A recent survey explores who is currently the most active on the new-build housing market. With high mortgage costs and the absence of a government support programme for buyers, the market is increasingly dominated by investment and cash buyers. The survey also examines which types of projects are most frequently chosen by these investors. Additional insights and expert commentary on the topic can be found within the full text.
Tomasz Kaleta, managing director of sales and marketing at Develia
Despite high credit costs, we do not see any significant changes in the structure of apartment financing by buyers. As in previous years, when credit costs were lower and support programmes were available on the market, the share of credit customers remains at around 50% and is currently showing an upward trend. Such a high share of customers using loans is primarily due to the activity of people buying larger and more expensive properties, with a larger own contribution. On the other hand, young people planning to buy their first home are the group that makes their purchasing decisions most dependent on interest rate cuts.
In the case of cash customers, about half make purchases for investment purposes and the rest for residential purposes. Among investment customers, small properties in central locations continue to enjoy the greatest interest.
Agnieszka Majkusiak, Sales Director at Atal
Every cycle in the housing market has its own characteristic trends. Investment purchases were one of them, but their intensity has recently decreased. However, this does not mean that investors are not making any purchases at all. They are usually interested in flats in very good locations, i.e. city centres, which offer better prospects for both short- and long-term rentals.
The current calm on the market and the resulting wide choice of flats on offer from developers are encouraging people who do not need to take out a loan to make transactions. They often buy for their families, as a security for their children’s future or to improve their standard of living, using funds from the sale of other properties.
Barbara Marona, Sales Office Manager, Matexi Polska
Our residential offering is focused on the mid-range and upper mid-range segments, which traditionally attract customers with significant own funds. We have already noticed a high number of cash purchases or purchases made with minimal credit support. Currently, the sales structure remains stable, with a similar share of customers financing their purchases from both their own funds and with the help of loans. However, it is worth noting that we are seeing growing interest in credit purchases, which is related to the recent declines in WIBOR rates and forecasts of further reductions. We see potential for a gradual increase in the share of credit customers in the coming months.
Mariusz Gajżewski, Head of Sales, Marketing and Communication, BPI Real Estate Poland
In the current sales structure, we see a higher share of cash purchases, which is due, among other things, to the lack of government support in the form of a subsidy programme and the still relatively high cost of credit. Investment purchases are particularly visible in projects such as Czysta4 and Chmielna Duo, which, thanks to their central locations and high standard of finish, attract customers looking for a safe place to invest their capital. Investors in these projects also appreciate the environmentally friendly solutions and prestigious locations with good access to urban infrastructure.
Agnieszka Gajdzik-Wilgos, Sales Manager, Ronson Development
The current sales structure shows diverse customer attitudes. We note that some potential buyers are waiting for credit conditions to improve and are rationalising their purchasing decisions by choosing specific types of flats, often at the expense of larger floor space.
Customers prefer compact, well-designed properties that can be functionally adapted to changing needs. The flexibility of apartment layouts is key. The possibility of modification, e.g. separating the kitchen from the kitchenette or converting three-room apartments into four-room apartments, is important.
Last year, we already observed a growing trend of cash purchases of flats. Currently, more and more transactions are being carried out by foreign investors who make package purchases.
Michał Witkowski, Sales Director, Lokum Deweloper
Since the beginning of 2024, we have observed a clear dominance of customers buying flats for cash. Depending on the investment, their share reaches up to 90%. Investors looking for properties in our estates to build a portfolio of high-standard flats usually finance their purchases with their own funds. The conditions prevailing on the real estate market, i.e. high mortgage costs and the government’s lack of response to this situation, are hitting those planning to buy a home for their own use the hardest. However, they do not significantly affect our sales structure in the investment client segment.
The Lokum Porto estate is the most popular among investors. Its most important advantages are its excellent location in Wrocław’s Old Town, great transport links, high standard of construction and comprehensive nature. Residents have access to many amenities that significantly improve the comfort of everyday life, including underground and above-ground car parks, electric car charging stations, numerous bicycle racks, walking paths with ponds and places to relax, an outdoor gym and playgrounds. In the immediate vicinity, there are shops and service outlets, educational and medical facilities, and parks, and right next to the estate, there are recreational areas on the Oder River.
We are also noticing growing interest from investors in the Lokum la Vida development in Sołtysowice. They particularly appreciate the wide range of flats with varied sizes and layouts, from compact two-room flats to comfortable four-room flats, which are popular with families moving for work reasons. Another unquestionable advantage of the estate is its attractive location close to the city centre and green areas, as well as the extensive urban infrastructure in the vicinity and transport links to various parts of Wrocław.
Piotr Ludwiński, Sales Director at Archicom
Currently, cash buyers account for the majority of our sales. This is a trend that has been going on for a long time and is mainly due to the limited availability of mortgage loans and still relatively high interest rates. At the same time, we can see that thanks to our diversified offer and the availability of apartments with well-designed, compact floor plans, we are also able to effectively respond to the needs of customers financing their purchases with loans. Such flats, especially in popular locations, allow buyers with limited creditworthiness to enter the property market despite more difficult financing conditions. In the investment segment, flats in well-connected locations with access to services, public transport and green areas continue to enjoy the greatest interest. Thanks to their versatility and attractive location, these types of properties are a natural choice for investors looking for a safe capital investment.
Joanna Chojecka, Sales and Marketing Director for Warsaw and Wrocław at Robyg Group
The current situation on the housing market is characterised by a clear change in the structure of buyers, which is directly related to the high cost of mortgage loans and the end of the 2% Safe Credit programme. The lack of new forms of support, combined with economic uncertainty, has caused buyers to limit their activity, and cash capital dominates the market today. There is a clear increase in the share of cash purchases. Investment buyers constitute a significant part of the market. These are people who invest their surplus capital in real estate, treating investments as a form of protection against inflation and a way to generate passive income.
Damian Tomasik, President of the Management Board of Alter Investment
The current structure of apartment sales shows a clear shift in buyer preferences. On the one hand, we still have an active group of investment clients who operate mainly with cash and are looking for stable, well-located products with potential for value growth. On the other hand, individual clients are returning more and more clearly, buying for their own needs, especially in the single-family home segment.
Today, we are seeing a clear trend towards buying homes for personal use, both semi-detached and detached, especially in suburban locations with good transport links to city centres. Customers who were unable to finance their purchases a few months ago due to the cost of credit are starting to return to the market, which is directly linked to the announcement of interest rate cuts.
Investors remain very active, especially in the largest cities, where stable rental demand and property value growth are most predictable. It is on the land we own in such locations that we are seeing the greatest interest from developers, who know that the product built there will find a buyer. Today, the best and most ‘absorbent’ products on the market are 2-3 room flats in good locations, with good access to transport and services, as well as comfortable houses with larger plots of land outside the city, which offer space, privacy and a lifestyle increasingly sought after by young families.
Source: dompress.pl
Photo: Piekna Vita, Develia
