CBRE Romania: brownfield assets gain momentum in Romania

Over the past few years, CBRE Romania's Industrial & Logistics team has established itself as one of the leading advisors in the brownfield assets segment, coordinating transactions with a cumulative value exceeding EUR 90 million.

Brownfield assets - former industrial platforms with redevelopment potential - have become one of the most sought-after property categories in Romania's industrial and logistics real estate market. The shortage of well-located land and the growing need for companies to expand quickly have turned these properties into an attractive alternative to greenfield developments, thanks to their existing infrastructure, utility connections and strategic locations in established industrial areas.

CBRE Romania's results reflect a combination of technical expertise, in-depth knowledge of the local market and the team's ability to coordinate complex transaction processes involving multiple stakeholders.

"In a brownfield project, you are not simply trading a piece of land or an industrial facility. Every property has its own context and requires a strategy tailored both to the characteristics of the asset and to the profile of the investors it is intended for," explains Daniel Cateliu, Director, Industrial & Logistics, CBRE Romania.

Landmark transactions

Among other projects, Daniel Cateliu led the sale process of the former CUG industrial platform in Cluj-Napoca - a transaction valued at more than EUR 20 million, one of the most complex deals in CBRE's recent portfolio due to the property's size (32 hectares) and the wide range of development scenarios evaluated -, as well as the sale of the former Habitex industrial platform in Baia Mare.

The expertise of the CBRE Romania team has also played a key role in other landmark transactions on the local market. Mădălin Aresmeritoaie, CBRE's expert for Romania's western region, led the sale of the former Dalli industrial platform in Timișoara, valued at approximately EUR 10 million, as well as the transaction involving the Casa Rusu property, also located in Timișoara.

Laura Dumea-Bencze, from the Investment department, contributed her specialized expertise to transactions such as the sale of the former Lufkin industrial platform in Ploiești and the Armonia Arad platform, which was subsequently redeveloped into the Oresa Arad Industrial Park.

For the CUG Cluj-Napoca project, Mihai Pătrulescu, Head of Investment Properties, worked alongside Daniel Cateliu, bringing together the expertise of CBRE Romania's Industrial & Logistics and Investment teams.

"There is no one-size-fits-all solution in projects like these. Our role is to build a process that enables the owner to make the best decision, not simply the fastest one," adds Daniel Cateliu.

The team's recent portfolio also includes transactions such as Adient Pitești and the Hengst manufacturing facility in Balș, reinforcing CBRE's active presence across Romania's key industrial regions.

Brownfield transactions - A growing market segment

Today, CBRE Romania's Industrial & Logistics team manages seven active projects across the counties of Mehedinți, Caraș-Severin, Timiș, Brașov, Teleorman and Argeș, representing approximately 272,000 sqm of industrial and logistics space.

In a market that continues to mature, the experience gained through brownfield transactions remains one of the team's strongest competitive advantages.