Romania – Finding Property to Buy

Who are the main estate agents operating in Romania, and how do buyers typically use them?

Romania’s estate agency sector is well-established, encompassing both large national networks and smaller independent operators spread across the country. Several international franchise brands have built a notable presence, including RE/MAX Romania, ERA Romania, and Century 21 Romania. These networks are active in all major urban centres — Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Brașov, and Iași among them — and their agents frequently have direct experience assisting overseas purchasers.

Among domestic players, Imobiliare.ro functions both as Romania’s biggest property listing website and as a platform that connects prospective buyers with vetted agency partners. Crosspoint Real Estate is a respected Bucharest-based firm that has produced guidance material specifically aimed at expat purchasers and handles both residential and commercial work. Other reputable agencies include SVN Romania and Colliers Romania, which focus largely on higher-value residential assets and commercial portfolios with a reach that extends to international investors.

Personal connections play a particularly significant role in Romanian real estate, and both locals and expatriates report that cultivating relationships with agents on the ground is often the only way to access properties that never appear on any public listing. This stands in contrast to markets with a centralised Multiple Listing Service (MLS) infrastructure — as used in the United States and Canada — where near-complete market coverage is publicly available. In Romania, off-market transactions and word-of-mouth deals remain a meaningful part of the landscape.

On the question of representation, Romanian agents commonly operate on a dual-agency model, where their fees may be drawn from both the seller and the buyer. This differs notably from the UK convention, where agents are engaged by the seller and owe duties to that party, and from the US model, where buyer’s agents are widespread and typically represent a single client exclusively. Foreign buyers should establish clearly in writing — before any work begins — which party an agent is contracted to represent.

Note: agency prominence and availability evolve over time. Always verify current details through up-to-date local sources and consult online reviews before engaging any agent.

Do estate agents in Romania need qualifications or a licence to operate?

Romania does not currently impose a compulsory licensing requirement on estate agents, though individuals who wish to obtain professional credentials may do so by completing specialist training courses. This is a significant point for buyers arriving from more tightly regulated markets. In the UK, for example, estate agents must belong to a government-approved redress scheme and are subject to oversight by bodies such as The Property Ombudsman. In the US, agents are required to hold state-issued licences obtained through formal examinations. Neither of these mandatory frameworks currently applies in Romania.

Agents are required to register with the National Trade Register Office or to operate under an authorised real estate company. Voluntary membership of professional associations such as APAIR (Asociația Profesională a Agenților Imobiliari din România) can serve as a useful credibility indicator. APAIR’s website at apair.ro sets out its membership criteria and professional code, and buyers can use it to identify agents who have voluntarily committed to defined standards of conduct.

The Romanian Association of Real Estate Agencies (ARAI) maintains its own Code of Ethics along with an internal complaints process, enforcement of which falls to the ARAI board. ARAI does not act as a statutory regulator, but membership nonetheless signals a degree of professional accountability. Information about ARAI is available at arai.ro.

A legislative proposal to formally regulate real estate brokerage as a profession has been submitted to the Romanian Chamber of Deputies and is also registered with the Senate for debate. If enacted, the reforms would bring substantial changes to how the sector operates. Among the key provisions being proposed is the creation of a National Electronic Register of Real Estate Agents (RENII), which would serve as a public record in which all practising agents would be obliged to register. Agents would also be required to complete 180 hours of professional training, with a certificate renewable every three years.

Because the regulatory picture may shift, buyers should confirm the current legal requirements directly with APAIR or ARAI, or through a qualified Romanian lawyer, rather than relying solely on this article for an accurate picture of the present position.

How much do estate agents charge in Romania, and who pays the fees?

Estate agent commissions in Romania are generally negotiable and typically fall in the range of 2% to 3%, with the seller usually bearing the cost — though this varies depending on the specific arrangement. Some agencies do charge both buyer and seller, so it is essential that buyers clarify and document the fee structure before proceeding. Optional but widely recommended costs include independent legal representation (typically 1–2% of property value) and agent commissions of 2–5% plus 19% VAT. As of 2025, always confirm prevailing rates directly with agents, since figures differ between firms and are subject to change.

