Living in the land of tulips: buying real estate in the Netherlands

INTERVIEW WITH MARIE-CHRISTINE LODEWIJK, ELISABETH VAN ZIJVERDEN AND JOAN DIK, LICENSING PARTNERS AT VON POLL REAL ESTATE AMSTERDAM AND VON POLL REAL ESTATE DEN HAAG.

Picturesque canals, seemingly endless fields of tulips, traditional windmills - this is what the Netherlands is known for. Located directly on the North Sea coast in north-western Europe, the country offers a successful mix of impressive landscapes, numerous leisure and recreational opportunities as well as a variety of culture and history in its major cities. Marie-Christine Lodewijk, Elisabeth van Zijverden and Joan Dik, three of the five license partners at VON POLL REAL ESTATE Amsterdam and VON POLL REAL ESTATE The Hague, and their team of real estate experts are each represented with a store in two of these Dutch cities - Amsterdam and The Hague. They provide an insight into current developments on the Dutch real estate market and show which topics are currently occupying the real estate industry there.

Mrs. Lodewijk, what is the current situation on the Dutch residential real estate market? And above all, how have prices developed?

MARIE-CHRISTINE LODEWIJK

The Dutch real estate market is still in a phase of recovery. This can be seen above all in the continuing rise in price levels - as prices for residential property have once again increased significantly compared to the previous year. In fact, most properties are even being sold above the actual asking price. One driver of rising property prices is clearly the lack of available residential properties - there is a clear surplus in demand that cannot be met by the current supply. In addition, wages in the Netherlands have risen recently, while inflation is falling and mortgage interest rates have settled at a moderate level. All these factors are also having an impact on the development of real estate prices. We therefore do not currently expect prices to fall again in the near future.

Where have prices risen the most? Are there regional differences here?

MARIE-CHRISTINE LODEWIJK

The top regions here naturally include the major cities and their catchment areas - after all, this is where the vast majority of the Dutch population lives. Consequently, property prices have risen the most in Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Eindhoven. The real estate market in these cities is also highly dynamic - properties do not remain on the market for long. We therefore always recommend that prospective buyers at VON POLL REAL ESTATE Amsterdam or VON POLL REAL ESTATE The Hague create a search request with their exact wishes and search criteria. This allows us to provide much more targeted support in the property search in advance and inform prospective buyers even more quickly as soon as a new property that meets their expectations appears in our portfolio.

Mrs. van Zijverden, can you give us an insight into where most buyers come from and which criteria are currently at the top of their property search?

ELISABETH VAN ZIJVERDEN
The majority of our customers come from the Netherlands, but we also have a lot of international searches from all over Europe and the United States. What exactly our customers are looking for is completely different - ranging from exclusive, high-quality apartments in major cities such as Amsterdam to vacation homes with a cozy flair in more rural regions - of course also right on the water.
We have noticed, however, that the condition of a property is now more important to prospective buyers than the location of the property. So if the property is in a very good, well-maintained condition - ideally renovated and up to date in terms of energy efficiency - many prospective buyers are prepared to accept compromises in terms of location.

So sustainability and energy efficiency are also issues that influence the real estate sector in the Netherlands?

ELISABETH VAN ZIJVERDEN

Energy-efficient residential buildings and environmentally conscious, sustainable construction are also a very big topic in the Netherlands. However, as already mentioned, most of our customers are now also very aware of this and pay particular attention to these features. In addition, the Dutch government actively promotes and financially supports these areas. For example, there are various funding opportunities that interested parties can take advantage of when purchasing an energy-efficient property or converting an existing property in need of renovation. For example, there is the option of an energy-saving loan from the national heat fund.

Let's come back to the international clientele: Ms. Dik, do buyers primarily purchase properties for their own use or for renting out?

JOAN DIK

In fact, the 'buy-to-let' system was very common in the Netherlands. International investors in particular bought residential properties as investment properties and then rented them out. The potential returns were always very lucrative. However, due to the worsening shortage of available residential properties, the Dutch government passed some new laws in 2024 to regulate the rental market. Of course, renting is still allowed - but it is subject to a number of regulations that are set independently for each city or municipality.

Can you give a specific example to illustrate this?

JOAN DIK

One of the new regulations is that previously owner-occupied homes may not be rented out. In Amsterdam, for example, there is a ban on renting out previously owner-occupied properties with a current market value of up to 512,000 euros. However, the regulations in the metropolitan areas are usually somewhat stricter than in the surrounding regions, as this is where the greatest housing shortage prevails. It is not yet clear how long these government regulations will apply. For this reason, we currently mainly have customers who are buying properties for their own use, but this does not dampen demand.

Our competent real estate experts at VON POLL REAL ESTATE Amsterdam and VON POLL REAL ESTATE The Hague are happy to advise and support you in all matters relating to real estate brokerage in the Netherlands and can provide the best possible support on the way to owning your own home.

Ms. Lodewijk, van Zijverden and Dik, thank you very much for the interesting conversation.

For more information about the team around Marie-Christine Lodewijk, Elisabeth van Zijverden and Joan Dik from VON POLL REAL ESTATE Amsterdam and VON POLL REAL ESTATE Den Haag, as well as the current real estate offer on site, contact details and much more, please visit https://www.von-poll.com/de/immobilienmakler/amsterdam and https://www.von-poll.com/de/immobilienmakler/den-haag