The April housing market showed a notable improvement, with sales rising by 11.9 percent compared with the same month in the previous year. In that April, demand reached a total of 47,349 transactions, marking one of the strongest April performances in years. Statistics released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Monday highlight this as a peak during April since 2008, when sales exceeded 54,800. This pattern signals sustained interest from buyers and a steady pace in property movement as the spring season typically drives higher activity.
When examining the monthly trajectory, the year-over-year gain in April sits alongside a still-positive, though more modest, month-to-month improvement. After March posted a robust 25.6 percent increase year over year, April’s growth moderated by more than 13 percentage points. Nevertheless, sales remained in a rising streak for fourteen consecutive months, underscoring persistent market momentum and price stability across a broad mix of properties.
The annual rise in April’s home sales reflects gains on both new construction and existing inventory. New housing transactions increased by 3.4 percent, reaching 8,788 operations. At the same time, second-hand apartment sales rose by 14 percent, totaling 38,561 transactions. This balanced growth across new and resale segments indicates growing buyer confidence as both developers and homeowners respond to favorable financing conditions and continued demand for housing options.
In April, affordable housing options represented a large share of the market. About 92.4 percent of the houses transferred through sale were available without restrictions, while 7.6 percent were identified as protected or subsidized housing options. This distribution highlights the market’s overall accessibility for buyers seeking different financing routes and ownership paths.
Free housing transactions climbed 12.8 percent year over year in April, reaching 43,731 operations. Protected or subsidized transactions increased slightly, by 1.3 percent, to a total of 3,618 operations. The mix suggests continued support for affordable programs, alongside healthy growth in free-market activity as buyers and sellers adapt to shifting mortgage rates and lending criteria.
According to INE, seven of the ten housing sales recorded in April involved transactions between private individuals rather than institutional buyers, illustrating the prevalence of direct owner-to-buyer transfers in the market and highlighting a preference among families and individuals for personal negotiations and flexible financing arrangements.
On a monthly basis from April to March, overall home sales declined by 20.1 percent. This drop marks the largest April-month decline since 2020, when the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted many markets. The dip may reflect seasonal adjustments after a very strong March, as well as shifting lending conditions and consumer caution during transitional periods of the year.
Note: Housing activity continues to show resilience, driven by a mix of affordable options, favorable financing, and steady demand for living spaces. The April data also set the stage for a broader view: the first four months of the year collectively recorded a 23.1 percent rise in home sales, with second-hand houses up 26.3 percent and new houses up 11.5 percent, signaling robust growth across market segments and sustained buyer interest into the spring season.
Across the year-to-date period, the housing market demonstrates a pattern of strengthening activity supported by diverse property types and financing possibilities. The combined effect of these factors points toward a continued upward trend in sales, even as monthly fluctuations occur and market conditions evolve with policy changes, interest rate adjustments, and regional variation in demand.