Overview of Q3 Housing Market Trends
The Central Bank of Cyprus (Central Bank of Cyprus) has recorded a new rise in the House Price Index for the third quarter of 2025. This uptick highlights a dynamic market where apartment prices have accelerated while house prices demonstrate a notable slowdown. The overall picture is one of robust demand, a steady increase in supply, and continued credit expansion.
Differentiated Price Movements: Apartments Versus Houses
The House Price Index grew 5% year-over-year—up from 4.7% in the previous quarter—with a quarterly increase of 1.2% compared to 1.5% before. Detailed analysis reveals that apartment prices climbed by 1.7% quarter-over-quarter and 6.4% year-over-year, whereas house prices saw a modest rise of 0.4% quarterly and 2.6% annually. Regional variations further underscore market heterogeneity:
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- Limassol: 7.1% increase in the overall index.
- Larnaca: 7.3% increase.
- Paphos: 8.9% increase, though at a slower pace.
- Nicosia: A slight decline of 0.5%.
- Ammochostos: A decrease of 0.3%.
Notably, Nicosia has experienced its fourth consecutive annual decline in house prices (-2.7%), with Ammochostos also recording a drop (-1.6%). Conversely, apartment prices have risen in every region except Nicosia—with quarterly gains of 5% in Limassol, 9.6% in Larnaca, 10.5% in Paphos, and 5.9% in Ammochostos.
Demand Dynamics and the Role of Foreign Buyers
Data from the Department of Cadastre and Cadastral Measurement indicate that official property sale documents surged by 8.9% in the third quarter of 2025, rising from 4,081 to 4,444 transactions compared to the same period last year. Domestic buyer transactions increased by 8.6% while foreign buyer purchases grew by 9.3%. Regional transaction volumes were as follows:
- Limassol: 1,431 transactions.
- Nicosia: 981 transactions.
- Larnaca: 921 transactions.
- Paphos: 878 transactions (with 68% of buyers being foreign nationals).
- Ammochostos: 233 transactions.
Credit Expansion Fueling Market Activity
The housing market is further buoyed by an impressive increase in new mortgage lending, reaching €972 million between January and September 2025—a 22% increase compared to the previous year. Concurrently, the average mortgage interest rate fell sharply to 3.03% in September 2025 from 4.27% a year earlier. Financial institutions anticipate a rise in net demand in the upcoming fourth quarter, even as lending criteria remain stringent yet consistent.
Supply Side Developments: Building Permits and Construction Activity
On the supply front, positive developments are measured by a 4.6% increase in building permits issued from January through July 2025 and a record of eight consecutive quarters of positive construction activity. The index of construction material prices saw a modest rise of 1.3%. However, expectations for future price increases have moderated, as evidenced by a significant decline in the European Union’s price expectation index—from 56.2 to 25.5 over the past year—indicating a more tempered outlook on future price surges.
Overall, these developments underscore a resilient and evolving real estate market in Cyprus, where strategic credit expansion and active buyer participation—both domestic and international—are reshaping market dynamics in the face of variable regional trends.
