#tmcworldcup match of the day: argentina vs netherlands
Click here to see larger version - or here for an explanation of the figures.
Following our World Cup predictions, which forecast an overall victory for the USA, TheMoveChannel.com follows the FIFA tournament through every stage, highlighting a property Match of the Day.
If Brazil and Germany's football teams were as impressive as their housing markets on paper, their South American and European cousins represent the opposite: Argentina on the pitch are impressive, but their real estate is a bit Messi; Netherlands, meanwhile, are the new favourites to jump to the top of the tournament, but their housing market has been asleep for some time.
The Netherlands suffer from a weakness in demand: they have four listings on TheMoveChannel.com, putting them one down against Argentina, who have 114. But while other teams have overcome such a difference with attractive house prices or strong lifestyle appeal, Netherlands received no enquiries whatsoever in 2013 on the property portal.
Falling Dutch prices add to the doubtful picture, but also highlight the country's potential for much more: Argentina is not included in Knight Frank's Global House Price Index at all, a sign that the country is still only an emerging market. The Netherlands even comes out on top when it comes to international appeal, attracting 50 Google searches in May 2014 compared to its rival's 20.
Argentina's openness, though, combined with a relative boost in profile from Brazil's real estate boom, makes it more attractive to buyers. Generating 0.25 per cent of enquiries last year is not a significant achievement, but it is enough to put the country past the Netherlands and into the final at the weekend. When Netherlands' house prices have started to climb once more, though, and sellers are more confident, today's match is a glimpse of the team they could be in four years' time.
Who will win the Property World Cup? See our full infographic here - or keep up to date with the latest results on Twitter by following the #TMCWorldCup hashtag.
Enquiries = % of enquiries received on TheMoveChannel.com in 2013
Searches = Number of searches for "property in X" on Google in the month leading up the World Cup
Listings = Number of properties currently listed for sale on TheMoveChannel.com
Price (12m/6m) = House price movement in the last 12 or 6 months, according to the Knight Frank Global House Price Index Q1 2014
Click here for the full statistics.