The capital's residential real estate market is undergoing a profound transformation. The number of offers on the secondary and primary markets is measured in thousands, but there is a catastrophic lack of real buyers. Analysts of the specialized portal Zagorodna.com note that the statements of some developers about the "acute shortage of apartments" in new buildings do not correspond to reality - the market lacks not the housing itself, but solvent customers.
Experts identify three key trends that today determine the logic of real estate purchase and sale transactions in Kyiv.
1. Real bargaining and hidden deals
Public prices in ads on aggregator sites have become purely nominal and hardly reflect the real value of market transactions. The vast majority of properties are ultimately sold at a discount during final negotiations.
Another important nuance: the most liquid and profitable options do not get into open advertising at all. Realtors close such deals within their own client bases or through acquaintances. At the same time, owners of multi-room apartments (three rooms and more) are increasingly removing objects from sale, since they are not ready to make concessions, and are taking a wait-and-see attitude.
2. Apartments with completed renovation are a priority
Before the war, buyers willingly chose housing "after the builders" (without decoration) or old Soviet stock in order to implement their own design project. Now the trend has turned 180 degrees: ready-made apartments with high-quality modern renovation and furniture are valued much higher.
The main reason is the critical increase in the cost of building materials, complicated logistics and an acute shortage of qualified craftsmen in Kyiv. Buyers are ready to put up with other people's interior solutions just to avoid the unpredictable repair process. According to realtors, an apartment without decoration can be on sale for months, while a renovated object finds a buyer in a matter of weeks.
3. Migration factor: empty apartments put pressure on the market
The balance of supply and demand continues to be influenced by Kyiv residents currently abroad. This category of owners has divided into two camps:
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First group: keeps the housing empty as a "backup airfield" in case of return - these apartments are temporarily preserved and do not go on the market.
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Another group: has finally decided to settle down in the EU and is putting her Kyiv apartments up for sale.
It is the second group that creates additional supply pressure in a market where there are already few buyers. As a result, sellers are forced to either significantly reduce the price or wait for their client for months.
What's happening in the rental segment
Some slowdown is also being recorded in the long-term rental segment. At the beginning of the summer, the declared median price of offers in the capital remained at the level 18 hryvnias per month. However, real contracts, according to real estate agents' observations, were concluded at an average rate of about 16 hryvniasThose landlords who abandon inflated expectations and compromise more quickly find tenants in the first few weeks.
Expert advice for market participants
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For sellers: Carefully study not only the prices in the ads, but also the real statistics of closed deals in your area. If the apartment is not renovated, it is worth setting a discount of at least 10–15% of the desired amount.
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For landlords: Flexibility in price during the negotiation stage significantly reduces the downtime of the home, which ultimately brings more losses than a small discount.
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To buyers: Don't limit yourself to classifieds sites. Maintain direct contact with professional realtors, because the most attractive properties in terms of price and quality often sell out before they are published online.