Because a dual-commission model is practised by a portion of the market, buyers may in some cases be charged a commission of around 2–3% of the transaction value in addition to any fee borne by the seller. Where both parties are charged, the combined agency cost across the transaction could reach 4–6% of the purchase price, though this remains subject to negotiation in each individual case.

Payment typically falls due once the transaction has been completed and signed. There are no statutory restrictions on the level of remuneration, meaning fees are determined entirely by private contract between agent and client. Unlike jurisdictions where professional regulators or legislation impose maximum commission rates, Romanian law sets no ceiling on what an agent may charge. Commission rates of 2–3% plus VAT per side — whether buyer or seller — are commonly cited by local brokers and market-focused guidance.

Reductions may be achievable through negotiation, influenced by factors such as the overall transaction value, the length of the engagement, and the size of any advance payment. Always request a written agency agreement at the outset and ensure it sets out the commission rate, who is liable for payment, and when that payment becomes due. No official government portal publishes standard fee guidance for this sector, so consulting ARAI or a local property lawyer is the most reliable way to obtain current information.

Where else can buyers find properties for sale in Romania, apart from estate agents?

Romania’s online property market is well-developed, and conducting an independent search from overseas is entirely practical. The following channels are among the most valuable for international buyers:

• Imobiliare.ro — imobiliare.ro is Romania’s largest dedicated property portal, carrying hundreds of thousands of listings from both agents and private sellers across the entire country. The site covers apartments, houses, land, and commercial property, with Romanian-language search filters. Most listings include photographs and floor plans, making the platform well-suited to remote property searches.
• Storia.ro — storia.ro is another prominent Romanian property listing platform, part of the OLX Group, and is extensively used by both agents and private vendors. It features a clear search interface and covers all regions of Romania.
• OLX Romania — olx.ro is a general classifieds site with a substantial real estate section that includes a large number of private-seller listings not typically found on agency-focused portals, making it particularly useful for identifying direct-from-owner opportunities.
• Anuntul.ro and Publi24.ro — These classifieds platforms carry property listings and are especially active for rural areas and smaller towns. Both are primarily in Romanian but can be navigated with browser translation tools.
• ANCPI Land Registry Portal — The National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration (ANCPI) provides public access to Romania’s Land Book (Carte Funciară) via its portal at epay.ancpi.ro. The Land Book is the authoritative register for verifying title and ownership. The key document is a current Land Book extract (extras de carte funciară), which shows the registered owner, the cadastral number, and any encumbrances such as mortgages or easements. This is not a listings tool, but it is indispensable for due diligence once a property has been identified.
• Developer direct sales — New-build developments in cities such as Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Brașov are frequently sold directly by developers without the involvement of an agent. Most developers operate their own websites and sales offices. Searching for “dezvoltator imobiliar” (property developer) together with a city name will surface relevant developer sites.
• Expat forums and community networks — Online communities including Expat.com Romania forums and Facebook groups for expatriates in Romania (search terms such as “expats in Bucharest” or “living in Romania” are helpful) are active sources of personal recommendations for both agents and available properties. Given that a significant proportion of Romanian property transactions occur through personal networks rather than public listings, these communities can offer genuine practical value.
• Auction properties — Properties sold through judicial auction — typically following court-enforced sales arising from loan defaults — are advertised through the bailiff (executor judecătoresc) system and official court bulletins. While they can represent value opportunities, they carry particular legal complexity, and navigating this process without Romanian-language support and qualified local legal advice is not recommended for first-time buyers.

Is using a buyer’s agent common practice when purchasing property in Romania?

There is no specific licensing category for buyer’s agents in Romania, and many professionals operating in this space draw on backgrounds in real estate and deep local market knowledge. Dedicated buyer-side representation — where a professional acts exclusively in the purchaser’s interests throughout the search and negotiation process — is not yet a clearly defined or mainstream service category in Romania in the way it is in markets such as Australia or the United States, where buyer’s agents hold distinct licences and are formally distinguished from seller’s agents.

