Prices of existing owner-occupied homes fell month on month in August for the first time since December 2025. Compared to July, house prices dropped by 0.1 per cent, according to figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the Land Registry (Kadaster).
On an annual basis, property prices remained higher, with existing homes costing an average of 3.3 per cent more in August than in the same month last year. However, annual price growth has been slowing for some time, following flat month-on-month figures recorded in April.
The average purchase price for an existing home reached 503,523 euros in August. That is an increase of 17,333 euros from August 2025.
Fewer properties changed hands last month. The Land Registry registered 18,886 home sales in August, down nearly 3 per cent from a year earlier. Over the first eight months of 2026, total sales reached 156,028 homes, which remains more than 4 per cent higher than in the same period of 2025.
CBS Chief Economist Peter Hein van Mulligen expects the slowing price growth to persist for the time being. Higher interest rates have contributed to the trend by reducing borrowing capacity for prospective buyers.
The slowdown in price growth over recent months also stems from private landlords selling off rental properties due to stricter rental market regulations, which increased housing supply. Vastgoed Belang, the trade association for private landlords, warned last week in response to the national budget (Miljoenennota) that this selling trend is set to continue.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
