Skanska Residential Development Poland, in cooperation with the research company CBOS, has surveyed apartment buying plans among residents of the largest cities in Poland. It turns out that one in three potential buyers intends to purchase a residential unit within the next few months. The dominant group consists of women and young people, who are yet to reach their 30s. Seniors are marginally interested in buying as well.
In the second half of 2023, Skanska Housing Company asked residents of the 13 largest Polish cities about their apartment buying plans. Individuals who are planning to buy a residential unit within the next few months, as well as those actively searching for one but without a specific purchase deadline, shared their preferences. The survey also included respondents who had invested in an apartment between 2022 and 2023.
The survey revealed that 35.6% of respondents intend to buy an apartment by September 2024. Nearly 40% are actively searching for an apartment, but are not planning to make a definite purchase within the next year. The remaining 25% admitted that they have already managed to buy an apartment.
Women and younger people are the majority.
The research company also analysed potential buyers in terms of gender and age, showing that over 60% of them are women.
Karolina Guzik, the sales manager at Skanska Residential Development Poland, states: “The survey results confirm our team’s experiences. Although our sales offices are often visited by men, there is definitely an increase in women interested in buying a residential unit. Ladies are usually quite involved in searching for a family apartment. They often spend more time reviewing property offers, making inquiries, or arranging meetings with the developer, usually accompanied by their partner. Women also pay more attention to details, which men initially do not consider that important, but which play a significant role when the apartment is put into use, such as common parts or security issues in the housing estate. However, men usually become more involved in the later stages of the purchase process when technical issues take the spotlight.”
The majority of those interested in apartments are in the age group of 31-45 years (45.4%), whereas the second-largest group consists of people aged 18-30 years (32.1%). Respondents aged 46-60 form 17.8% of buyers, a mere 4.8% are people aged over 61. Buyers under 30 often search for modern apartments in central locations, emphasizing mobility and access to attractions. Middle-aged people and those over 60 prefer quiet neighbourhoods with green areas, and their key selection criteria are security and stability.
The survey shows that buyers from large cities are not decidedly set on purchasing an apartment from the primary or secondary market. Among individuals planning to buy a residential unit by this September, slightly more are interested in the primary market. 25.9% of this group finds it more attractive, while 20.5% lean towards the secondary market. Meanwhile, those actively looking but not planning to buy within this year, showed more interest in the secondary market – only 6% of respondents are willing to buy an apartment from the primary market.
When it comes to cities, the housing market is dominated by Warsaw and Krakow. Poznan, Wroclaw, Lodz and Gdansk were next in line as targeted places for apartment purchases, while Bydgoszcz, Gdynia and Czestochowa were at the bottom of the list.
The survey conducted by CBOS covered residents of Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, Lodz, Gdansk, Katowice, Bialystok, Szczecin, Lublin, Bydgoszcz, Gdynia, and Czestochowa.
