Overview

• Official data show the house price index up 3.2% from a year earlier and 1.1% from the prior quarter in Q2, confirming a third consecutive year-over-year increase.
• Condominium prices rose across all regions, while prices for single- and two-family houses increased in most areas but edged down 0.2% in the seven largest cities.
• Regional patterns diverged: condos gained 5.0% in other large cities, 3.6% in rural districts, and 2.4% in the top‑seven metros; house prices rose 3.9% in other large cities and 2.8% in rural areas.
• New-lease rents continued to climb, with the IVD reporting roughly 3–4% increases for existing units and 3.5–4.5% for new builds, and a widening gap between existing and new-contract rents.
• Construction lags and policy responses frame the backdrop, with only 251,900 dwellings completed in 2024, a government push for a faster approval ‘Bau‑Turbo,’ housing loans up 17% to €70.1 billion in H1, and typical 10‑year rates near 3.7%.