Dutch House Prices Dip 0.4% in September 2026, Remain 2.9% Above Last Year

Published: 25 October 2026 | Last checked: 25 October 2026 | Reading time: 10 minutes

Dutch House Prices September 2026: Down 0.4%, Still Up 2.9% Year on Year

Dutch house prices in September 2026 fell by 0.4% compared with August, but remained 2.9% higher than a year earlier. The latest figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the Dutch Land Registry (Kadaster), released on 22 October, point to a housing market where annual price growth is slowing rather than one where homes have suddenly become cheap.

The average price paid for an existing owner-occupied home reached €504,658, while 20,383 sales were registered during September. For prospective buyers, sellers and people relocating to the Netherlands, the important question is not just whether prices fell in one month. It is what the figures actually measure, how different regions compare and what can reasonably be inferred from them.

1. Dutch house prices in September 2026: key figures

The most useful way to read the CBS release is to separate price movements, transaction counts and actual amounts paid. Each tells a different part of the story.

Source: CBS and Kadaster, 22 October 2026, and CBS StatLine. Price changes refer to the quality-adjusted index; the euro amount is an unadjusted transaction average.

2. Are Dutch house prices actually falling?

They fell in September compared with August, but not compared with September last year. This distinction matters because headlines about a monthly decline can give the impression of a broader price crash. The official data do not support that conclusion.

The CBS price index stood at 156.6 in August and 156.0 in September, with 2020 set to 100. That corresponds to a 0.4% month-on-month fall using the unrounded values. Meanwhile, September’s index was still 2.9% above its level a year earlier.

The bigger trend is a cooling rate of annual growth. Year-on-year price increases have become progressively smaller during much of 2026:

In other words, the market can still be becoming more expensive on an annual basis even as the speed of that increase slows. A lower positive growth rate is not the same as a year-on-year fall in prices.

For historical perspective, CBS says that September 2026 prices were 17.3% above the previous market peak of July 2022. After falling through June 2023, the national price index recovered and rose above that earlier high. One month’s decrease should be viewed against that longer history.

There is also a useful limit to remember: national monthly figures describe transactions across the country. They do not prove that a particular apartment, family home or neighbourhood became 0.4% cheaper.

3. Is €504,658 now the price of a typical Dutch home?

No. The €504,658 average sale price represents the arithmetic average of existing owner-occupied homes that changed hands in September 2026. It is not the median price, an asking price, a guaranteed valuation or a nationwide price tag for a standard house.

Imagine that one month has a relatively large proportion of expensive detached homes among its sales, while another contains more small apartments. The average transaction price could change simply because the types of properties sold changed. That is why CBS warns against using the average purchase price as a measure of house price inflation.

Its price index makes adjustments for differences in housing quality and composition. When reporting that Dutch house prices fell 0.4% monthly but rose 2.9% annually, CBS is describing that index—not directly comparing two monthly averages in euros.

For anyone searching property portals, the practical lesson is straightforward: start with comparable recent sales in the same location and housing category. Consider floor area, maintenance, energy performance, leasehold conditions where relevant and any owners’ association obligations. A national average cannot replace a property-specific assessment.

4. Fewer Dutch homes sold in September: what does it tell us?

Kadaster recorded 20,383 transactions in September, a 7.1% decrease compared with September 2025. Looking at that number alone might suggest that the entire year’s housing market has weakened sharply. The longer comparison is less straightforward.

From January through September 2026, 176,411 existing owner-occupied homes were sold, almost 3% more than over the same nine months of 2025. Both facts can be true: sales were weaker in September even though the year-to-date total remained ahead.

Transaction counts measure the number of completed registrations, not the number of buyers looking online, offers made, bidding wars or homes currently advertised. They also do not establish the reason for a change. Interest rates, household finances, the available mix of properties and timing can all influence decisions, but the September CBS release does not assign a single cause to the decline.

If you are considering an offer, check how long similar homes have been listed and what comparable properties actually sold for. A national fall in transaction numbers does not automatically give every buyer more negotiating power.

5. Amsterdam, The Hague and the provinces: one national market, different trends

The September release covers the Netherlands as a whole. To understand location differences, CBS also published third-quarter 2026 figures on 22 October. These are quarterly annual comparisons, not September-only price changes, so they should not be mixed with the monthly national figure.

Source: CBS and Kadaster regional report, Q3 2026. All figures are year-on-year changes for the third quarter, not September monthly movements.

Amsterdam recorded the smallest annual increase of the four largest cities, at 1.0%, while The Hague recorded the largest, at 4.4%. Fryslân and Drenthe had the strongest provincial growth, both at 5.7%. The comparison demonstrates why a headline about “Dutch house prices” cannot answer every local housing question.

The type of home matters too. Across the Netherlands in Q3, semi-detached homes rose 4.5% year on year, while apartments increased 2.8%, according to the same report. These are broad categories, not valuations of individual listings.

Buyers comparing Amsterdam with a city elsewhere in the country should use local data, their realistic budget and the characteristics of the home. A higher percentage increase in a province does not, by itself, mean that its homes are more expensive in euros.

6. What the September data means for first-time buyers and expats

If you are preparing to buy a house in the Netherlands in late 2026, the monthly decline is worth knowing about—but it should not determine your entire strategy. A national movement of 0.4% does not mean you can simply reduce every asking price by 0.4%, and a positive annual figure does not mean you must rush to buy.

Build your decision around the property, not the headline

• Check affordability first. Establish a comfortable monthly housing budget and obtain a current mortgage assessment based on your own circumstances.
• Compare completed local sales. Where possible, compare similar homes in the same district, with similar size, condition and ownership arrangements.
• Review the full cost of ownership. Consider maintenance, insurance, potential owners’ association contributions, taxes and moving expenses alongside mortgage payments.
• Inspect the property’s documentation. Pay attention to structural issues, energy performance and any leasehold or apartment association arrangements.
• Do not confuse a bank valuation with an asking price. A listing price is the seller’s proposal; the final transaction price can differ.

