Industry revenue of »buying and selling of own real estate« in Latvia 2011-2023

The revenues of the buying and selling of own real estate sector in Latvia are projected to decline from 275 million U.S. dollars in 2015 to 189 million U.S. dollars by 2023. This can be attributed to the high prices of residential and commercial properties, which have resulted in weak demand. In fact, the house price index has been rising steadily and stood at 130 index points in the quarter ending June 2018, much higher as compared to the European average. As a result, consumers are increasingly turning towards rental properties, which is one of the main reasons the revenues of the rental and operating of own or leased real estate sector are projected to grow 55 percent between 2010-2022. In 2018, the average monthly rental cost for apartments in the capital city of Riga amounted 862 U.S. dollars, amongst the lowest in the EU.

With the outbreak of the corona virus, housing sales are projected to decline further in the short to medium term, as consumers are expected to curtail their discretionary spending.