Finnish agents enjoy record month

Vuosaari, Helsinki Photo: Timo_w2s

Estate agents in Finland enjoyed their best month in years, according to new figures, as property sales jumped.

Sales of previously owned flats, row-house apartments and single-family houses climbed by a little over 1 per cent in the first five months of 2015, according to the Central Federation of Finnish Real Estate Agencies, KVKL.

"The market was boosted by the sales of previously owned single-family houses, which rose by 5,3 per cent in this period. Also previously owned row-house apartments attracted the buyers," explains Jukka Malila, CEO of KVKL.

Sales of  previously owned flats stayed roughly at levels similar to those of the last year.

The total number of old residences sold during the period between January and May 2015 reached over 23,100. Of this, flats accounted for 11,045, row-house apartments for 4,170 and single-family houses for 4,285 units.

"The figures suggest that the housing market is picking up. May 2015 raised the hopes of many real estate agencies, for some it’s been a record month for a couple of years," adds Malila.

Indeed, 2014 saw a downturn in values and sales for the Finnish market, but agents have been witnessing something of a turnaround since the start of the year, with the final quarter of 2014 seeing the first increase in net sales in two years, while prices rose 0.4 per cent in Greater Helsinki between January and February 2015.

With consumer confidence growing, agents expect the positive trend to continue in June.