Big changes are ahead for the Hungarian real estate market - Interview with Gábor Szarvas

In the coming years, the Hungarian real estate market will undergo major transformations. The driving force behind this is the new, stricter building energy efficiency regulation, which every EU member state must incorporate into its national legislation. The goal is ambitious: by 2050, all residential, public, and commercial buildings must achieve zero-emission operation, meaning they should no longer contribute to carbon dioxide emissions during either their construction or their operation.

This topic was discussed in an interview with Gábor Szarvas, President of HuGBC and Managing Director of Greenbors Consulting, published on Economx.

In practice, this means that:

• buildings must be highly energy-efficient,

• they cannot use fossil fuels (such as gas or oil heating),

• their energy supply must come primarily from renewable sources, especially solar energy,

• modern building automation systems will be required to ensure efficient operation,

• their entire lifecycle must be designed for a low carbon footprint – including construction materials and even potential demolition.

The regulation will be introduced gradually from 2026: first affecting public and commercial buildings, and by 2030, all new buildings will have to meet zero-emission standards. Owners of existing properties will also be required to prepare a renovation roadmap, outlining how they plan to reduce their buildings’ energy use and carbon footprint.

Although this will require significant investments, it also creates important opportunities. Energy-efficient, green-certified buildings already enjoy a competitive advantage in the market: they are cheaper to operate, more attractive to tenants and buyers, and they hold their value better over time. In contrast, properties that fail to meet the new requirements risk losing their market appeal.

The biggest challenges will be the modernization of heating systems and the installation of solar panels, which may pose technical difficulties for older buildings. However, modern solutions – such as heat pumps and advanced building control systems – are becoming increasingly common, and in many cases, the investment can pay for itself within just a few years.

The coming years will therefore be about how governments, businesses, and private owners can gradually carry out the necessary upgrades. While the task is immense, the end result will be a more sustainable, cost-efficient, and competitive real estate market that will ultimately improve quality of life for everyone.

We would like to say thank you to Economx for this opportunity!

Read the whole interview on their website here: LINK

Photo: Economx / Hartl Nagy Tamás