The company analyzed data based on 330,000 phone inquiries registered in recent weeks, revealing clear trends in what types and sizes of homes are drawing the most attention across different types of municipalities.

“Demand began to pick up noticeably in the days following the announcement of the Home Start Program, and it has continued to strengthen over the past few weeks. Between July 28 and August 3, demand for used apartments and houses for sale was 54% higher than at the end of June — before the 3% loan program was announced,” said László Balogh, lead economic expert at ingatlan.com.

“This indicates that learning about the program’s possibilities triggered an immediate reaction from potential buyers, especially those planning to take advantage of the subsidized housing loan starting in September.”

A Studio Flat Boom in Big Cities

According to ingatlan.com’s data, the strongest interest in Budapest is focused on apartments between 40 and 80 square meters and studio flats under 40 sqm. During the last week of July, demand for these types of homes rose 65% compared to the pre-announcement level — far exceeding the national average.

A similar trend is playing out in county-ranked cities, where inquiries for used apartments rose 67%. Within that, interest in studio apartments jumped 68%, while demand for 40–79 sqm homes grew 66%.

In smaller towns, it’s not just apartments seeing a boom — homes with gardens are gaining traction, too. In the final week of July, interest in houses measuring 80–120 sqm increased by 59% over pre-announcement levels, outpacing the average 55% growth in demand for homes overall. In villages, this same size range of house led the way, with demand 45% above end-of-June levels.

According to Balogh, overall demand for used homes and apartments for sale grew 54% from early July to early August.

“This growth was largely driven by used apartments between 40 and 79 sqm and studios under 40 square meters for sale in Budapest and larger cities, which saw a 65–68% increase in phone inquiries,” he said.

“These are the locations and property types that may become top targets for first-time buyers starting in September, as acquiring a first home has been particularly challenging for young people in larger municipalities.”

 

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