The German housing market is characterised by a variety of requirements from prospective buyers. This diversity, driven by household size, life stage and individual housing needs, significantly influences demand for specific apartment sizes and thus their price development in metropolitan regions. A recent study by VON POLL IMMOBILIEN experts analysed the asking prices for condominiums in the eight German A-cities in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year. The analysis included five defined apartment sizes: 25 m² to 50 m², 51 m² to 75 m², 76 m² to 100 m², 101 m² to 125 m², and from 126 m² of living space.
Daniel Ritter, Managing Partner at VON POLL IMMOBILIEN, highlights that not every apartment size benefits equally from the current market development. While some segments record significant value increases, others show initial consolidation trends. In particular, medium-sized apartments between 51 m² and 100 m² of living space are benefiting from high demand in many metropolitan areas, as they remain affordable for a broad range of prospective buyers. Larger apartments tend to have a smaller buyer base and more restrained price development due to higher overall purchase prices.
Development of small and medium-sized units
Smaller apartments in the 25 m² to 50 m² segment showed a stable overall development with a slightly positive trend. Leipzig recorded the highest price increases at 5.2 percent to EUR 2,605/m² and Düsseldorf at 5 percent to EUR 4,408/m². Moderate price increases occurred in Cologne (3.4 percent to EUR 4,755/m²), Berlin (3 percent to EUR 5,059/m²) and Munich (2.1 percent to EUR 8,039/m²). In Stuttgart, prices in this segment stagnated at -0.7 percent to EUR 4,450/m², while Hamburg (-3.8 percent to EUR 5,530/m²) and Frankfurt am Main (-6.5 percent to EUR 5,440/m²) recorded declines.
Sebastian Wießner from VON POLL IMMOBILIEN Leipzig and Markkleeberg describes how the Leipzig housing market differentiates itself by size, target group, and price level. Smaller to medium-sized units up to approximately 75 m² of living space are particularly in demand, which is also reflected in shorter marketing times. He predicts that in the future, the combination of location, intelligent layout, energy efficiency, and long-term usability will be more decisive than maximum living space. For larger apartments, the buyer pool is smaller and more price-sensitive, meaning a realistic asking price and a compelling price-performance ratio are crucial.
The segment of apartments between 51 m² and 75 m² recorded significant value increases. In Hamburg, average square metre prices rose by 9 percent to EUR 5,283/m², representing the second-highest price increase across all apartment sizes. Slight increases were observed in Düsseldorf (3.4 percent to EUR 3,946/m²), Cologne (2.6 percent to EUR 4,192/m²) and Berlin (2.5 percent to EUR 4,687/m²). Matthias Preuß from VON POLL IMMOBILIEN Hamburg – Alster-Ost explains that small to medium-sized residential units are highly sought after due to their financial attractiveness and versatile usability (owner-occupation, capital investment). He emphasises that prospective buyers today are more discerning, prioritising energy efficiency and long-term affordability in addition to location and layout.
In Munich (-0.2 percent to EUR 7,433/m²), Stuttgart (-0.6 percent to EUR 3,933/m²) and Leipzig (-0.7 percent to EUR 2,561/m²), prices for apartments of this size stagnated. Only in Frankfurt am Main was there a slight decrease of -3.4 percent to EUR 5,100/m².
Dynamic in the mid-price segment
The strongest market dynamic was observed in the segment of apartments between 76 m² and 100 m². Düsseldorf achieved not only the highest increase in this area with a gain of 9.3 percent to EUR 4,440/m², but also the strongest overall price increase of the entire analysis.
