Dutch housing prices still increasing; 7.7% higher in March

The average selling price of existing owner-occupied homes in the Netherlands amounted to 302,845 euors in March. That is 7.7 percent higher than in March 2018, and the highest level in Dutch history, Statistics Netherlands and the Land Registry reported on Tuesday.

Compared to the low point on the housing market in June 2013, prices for existing owner-occupied homes were 36.1 percent higher in March. Home prices have been climbing consistently ever since the low point on the market. In May 2018, prices for the first time reached above the record level in August 2008.

Flevoland saw the highest increase in the price for existing owner-occupied homes. In the first quarter of this year, prices in Flevoland were 11 percent higher than the same quarter last year. This is the fourth consecutive quarter that Flevoland saw the highest price increase of the Dutch provinces.

In nine of the 12 Dutch provinces, price increases are leveling off. Only Zeeland, Drenthe and Utrecht saw higher price increases in the first quarter of 2019 than in the last quarter of 2018.

Price increases for existing owner-occupied homes in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague were also smaller in the first quarter than in previous quarters. Only in Utrecht was the price increase slightly higher than in Q4 2018. Rotterdam recorded the largest price increase of the four large cities with 12.1 percent. Amsterdam saw the smallest increase at 9.2 percent.

In March a total of 16,836 homes changed ownership. In the first quarter 47,431 homes were sold. That is a decrease of 9 percent compared to the same period in 2018.