The Dutch housing market was reported to be cooling, with house prices falling for two consecutive months, mortgage interest rates rising, new-build homes becoming harder to sell and existing homes remaining on the market longer. Asking prices were also lower more often, while buyers’ confidence had declined for the seventh consecutive month, according to the Vereniging Eigen Huis measure. Economist Mathijs Bouman and VEH representative Simon Vrijsen said the combination of higher borrowing costs and weaker sentiment could further slow transactions and potentially affect the wider economy. The NVM acknowledged that higher interest rates were difficult for consumers but urged caution in interpreting the developments.

The situation remained disputed. Erasmus School of Economics associate professor Matthijs Korevaar said new-build projects could be delayed or cancelled if prices fell, but was not yet concerned about a repeat of earlier housing crises, pointing to lower mortgage risks and greater repayments than in the past. Vrijsen noted that the housing shortage remained substantial and that confidence could recover if interest rates fell, while Bouman warned that a cooling market could develop into broader economic problems if falling house values reduced household spending.