Real estate market 2025: what Ukraine wants and what Kyiv shows

Housing demand in Ukraine is undergoing a transformation. The war, economic instability and limited lending opportunities have changed buyer behavior, and expectations in different regions of the country often do not coincide with those in the capital. To understand how the market is developing in 2025, we looked at two sections at once - a nationwide study and a special Kyiv survey. Both were conducted by Gradus Research, a sociological company, at the request of the real estate search platform Flombu and the Ukrainian Association of Developers in 2025.

This article compares the data from the two surveys and answers key questions: what Ukrainians, and Kyiv residents in particular, buy, why they buy, how they finance real estate purchases, and how much they trust developers.

What exactly are they planning to buy: an apartment or a house?

The all-Ukrainian survey shows a relative balance between choosing an apartment in a new building and on the secondary market. About 43% of respondents plan to buy in the primary or secondary market. At the same time, one third is considering a private house. This indicates a significant share of demand for individual housing, especially in small towns and villages.

Kyiv shows a different picture. Here, the focus is almost exclusively on apartments: 37% of residents are planning to buy an apartment, while only 18% are choosing a private house. The capital remains a city of high-rise buildings - 88% of respondents currently live in apartment buildings.

In addition, in Kyiv, confidence in the primary market is much higher than one would expect in a time of war: 33% plan to buy exclusively new construction, and another 43% are hesitant between the primary and secondary markets. Only a fifth of Kyiv residents are focused exclusively on the secondary market.

Thus, the demand for apartments dominates in the capital, while on average in the country, private houses look like an equally attractive alternative.

What are they buying for: a residence or an investment?

The plans and actual actions of Ukrainians differ. According to a nationwide cross-section, the majority of those who are only planning to buy (66%) declare their goal as "for themselves," while only 24% want to invest in rental property. However, among those who have already bought real estate in recent years, the share of investors was much higher - about a third. This indicates a gap between declared intentions and actual decisions.

Kyiv residents are more straightforward: the main motive is to improve their living conditions. Half of the capital's respondents said they wanted better quality housing, a third wanted more space, and another 26% wanted a higher level of comfort. In Kyiv, the investment motive sounds weaker.

How to finance a purchase and the role of a mortgage

And here we see significant differences.

The all-Ukrainian study showed:

• 52% rely on their own savings;
• 36% - for the sale of existing housing;
• 32% - in installments from the developer;
• only 24% - for a mortgage.

In Kyiv, half of residents planning to buy a home in the next five years would like to rely on bank lending. In percentage terms, this is 30% of respondents who expect to take out a mortgage, but in fact, among those who actually intend to buy, dependence on credit reaches almost half.

At the same time, 29% of Kyiv residents are planning to sell their homes to buy a new one, and 26% are considering installment plans from the developer. The main barrier to buying real estate in the capital is high prices: 78% of respondents named them as a key obstacle.

Conclusion: Kyiv is ahead of the country in terms of willingness to take out a mortgage. The problem is rather its affordability. In the 3 years of eOselya's operation, only 19,000 families have received a subsidized loan, but the demand is many times higher.

Trust in developers: when to buy and what to be afraid of

At both the national and Kyiv levels, there is one simple pattern: trust is built on completed projects, meeting deadlines, and openness.

In Kyiv, 48% of potential buyers are ready to invest in housing at the construction stage, but mostly at the final stages - when the "box" is already built or the interior is being finished. Only 29% would risk investing in a "pit".

The fears are obvious: the risk of freezing construction (66%), changes in commissioning dates (58%), and the inability to move in immediately (45%). All-Ukrainian results confirm the same factors: trust grows only when the developer demonstrates finished objects, transparent documents and fulfills promises.

Conclusion: Kyiv residents are more cautious and want to see the project's high readiness. But in general, fears and criteria for trust coincide with the national average.

What kind of apartments and infrastructure do Kyiv residents want to see?

Kyiv shows the clearest preferences when it comes to housing:

• Parameters. For both Ukraine and Kyiv, the top factors remain the same: price (76%), location (65%), and infrastructure (63%).
• Roominess. The most preferred formats in the capital are three-room (58%) and two-room (53%) apartments.
• Area. The ideal size is 56-60 m² for two-room apartments and 81-85 m² for three-room apartments.
• Number of storeys. Buildings with 6 to 9 floors are popular, but young people are more open to high-rises with 10-16 floors.
• Infrastructure. 81% of Kyiv residents want shopping and household facilities nearby, 60% want schools and kindergartens, and 53% want medical facilities.

Thus, buyers in the capital are much more demanding: they are interested not only in an apartment, but also in a full package of amenities around it.

Kyiv is different from the average Ukrainian picture. First, it is more focused on apartments than on private houses. Secondly, Kyiv residents are much more cautious: they are ready to buy primary housing, but mostly at the later stages of construction. In addition, the capital's buyers are more demanding in terms of infrastructure and space.

Tips for developers: how to sell in 2025

1. Show completed projects. This is the main element of trust: photos of completed phases, examples of commissioning and meeting deadlines.
   
   
2. Actively work with mortgages, installment plans, and other instruments. The market is ready for this: payment calculators, transparent terms, and various programs will be in demand.
   
   
3. Develop infrastructure. Shopping malls, kindergartens, schools, healthcare and transportation near housing are not a bonus, but a prerequisite. Safety indicators are also a condition.
   
   
4. Offer the "right" formats. Two- and three-bedroom apartments of average size are the core of demand.
   
   
5. Be transparent. Explain your pricing policy, show documents, and launch customer protection programs. This can remove many of the barriers.
   
   

Conclusion: In 2025, the Ukrainian housing market is moving towards greater demand, transparency and financial predictability. And Kyiv is a special case: here, demand is concentrated on apartments, and trust is formed only when a developer demonstrates quality, readiness, and honesty.

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