More than half of Poles planning to buy a home expect prices to continue rising, while 63% say that this concern—rather than a growing family or higher income—was the main factor prompting them to make a purchase.
At the same time, confidence in property developers has fallen to its lowest level since the Otodom and Kantar survey series began, while 72% of respondents now believe that poor-quality and overly intensive development practices—commonly described in Poland as patodeweloperka—are widespread.
The latest, fifth edition of the Real Estate Customer Sentiment Monitor, prepared by Otodom in cooperation with Kantar, is based on data collected monthly using the CAWI online survey method between July 2025 and June 2026. The study covered 2,604 respondents.
It presents a picture of a market increasingly driven by fear of further price rises, declining trust in property sellers and transaction intermediaries, and the growing importance of mortgage brokers.
Price expectations: 56% anticipate further increases
In the second quarter of 2026, 56% of respondents said they expected home prices to rise over the following 12 months. This was six percentage points more than a year earlier.
The proportion expecting prices to fall declined to 13%, from 19% a year earlier, while almost one-third of respondents anticipated no significant change.
Source: Real Estate Customer Sentiment Monitor, Kantar survey commissioned by Otodom, April 2025–June 2026.
Expectations of rising prices are broadly similar regardless of whether respondents are interested in the primary or secondary market. Price increases are expected by 50% of those considering newly built properties and 53% of those looking at existing homes.
More noticeable differences emerge between demographic groups. Women take a more cautious view of the market than men: 57% expect prices to increase, compared with 52% of male respondents.
The youngest age group, comprising people aged 18–34, is the most likely to anticipate further price rises, with 58% expecting homes to become more expensive.
Expert commentary
Maciej Kietliński, an economic expert at Otodom, notes that a year ago, when the interest-rate-cutting cycle was only beginning, there was considerable uncertainty about its potential effect on housing prices.
Today, the market appears increasingly convinced that lower interest rates will support further price growth, which is reflected in the rising percentage of respondents expecting increases.
Housing FOMO: 63% are buying because it feels like “now or never”
Expectations of rising prices are translating into actual purchasing decisions.
As many as 63% of respondents identified increasing prices and a sense that it was “now or never” as the main reason for buying a home.
This was by far the most frequently cited motivation, ahead of starting or expanding a family, mentioned by 33%; higher income or a promotion, at 26%; dissatisfaction with renting, at 25%; marriage or moving in with a partner, also at 25%; and participation in a government housing scheme such as the 2% Safe Mortgage programme or Housing for a Start, at 24%.
Source: Otodom BGR survey, CAWI, May 2026.
Interestingly, pressure to act does not necessarily result in rushed decisions.
According to the study, 58% of respondents needed at least seven months between deciding to buy a property and submitting a mortgage application. The largest group, representing 31% of respondents, took between seven and 12 months to complete this stage of the process.
Only 4% made the decision and completed the mortgage process in less than one month.
Confidence in developers falls to its lowest level on record
The overall perception of the property development industry has deteriorated significantly.
In the second quarter of 2026, only 14% of respondents assessed the work of property developers positively—the lowest result since the survey began.
The proportion expressing a negative opinion increased to 44%, eight percentage points more than a year earlier. For the first time in the survey’s history, negative responses became the largest category, overtaking neutral assessments.
Source: Real Estate Customer Sentiment Monitor, Kantar survey commissioned by Otodom, April 2025–June 2026.
At the same time, the belief that patodeweloperka—a Polish term referring to poor-quality, excessively dense or customer-unfriendly development—is widespread continues to grow.
In the second quarter of 2026, 72% of respondents agreed with this assessment, seven percentage points more than in the previous quarter and five points more than a year earlier.
72% believe poor development practices are widespread.
14% assess the property development sector positively.
44% assess the sector negatively.
However, the deterioration in the industry’s overall image is not fully reflected in assessments of specific aspects of developers’ work.
An analysis of nine detailed areas—including construction quality, materials, how well offers match customers’ needs, value for money and customer service—shows a much more stable picture.
None of these indicators declined by more than 0.1 points year on year, on a scale where average ratings ranged from 2.3 to 2.8.
“Customers continue to assess specific aspects of developers’ work in broadly the same way, but they are increasingly willing to identify with the broader media narrative surrounding patodeweloperka. This distinction between a detailed assessment and a label attached to the entire industry is something development companies should remember when planning their communications,” said Katarzyna Kuniewicz, Director of Market Research at Otodom.
