Interest in newly built apartments reached a multi-year high at the beginning of 2026, while demand for used apartments fell significantly compared to the same period last year, real estate portal ingatlan.com told MTI on Wednesday.
The statement highlighted that the year started unevenly for the Hungarian housing market. During the first three weeks, the number of listings and demand both decreased year-on-year, as the market only reopened on January 5 following the two-week holiday shutdown.
However, between January 5 and 19, demand nearly returned to levels seen in previous years, although its composition changed. Interest in used apartments fell by 20% year-on-year, while phone inquiries about newly built apartments and houses reached a three-year high.
In this category, the share of inquiries rose above 3%, a level last seen in early 2022, according to the statement quoting László Balogh.
The lead economic expert at ingatlan.com noted that this indicates many buyers are waiting for newly built apartments to enter the market at a price of 1.5 million forints per square meter.
During the January 5–19 period, 4,600 apartment listings were posted, reaching a five-year high, but there were significant regional differences.
Fresh supply increased year-on-year by 48% in Csongrád-Csanád County, 25% in Győr-Moson-Sopron, 21% in Békés, 16% in Komárom-Esztergom, and 24% in Budapest. Meanwhile, Somogy, Veszprém, and Heves counties saw declines of 27–39%.
According to ingatlan.com experts, the dual trend seen at the start of the year may continue for the rest of 2026, as the housing market shifts its focus from used properties to newly built ones.
This could lead to an expansion of the supply of used apartments and houses for sale and a moderation of the previously observed rapid price increases.
(MTI)