In practice, certain agents and bilingual consultants do offer buyer-focused services, especially in Bucharest and other larger cities where demand from international purchasers is concentrated. These services typically cover property sourcing, shortlisting candidates, accompanying clients on viewings, negotiating with vendors, and coordinating with notaries and lawyers throughout the process. Fees for this kind of engagement are negotiated individually between the buyer and the consultant. A buyer’s agent with strong local knowledge can provide valuable perspective on market conditions, assist in navigating legal requirements, and offer support at every stage of the purchase.

Where a dedicated buyer’s agent is not engaged, many foreign purchasers instead rely on a Romanian property lawyer to fulfil a comparable protective function. The distinction is important: a notary acts as a public official whose role is to authenticate the transaction and ensure that legal formalities have been observed — but the notary does not act for either party’s individual interests. A lawyer, by contrast, works exclusively on your behalf and is positioned to identify issues that fall outside the notary’s remit. For most international buyers, retaining a qualified Romanian property lawyer represents a more established and readily accessible alternative to a formal buyer’s agent arrangement. As of 2025, fees for comprehensive transaction support from a lawyer typically range from 1–2% of the property value; confirm current figures directly with any lawyer you consult.

Are there organisations in Romania that support or represent foreign property buyers?

No single dedicated government authority or consumer protection body exists in Romania with the sole purpose of assisting overseas nationals buying property. However, a number of organisations and official institutions provide relevant support and information:

• ANCPI – National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration (Agenția Națională de Cadastru și Publicitate Imobiliară) — ancpi.ro — The official body responsible for administering Romania’s Land Book system. ANCPI does not provide advice to individual buyers, but its online portal is the essential tool for verifying property ownership and checking for registered encumbrances. Registration matters are handled at county-level offices.
• UNNPR – National Union of Notaries Public of Romania (Uniunea Națională a Notarilor Publici din România) — unnpr.ro — The professional body for Romanian notaries. Since all property transactions must be authenticated by a notary, UNNPR’s website is useful for locating a registered notary public in any county. Official fee schedules are also published here.
• UNBR – National Union of Romanian Bar Associations (Uniunea Națională a Barourilor din România) — unbr.ro — The governing body for the Romanian legal profession. Buyers can use this resource to search for and verify the credentials of a licensed Romanian lawyer with experience in property transactions.
• ANPC – National Authority for Consumer Protection (Autoritatea Națională pentru Protecția Consumatorilor) — anpc.ro — Romania’s consumer protection authority. While its primary focus is on commercial consumer disputes more broadly, ANPC can be a point of contact for buyers who believe they have been subjected to unfair commercial practices by a real estate agency.
• APAIR – Professional Association of Real Estate Agents in Romania — apair.ro — A voluntary professional body for agents. Buyers can consult its membership directory to identify agents who have subscribed to a professional code of conduct.
• Foreign Investors Council (FIC) — fic.ro — An organisation that brings together foreign investors active in Romania. Its scope extends well beyond real estate, but it offers a platform for networking and information exchange among overseas investors operating in the country.

Buyers from particular countries may also find bilateral chambers of commerce helpful for obtaining referrals to bilingual lawyers and advisers with cross-border transaction experience — for example, the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania or the British-Romanian Chamber of Commerce.

What other steps or considerations should foreign buyers be aware of when searching for property in Romania?

Foreign ownership rules

As of early 2026, foreign nationals may hold 100% sole ownership of apartments and buildings in their own name in Romania, with the property registered directly in Romania’s Land Book, without any requirement for a local partner or nominee arrangement. Foreigners are able to register apartments, condominiums, houses (as buildings), commercial properties, and industrial buildings fully under their own name.

As of early 2026, freehold ownership of apartments and buildings is fully open to foreign nationals in Romania, while freehold ownership of land is available to EU/EEA citizens but is subject to restrictions for non-EU citizens unless specific legal conditions are satisfied. The principal legislation governing this area is Law 312/2005 on the acquisition of land by foreign citizens. As of early 2026, non-EU citizens generally cannot own land in Romania in their personal name, because Law 312/2005 restricts such ownership unless a specific reciprocity agreement between Romania and the buyer’s country is in place.

