The market in official numbers
The definitive measure is the CBS/Kadaster price index for existing owner-occupied homes (PBK) — quality-adjusted and built from every registered transaction. It reports monthly, which makes the Netherlands unusually easy to track.
| Indicator | Latest reading |
| Price index, year on year (May 2026) | +4.4% — cooling monthly: Jan +5.4%, Feb +5.4%, Mar +5.0%, May +4.4% |
| Average transaction price, May 2026 | €487,383 (≈ $570,000). CBS warns the average is not quality-corrected — use the index for trends |
| 2025 full-year average | €480,000 — up €29,000 on 2024 |
| NVM agent data, Q1 2026 | Average sale €485,000, −2.7% q/q; ~34,600 sales via NVM agents (−27% q/q); more supply, less overbidding — "coming into balance" |
Frame 2026 as the year the heat came off — not a crash. The official index is still positive everywhere; it's the speed that's fading, and the agent data shows negotiating room returning.
Prices area by area
Unlike France or Germany, the Netherlands publishes official average transaction prices per municipality. These are full-year 2025 figures — actual sold prices from the land registry, not asking prices.
| City | Average sold price, 2025 | ≈ USD* | vs national €480,000 | Figure type |
| Amsterdam | €631,000 | $738,000 | +31% | OFFICIAL — CBS/Kadaster |
| Utrecht | €549,000 | $642,000 | +14% | OFFICIAL — CBS/Kadaster |
| Eindhoven | €469,870 | $550,000 | −2% | OFFICIAL — CBS/Kadaster |
| The Hague | €465,000 | $544,000 | −3% | OFFICIAL — CBS/Kadaster |
| Rotterdam | €415,000 | $486,000 | −14% | OFFICIAL — CBS/Kadaster |
| Groningen (city) | €396,626 | $464,000 | −17% | OFFICIAL — CBS/Kadaster |
*At €1 = $1.17 (8 July 2026). Source: CBS/Kadaster municipal averages, full-year 2025 (the latest full year available at municipal level).
More current colour on Amsterdam, from agent data (Q1 2026, MVA/NVM — AGENT data, not the official index): median transaction €562,000, or €8,344/m² (+1.8% y/y per m²), with the average price down 6% on the quarter. Amsterdam is now the country's weakest market; Rabobank projects roughly +1% for Amsterdam in 2026 against ~+6% for parts of Groningen. The extremes nationally (2025, official): cheapest municipalities Kerkrade (€270,000), Heerlen (€284,000) and Pekela (€288,000); dearest, Blaricum (€1.1m) and Bloemendaal (€1.0m).
Where our numbers come from
- CBS/Kadaster — the official monthly price index (PBK) plus average transaction prices, national and per municipality. The benchmark.
- Kadaster — the land registry itself; records every sale, publishes monthly counts and quarterly analyses.
- NVM — the estate-agent association (~70% of transactions); its quarterly reports land about five weeks before CBS confirms the trend. Q2 2026 figures are due mid-July.
- Funda — the dominant listing portal (NVM-owned); where you'll actually browse. Publishes search-behaviour insights, not a price index.
- Pararius — the main free-sector rental portal; quarterly rent report for new contracts.
The honesty note: Funda asking prices are a starting point for negotiation in both directions — in the Randstad, homes have routinely sold above asking, though NVM reports overbidding easing through 2026. Rely on the CBS index for trends and sold-price data for values, not the listing figure.
What to watch
The 8% transfer-tax trap. From 1 January 2026, owner-occupiers pay 2% transfer tax, but investors, second homes and holiday homes pay 8% (cut from 10.4%). The trap for movers: buy a Dutch home you won't live in full-time — a pre-move base, a pied-à-terre — and you owe 8%, not 2%. On a €480,000 home that's a €28,800 difference. Plan your occupancy before you sign.
The rental market is shrinking under your feet. The Affordable Rent Act (Wet betaalbare huur, in force since July 2024) caps mid-segment rents about 21% below market on average — so landlords are selling: roughly 66,000 rental homes have been sold into the owner market in 21 months (Kadaster figures). Result: more apartments to buy, far fewer to rent, and free-sector rents on new contracts up 7.3% year on year (€21.12/m², Q1 2026; 42% of listings now above €2,000/month). Our standing "rent first" advice needs a Dutch asterisk: start the rental search early and budget high.
No permission problems — but no residency either. There are no nationality restrictions on buying; owning Dutch property confers no right to live in the country. Some municipalities apply self-occupancy rules (opkoopbescherming) on cheaper homes that restrict buy-to-let — check the municipality before buying to rent out.