By comparison, in the first half of 2025, new leases amounted to 55,584 sqm, while renewals reached 48,757 sqm.

Another clear indicator of this changing market dynamic is the return of pre-leasing activity. During H1 2026, companies signed pre-lease agreements for 18,331 sqm, equivalent to around one-quarter of all new leasing transactions. No pre-leasing deals were recorded during the same period in 2025.

“After two consecutive years with only one pre-leasing transaction per year, the first half of 2026 marks the return of long-term planning. The resurgence of pre-leasing is one of the strongest signals that companies are once again confident enough to plan their growth two to three years ahead and secure space in new developments, even though some projects are experiencing minor delivery delays,” said Alexandru Petrescu, ESOP Consulting | CORFAC International.

The four pre-leasing transactions were signed in the Green Court D, Timpuri Noi Square Phase II, and Queens developments by companies operating across a range of sectors, including energy and utilities, construction and real estate, and financial services. The increasingly diverse tenant profile suggests that demand for new office buildings is no longer driven solely by technology companies.

From a geographical perspective, demand remained concentrated in Bucharest’s main office submarkets. The Centre-North and North districts attracted approximately 58% of the total leased area in the first half of the year. They were followed by the Centre-West area with nearly 23%, the CBD with around 11%, the Centre-South area with approximately 6%, while the Centre-East and East submarkets together accounted for roughly 2% of total leasing activity.

The sectoral breakdown of demand also reflects a more diversified market. Information technology companies generated almost 14% of the total leased area, followed by companies in the energy and utilities sector with approximately 13%, and construction and real estate firms with nearly 10%.

The first-half results show that while Bucharest’s office market has maintained its overall level of activity, it is entering a new phase in terms of tenant behaviour. The growing share of new lease transactions, together with the return of pre-leasing activity, indicates that an increasing number of companies are once again planning relocations and expansion projects with a medium- to long-term perspective.

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