International buyers should also understand Dutch terms that appear in listings and contracts, including vraagprijs (asking price), kosten koper (buyer’s purchasing costs) and erfpacht (leasehold). These affect the buying process but are not captured by the national CBS percentage change.

For someone trying to choose between buying now and waiting, the sensible approach is to compare the total monthly cost of realistic options and assess the risk of changes in financing conditions. CBS reports what happened in completed sales; it cannot tell you which purchase date will turn out to be cheapest.

7. What sellers and existing homeowners can learn

For homeowners considering a sale, the September data gives a useful national backdrop, not a replacement for a local valuation. A slower annual increase may affect market expectations, but properties with different conditions and locations can behave very differently.

If you intend to sell, compare recently completed transactions and current competition in your immediate area. A realistic asking price, clear property information and an understanding of likely buyer financing are more actionable than extrapolating from one national monthly movement.

Existing owners should also be careful about interpreting price-index changes as changes in their accessible wealth. A rise in the national index does not automatically increase an individual property’s value by the same percentage. Even if a property’s market value rises, mortgage debt, selling costs and the price of the next home still matter when moving.

8. Will Dutch house prices fall in 2027?

The September 2026 figures do not provide a 2027 forecast. They are historical observations. Price movements in the coming months will depend on developments that the September release alone cannot predict.

For a separate forward-looking perspective, ABN AMRO’s October 2026 housing forecast expected national house prices to rise by 3.8% over 2026 and by 2.5% in 2027. Those are bank projections, not observed CBS outcomes, and they may change as new information becomes available.

Read our related analysis: Dutch house prices in 2027: what ABN AMRO expects.

The distinction is important: slower price growth can mean prices are still rising, just less quickly. A forecast of a positive 2.5% increase is not a forecast of a nationwide price fall. Equally, no forecast guarantees how a specific house or neighbourhood will perform.

9. How CBS and Kadaster calculate Dutch house prices

The official measure is the price index for existing owner-occupied homes, known in Dutch as the Prijsindex Bestaande Koopwoningen (PBK). It is produced by CBS together with Kadaster using registered housing transactions and information on property valuations.

CBS compares recorded sales prices with relevant WOZ property values and uses a methodology designed to account for differences between the homes sold in different periods. This is why the index is better suited to tracking market movements than a simple average of transaction prices.

The index discussed here covers existing owner-occupied properties sold to private individuals. It is not a measure of newly built homes, the rental market or every kind of real estate. The national index is published monthly; detailed price-index comparisons by region and housing type are published quarterly.

CBS also distinguishes between the point at which an estate agent records an agreed sale and the transaction subsequently registered by Kadaster. Consequently, figures published by different housing organisations can legitimately differ in timing, coverage and methodology.

For readers who want to reproduce the numbers or investigate earlier months, the official CBS StatLine time series offers the index, transaction counts and average purchase price. The separate CBS methodology page explains the data coverage.

10. Frequently asked questions about Dutch house prices

Did Dutch house prices go down in September 2026?

Yes. The national CBS and Kadaster price index fell 0.4% compared with August 2026. It was nevertheless 2.9% higher than in September 2025, so the monthly decline does not represent an annual fall.

What was the average house price in the Netherlands in September 2026?

The average transaction price of an existing owner-occupied home sold in September was €504,658. This is an average of completed sales, not the median price or a representative valuation for every Dutch property.

Are house prices falling in Amsterdam?

The latest quarterly CBS figures show that existing-home prices in Amsterdam were 1.0% higher in Q3 2026 than in Q3 2025. That does not establish a September-only monthly trend for Amsterdam or tell you what happened to a particular address.

How many houses were sold in September 2026?

Kadaster registered 20,383 sales of existing owner-occupied homes, 7.1% fewer than in September 2025. Across January to September, 176,411 homes were sold, almost 3% more than in the equivalent period of 2025.

Is September 2026 a good time to buy a house in the Netherlands?

National statistics cannot determine the right buying moment for an individual. Your mortgage affordability, local comparable sales, expected ownership costs and the condition of the home are more useful for making a decision than a single monthly change.

Does a 0.4% monthly drop mean sellers must lower asking prices?

No. The 0.4% figure is a national price-index movement and is not an instruction or pricing rule for individual sellers. Asking prices and negotiated transaction prices depend on local market circumstances and property-specific features.

Will house prices in the Netherlands crash in 2027?

The September CBS data do not establish that. ABN AMRO’s October 2026 forecast expected slower but still positive national price growth in 2027. Forecasts are uncertain and should not be presented as guarantees.

🇳🇱 Dutch Corner: useful housing-market vocabulary

Sources and editorial note

• CBS and Kadaster — Price increase of owner-occupied homes slows further in September, published 22 October 2026. National September price movements, sales and average transaction price.
• CBS and Kadaster — Q3 2026 regional housing price report, published 22 October 2026. Regional and dwelling-type comparisons.
• CBS StatLine — Existing own homes: purchase prices and price indices, updated 22 October 2026. Historical price-index series and transaction measures.
• CBS methodology — Price index for existing owner-occupied homes. Scope, frequency and calculation method.

Editorial note: The Dutch Daily reviewed this article on 25 October 2026 against the CBS and Kadaster releases dated 22 October 2026. September monthly data and third-quarter regional data are clearly identified and not treated as interchangeable. Advice for buyers and sellers is general explanatory guidance, not personalised financial or mortgage advice. The ABN AMRO outlook is identified separately as a forecast.