Flemish housing market stabilises after years of price volatility
2025 was "a boring real estate year" for Flanders, according to the latest study by real eal estate group ERA and the University of Antwerp. The Flemish property market has largely normalised after the overheating during the Covid-19 pandemic and the price correction in 2023 and 2024 caused by higher mortgage rates.
Prices of comparable houses in Flanders rose by an average of 3.7 per cent last year, while flats became 4.1 per cent more expensive. That is close to the long-term average of 3.3 per cent, and ERA CEO Johan Krijgsman expects a similar trend in 2026.
"This is good news for many Flemish people, because it shows that property remains a stable long-term investment in turbulent times," Krijgsman said on Tuesday.
Further signs of normalisation can be seen in market dynamics. There were fewer price negotiations than in 2024, as sellers increasingly accepted realistic asking prices, and houses spent slightly less time on the market, with an average of 111 days compared to 113 a year earlier. Flats, however, took somewhat longer to sell, averaging 139 days, up from 131 days in 2024.
In Brussels, flat prices rose by an average of 0.8 per cent last year, broadly in line with recent years. Selling times continued to increase, however, reaching a record average of 161 days, up 18 days compared with 2024. Krijgsman points to administrative inefficiencies, including long waiting times for mandatory documents and limited digitalisation.
Wallonia, meanwhile, saw a clear acceleration in its property market. Prices rose by an average of 5.7 per cent last year, compared with just 1.9 per cent in 2024. Krijgsman links this to a sharp reduction in registration duties, which has also made Wallonia more attractive to Flemish buyers living near the regional border. "They need less initial capital because of the lower registration duties," he said.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO AUDE VANLATHEM
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