The increase is chiefly due to the the rising demand for investing in real estate, Otthon Centrum says, as home purchases with the intention of investing accounted for 50% of the transactions in parts of Budapest and for at least 10% in big cities around the country.

According to Otthon Centrum, prices have risen in all categories in the last two years, and the average price per square meter comes to HUF 268,000 in Budapest, HUF 159,000 in county seat cities, HUF 125,000 in other cities and HUF 65,000 in smaller settlements.

Otthon Centrum expects the number of transactions to rise up to 80,000 next year.