OP Uusimaa OP Uusimaa and OP Koti housing market review

The average amount of a home loan has increased in January–October 2025 in nearly every Uusimaa municipality when compared to the corresponding period last year. Of the larger municipalities in Uusimaa, Hyvinkää is the only one where the average size of a home loan has decreased from the previous year.

The median size of home loans applied for has also increased from the previous year. First-time home buyers are applying for roughly 12% larger home loans now, and those looking to switch homes are applying for 11% larger home loans.

“This suggests that housing expectations have changed, and people now apply for a home loan for larger or more valuable apartments than a year ago,” says Riikka Kangas, SVP, Financing for Personal Customers at OP Uusimaa.

Economic uncertainty still affects the housing market and the demand for home loans. In January–June, people applied for 10% more home loans than in the corresponding period of the previous year, but since the summer, there have been fewer home loan applications than at the beginning of the year. However, January–October showed a 2% growth from last year’s corresponding period.

“Economic uncertainty also shows in the fact that temporary financing has become clearly more popular than in previous years. Those looking to switch homes want to make sure that they can sell their old home before buying a new one,” says Riikka Kangas.

Large apartments sell well in Uusimaa

The housing market in the Uusimaa region has perked up since last year. In January–October 2025, the number of home sales was 19% higher than in the corresponding period last year. The number has grown equally in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and in the surrounding municipalities.

“The beginning of the year was marked by the growth of demand for large family homes and detached houses, particularly in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. On the other hand, sales of studio apartments have picked up in the surrounding municipalities,” says Satu Astala, CEO of OP Koti Uusimaa.

Sales of apartments in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area have increased, particularly for large family homes, with the sales numbers growing by a quarter during January–October in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year. The most sought-after areas have been Munkkiniemi, Töölö and Lauttasaari.

Housing sales have also picked up in Vantaa since the summer. Sales of detached houses have been particularly strong.

In the surrounding municipalities, sales of studio apartments have boomed. In January–October, sales of studio apartments have increased by 65% in Porvoo, by 3% in Hyvinkää, by 9% in Järvenpää and by as much as 127% in Kerava.

“It seems that bold solutions have been made for family housing, and families are now the clear driving force of the housing market.  It seems that the housing market has recovered strongly towards the end of the year. Sellers and buyers have reached a closer understanding of pricing, allowing them to make sales. Next year, we will see the number of sales return to the pre-pandemic level, and following this, prices in Uusimaa will inevitably start to rise,” forecasts Satu Astala.