Between April and June 2024, buyers in Russia showed a clear preference for compact new-build apartments. One- and two-room flats drew the highest interest, each capturing roughly a third of inquiries and making up 33.4% and 33.5% of requests respectively. Across the country, there were about 191 thousand new-build purchases in this period, a rise of around 35% compared with the same quarter a year earlier. The figures come from the press service of Yandex Real Estate through socialbites.ca.
Three-room apartments ranked third in popularity, drawing 15.6% of buyer interest over the six months. Studios accounted for 14.4% of views, while four-or-more-room apartments attracted 3.1%. On average, studio interest in Russia has eased slightly over the past six months. During January through March, studios represented 14.5% to 14.8% of user requests, slipping to 13.8% in June.
In Moscow, interest patterns diverged from the national trend. Two-room apartments attracted more views than one-room units, with 33.4% and 27.1% of users searching respectively. Three-room apartments also stood out in Moscow, comprising 18.4% of inquiries, higher than the national average. Multi-room units accounted for 6.9% of Moscow requests. Studios received comparable attention to the national figure, though the share in Moscow fell from 15.2% to 13.8% from January to June. Notably, studio buyers in the capital showed a stronger tendency to contact developers, and since March 2024 such requests grew more than two and a half times.
The popularity of two-room layouts in Moscow is explained partly by the prevalence of the Euro format in new projects. In practice, these are similar to one-room spaces, but the kitchen and living room are combined, while a separate living room is minimized. In many new developments, the traditional isolated kitchen layout is gradually disappearing. This shift underscores a broader city-wide trend toward flexible, open-plan living areas in modern housing.
During June in Moscow, buyers tended to view new buildings priced at 300,000 to 350,000 rubles per square meter most often, accounting for 29.9% of views. Interest also concentrated on plots priced between 350,000 and 400,000 rubles per square meter (20.1%), followed by 250,000 to 300,000 rubles per square meter (15.1%), and 500,000 rubles per square meter and above (14.8%). Across Russia excluding Moscow, the strongest demand in June appeared in the 120,000 to 140,000 rubles per square meter range (16.9%), with 90,000 to 120,000 rubles per square meter making up 14.4% and the 140,000 to 160,000 rubles per square meter bracket accounting for 13.2%. These numbers reflect a nuanced market where price sensitivity coexists with a preference for compact, efficient layouts in urban centers and a continued interest in value-priced suburban options.
Overall, the data illustrate a dynamic market where local preferences shape the demand for different apartment formats. While one- and two-room units have dominated activity countrywide, Moscow shows a slightly different rhythm, favoring two-room configurations and value-conscious price segments. This combination of format preference and price segmentation provides a snapshot of how buyers weigh space, layout, and affordability in the evolving Russian housing market.
These trends were reported by Yandex Real Estate’s press service and analyzed by socialbites.ca on the basis of transactions and user activity observed in the period. The findings reflect ongoing shifts in consumer tastes as new-build developments continue to influence how Russians choose their homes without relying on traditional layouts.