A Romanian-registered company wholly owned by foreign shareholders can legally acquire both buildings and land in Romania, which is why this structure is a common solution for non-EU buyers wishing to purchase a house with a land plot. This structure — typically an SRL, broadly comparable to a UK limited company or a US LLC — is particularly popular for house purchases where direct land ownership by a non-EU individual is precluded under Romanian law.

The step-by-step buying process

1. Define your search criteria and budget — Determine whether you are looking for an apartment, a house, or land, and establish your overall budget, factoring in transaction costs of approximately 5–7% above the purchase price.
2. Search and shortlist properties — Use the portals described above (Imobiliare.ro, Storia.ro, OLX.ro) and/or engage a local estate agent or buyer’s consultant to identify suitable options.
3. Engage a Romanian property lawyer — Do this before signing any document. Ensure that the lawyer’s scope of work explicitly covers reviewing the Land Book extract, checking for any registered encumbrances, verifying permits for new-build properties, and reviewing all contractual terms before you commit to anything.
4. Obtain a Land Book extract — One of the most consequential mistakes foreign buyers make is paying a deposit or executing a preliminary agreement before obtaining a current Land Book extract to confirm who legally owns the property and what burdens, if any, are registered against it. Skipping this step risks discovering after payment that there is a mortgage, a legal seizure, or an ownership dispute attached to the property.
5. Sign a preliminary contract (Antecontract) — The process typically begins with a preliminary contract setting out the core terms of the sale, including the purchase price, a description of the property, and any conditions agreed between the parties. This contract does not require notarisation but usually involves the payment of a deposit.
6. Obtain a Romanian tax identification number (NIF) — To complete the registration process, a foreign buyer generally needs a valid passport, a Romanian tax identification number (NIF), a notarised sale-purchase agreement authenticated by a Romanian notary, and payment of the applicable registration fees and transfer taxes.
7. Sign the final deed before a notary — Notarial involvement is effectively mandatory in Romanian property transactions because the sale-purchase deed must be notarised in order to be valid and capable of registration in the Land Book. The notary authenticates the transaction, collects applicable taxes, and submits the ownership transfer to ANCPI.
8. Complete Land Book registration — Once the deed has been notarised, the notary files the registration with ANCPI. Following completion of the purchase, the new owner must notify local authorities of the change of ownership within 30 days.

The notary’s role — and its limits

A notary in Romania occupies an official statutory function in finalising all real estate transactions. Notaries authenticate the sale-purchase agreement, verify the identities of the parties involved, and coordinate the registration process with the Land Registry. However, the notary’s role is primarily administrative in character — ensuring that legal formalities are observed — rather than advisory or representative. The notary does not act in the interests of either buyer or seller, which is precisely why independent legal representation for the buyer is so strongly recommended.

Language and translation

Having all legal documentation translated into the buyer’s own language is an important step in ensuring full comprehension of the terms and conditions being agreed to. Notarial deeds are drawn up in Romanian, and while bilingual notaries and agents can be found in major cities, buyers who are relying on translated documents should always have those translations reviewed by their own lawyer prior to signing anything. Browser-based translation tools can be helpful for initial research, but they must never be treated as reliable for legal documents.

Restitution claims — a Romania-specific risk

Buyers should investigate whether any claim under Romania’s special restitution laws has been lodged in connection with a property before proceeding with its acquisition. Romania has a complex legal history involving properties that were nationalised under communist rule, and some remain subject to unresolved restitution claims. This is a risk factor that does not arise in most Western European property markets and further underlines the value of thorough due diligence conducted through a qualified local lawyer.

Remote buying

It is entirely possible to complete the entire Romanian property purchase process from abroad by granting power of attorney to a qualified Romanian lawyer or notary. Buyers purchasing remotely must execute a notarised power of attorney that specifically authorises their representative to sign all purchase documents, manage relevant banking transactions, and carry the process through to completion. This power of attorney must be properly apostilled or legalised in the buyer’s country of residence before it can be used in Romania.