Lower confidence has not, however, led to a complete withdrawal from the primary market.
The percentage of respondents interested in buying from a developer declined to 18%, from 21% a year earlier. Interest in the secondary market remained unchanged at 49%.
The group for whom the type of market does not matter increased the most, reaching 33%, three percentage points more than a year earlier.
Estate agents lose trust while mortgage brokers gain ground
A similar decline in confidence can be seen in attitudes toward estate agents, among both buyers and sellers.
In the second quarter of 2026, only 26% of people planning to buy a property considered an estate agent helpful and worth the cost. This was six percentage points less than a year earlier.
Among sellers, the decline was even more pronounced, from 34% to 27%, representing a fall of seven percentage points year on year.
Source: Real Estate Customer Sentiment Monitor, Kantar survey commissioned by Otodom, April 2025–June 2026.
The largest group among both buyers and sellers now consists of people who see no value in the service provided by an estate agent. This view is shared by 38% of buyers and 36% of sellers.
The proportion believing that an agent speeds up the transaction process remains stable at approximately 18–20%. This suggests that the primary concern is not the speed of service but the perceived relationship between its quality and cost.
Mortgage brokers, assessed in the study for the first time, are viewed differently.
Almost half of respondents, or 47%, used a broker when obtaining a mortgage, while 49% completed the process independently, without the assistance of a broker or adviser.
69% value a broker’s help with formalities and documentation.
62% say a broker makes the process less stressful.
50% found an offer through a broker that they would not have discovered independently.
Distrust toward mortgage brokers focuses mainly on suspicions that they may favour banks offering higher commissions, cited by 30% of respondents, and doubts over whether they genuinely act in the customer’s best interests, mentioned by 41%.
Home prices in Poland’s seven largest cities are rising faster in the primary market
Otodom’s transaction data confirm that the price pressure identified by respondents is also visible in actual market figures.
The average price per square metre in the primary market across Poland’s seven largest cities increased to PLN 16,048 in the second quarter of 2026, representing annual growth of 7%.
Prices in the secondary market rose more slowly, reaching PLN 15,531 per square metre, an increase of 3% year on year.
| Period | Primary market | Secondary market |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2025 | PLN 14,940 | PLN 15,138 |
| Q3 2025 | PLN 15,201 | PLN 15,135 |
| Q4 2025 | PLN 15,404 | PLN 15,232 |
| Q1 2026 | PLN 15,652 | PLN 15,393 |
| Q2 2026 | PLN 16,048 | PLN 15,531 |
Source: Otodom’s own calculations.
Property as an investment: price and location still matter more than capital-growth potential
A total of 57% of respondents consider purchasing property in Poland to be a good investment.
However, this belief varies significantly depending on the type of market. Among those interested in newly built properties, 67% regard property as a good investment, compared with 54% of respondents focused on the secondary market.
Despite growing investment awareness, the declared motivations behind purchases remain primarily residential.
A total of 51% of respondents are buying a property for themselves, 16% intend to rent it out, 13% are purchasing for their children or parents, and only 7% describe their purchase as purely investment-driven.
Practical criteria also dominate when buyers choose a particular property.
Price, cited by 36% of respondents, and location, mentioned by 34%, together account for 70% of responses. They rank far ahead of finishing standards, at 10%; access to social infrastructure, at 11%; and investment potential, at 7%.
Conclusions for the property market
The fifth edition of the Real Estate Customer Sentiment Monitor presents a market increasingly driven by fear of further price rises rather than purely detached investment calculations.
At the same time, customers are becoming more sceptical of parties involved in property transactions, including developers and estate agents, while placing greater trust in the narrower and more specialised role of mortgage brokers.
For companies operating in the property sector, this suggests that reputational risk is increasingly being shaped by media narratives and the general perception of the industry rather than by measurable changes in the actual quality of services.
Survey methodology
The Real Estate Customer Sentiment Monitor is based on a study conducted by Kantar on behalf of Otodom using the CAWI online survey methodology.
Data were collected monthly between July 2025 and June 2026.
The survey is representative and involved 2,604 respondents aged between 18 and 65 who had sold, purchased or rented a house, apartment or plot of land during the previous 12 months, or who did not rule out doing so during the following 12 months.
Approximately 200 respondents participated in each monthly survey wave.
