Romania was behind only Slovakia, Germany, Belgium and Hungary.
The decline also shows in the logistics space market, where rental demand shrank 56% to about 80,000 square meters.
At the same time, the manufacturing sector showed stronger performance, Colliers consultants say, explaining that even though confidence remains slightly lower than the usual average, Romania is the middle of the EU ranking, which means certain sectors in the industry are preserving a degree of resilience.
“The decline in rental activity comes in a context of adjustment after a record 2025 and shows a temporary slowdown of activity rather than a structural change of the market. The local market of logistics and manufacturing space is doing a balancing act between short-term pressures and long-term potential,” says Victor Cosconel Partner, Head of Leasing, Office & Industrial Agencies at Colliers.
“Currently, the context is marked by numerous uncertainties, both domestic, such as political tensions and declining consumption at the start of the year, and external, where conflicts and global instability are complicating development plans.”
Under the circumstances, demand for logistics and manufacturing space rental fell to 80,000 square meters in the first quarter, Colliers data show, which include deals for which public data is available, while direct deals between owners and tenants may boost the actual level of activity.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)