From March 2022 through March of this year, the surge in new-construction housing was most pronounced in Omsk, where the number of available lots jumped by 87.6%, reaching 1,740 units during the period examined. This trend was reported by the federal real estate company Etazhi and cited by RBC, illustrating a broader shift in the Russian market and signaling how demand and supply dynamics can swing sharply in regional hubs. In a regional context, the growth in Omsk stood out even as Moscow continued to expand, underscoring a more dispersed pattern of housing activity across major cities.
In Moscow itself, 11 Russian cities outperformed the capital in terms of annual growth in housing supply in the primary market. The city still recorded a notable rise in supply, with volumes up 30.7% year over year to 57,249 units. However, Moscow’s position in national rankings shifted, with the city placing 13th in a realtor-compiled rating, suggesting that other markets were moving faster in building new inventory.
Beyond Moscow, several regional centers emerged as leaders in supply growth. Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, and Chelyabinsk were among the top five where new-build inventories expanded more rapidly than in the capital. For instance, Voronezh saw the number of apartments for sale in new developments rise to 5,790, up 83.9% from the previous period. This data points to a broader redistribution of construction activity, where regional markets gained momentum as developers pursued diverse geographic exposure and buyers sought more affordable options outside Moscow’s orbit.
Analysts, including Sergey Zaitsev, Sales Director at Floors, noted that the most vigorous supply growth occurred between April and June of the previous year, with monthly increases typically ranging from 6% to 8% in the national market for new-build apartments. Such momentum indicates sustained interest from both developers and buyers, and it aligns with broader trends in mortgage lending, construction timelines, and regional economic performance that influence how quickly new units can enter the market.
Historically, the time required to save enough to purchase a comfortable-class apartment in a new building has remained a critical measure of affordability. In Moscow, data from October to December 2022 showed an average savings horizon of about 6.5 years for a typical buyer, a figure that reflects the tension between income levels, credit access, and housing prices. While these numbers are national, they illuminate the ongoing affordability comparisons that buyers in large urban centers weigh against markets in other regions, including North American cities with comparable price dynamics.