Frequently asked questions

Can I search for property in Romania entirely from abroad, without visiting in person?

All dealings with the Land Registry, tax authorities, and other relevant institutions are handled by your appointed lawyer or notary. A large number of overseas investors successfully complete Romanian property purchases without ever travelling to the country, though having a reliable and properly qualified local representative is absolutely essential. You will need to grant a notarised and apostilled power of attorney to your representative before they can execute any documents on your behalf.

Do I need a Romanian bank account before I can buy property?

Opening a local bank account is often the administrative step most likely to cause delays for buyers without Romanian residency. While it is not a strict legal requirement for executing a purchase agreement, transaction funds are typically channelled through a Romanian bank account, and any mortgage lender will require one. Setting up an account in advance is therefore strongly advisable. Certain banks permit non-resident account openings conducted remotely through a duly appointed representative.

What happens if the seller withdraws after I have signed a preliminary contract?

Under Romanian civil law, a seller who withdraws from a properly executed preliminary contract (antecontract) is typically required to return the deposit (arvuna) to the buyer — in many cases doubled as a contractual penalty — depending on how the agreement has been drafted. The precise remedy available will depend on the specific terms agreed in the contract, which is one of the key reasons why having a lawyer review the preliminary agreement before any deposit is paid is so important.

Are there restrictions on buying agricultural land in Romania?

Agricultural land acquisitions require careful attention to pre-emption rights compliance, and buyers may need to demonstrate farming activity or provide a business justification. EU/EEA citizens may purchase agricultural land on the same basis as Romanian nationals, but non-EU citizens face substantial restrictions. The ongoing process of restituting properties nationalised during the communist period adds further legal complexity to agricultural land transactions in Romania. Specialist legal advice should always be sought before pursuing any agricultural land purchase.

Is a survey or property inspection required before buying?

Although no survey or structural inspection is required by Romanian law, thorough due diligence is strongly recommended. This typically involves engaging professionals such as a property lawyer and, depending on the condition of the property, may also require input from an independent engineer or surveyor. Unlike in several other countries, Romania has no standardised homebuyer survey product, meaning buyers generally need to commission bespoke structural assessments, particularly for older buildings.

Can I get a mortgage in Romania as a foreign buyer?

Foreign buyers can secure mortgage financing from Romanian banks, although non-EU citizens typically face more demanding requirements and will need to provide additional documentation. Standard mortgage conditions include a down payment of 15–25%, evidence of income covering at least the last six months, a current employment contract, and a debt-to-income ratio below 40–50%. As of mid-2025, annual mortgage interest rates for foreign buyers range from 6.5% to 8.5%. Romanian banks typically lend up to 75–85% of property value for EU citizens and 60–75% for non-EU citizens, with repayment terms extending to up to 30 years. Always verify current rates with individual banks before making any financial assumptions.

How do I verify that a property agent I find online is legitimate?

Because Romania has not yet introduced a mandatory national agent register, formal verification options are limited. The most practical approach is to check whether the agent or agency holds membership with APAIR (apair.ro) or ARAI (arai.ro); confirm that the agency is registered with the National Trade Register Office; request references from previous international clients; and cross-check the agent’s details on established platforms such as Imobiliare.ro, which applies its own vetting standards to partner agencies. A Romanian property lawyer can also provide a view on the reputation and standing of any specific agent.

What taxes should I budget for when buying property in Romania?

As of early 2026, buyers should allow for closing costs of approximately 2–2.5% of the purchase price, excluding any estate agent commission. The principal cost categories are notary fees (typically 0.5–1.5% of the purchase price), Land Book registration fees (usually a few hundred euros), document verification charges, and independent legal review which, while optional, is strongly recommended and typically costs around €200–500. Ongoing property ownership also incurs an annual tax of 0.08–0.2% of the cadastral value. Always confirm current figures with your notary and lawyer at the time of the transaction, as rates are subject to change through legislation.