Riga, Feb 11 (LETA) - 15% of the population of Riga and the Pieriga region plan to buy an apartment in a new project in the next two to three years, according to a survey carried out at the end of last year by the research company Kantar on behalf of the real estate developer Kaamos.

At the same time, there is a growing concern about the rise in real estate prices, and respondents mention the price of the apartment as the most important decision criterion, which significantly influences the considerations of purchasing a home, Kaamos informed LETA. According to the survey, 22 percent of the population have not yet made a decision on purchasing a new home in the next two to three years, while 63 percent indicated that they do not plan to make such a purchase in the next few years.

Managers and high-level professionals, as well as people with an income of more than EUR 1,500 per family member per month are more likely to think about buying a new home.

The main reasons given in the survey for plans to buy a new home are the need for more living space (24 percent), the desire to live in modern (19 percent) and energy-efficient (14 percent) housing, and the purchase of a first home (18 percent).

At the same time, 8 percent of respondents indicated that they plan to buy an apartment for their children or relatives in the next few years, 6 percent - as an investment, and 4 percent revealed that they plan to rent out the property in the future.

In the survey, 74 percent of the residents of Riga and the Pieriga region who plan to buy an apartment in the next few years indicated that they intend to buy their new home in Riga. Among the most popular neighborhoods, respondents mentioned Agenskalns, the city center, Teika, Purvciems, Skanste, Mezaparks and Imanta.

However, those who are considering buying an apartment outside Riga most often mentioned Jurmala, Marupe, Kekava and Ogre as the most attractive places in the Riga region and geographically close to the capital.

When evaluating the factors influencing the decision to purchase an apartment in new projects, 98 percent of respondents mentioned the price of housing as a very important or important criterion. Low regular property costs and future utility costs (92 percent), energy efficiency (90 percent) and well thought-out layout of the apartment (92 percent) are also very important or important to residents.

Less important factors included the developer's reputation, tasteful interior decoration and a beautiful view from the window.

At the same time, the survey also revealed a number of problems faced by those who have bought an apartment in a new project in the last five years. These include 29 percent dissatisfied with the quality of construction, 24 percent with the lack or size of storage rooms, 18 percent with energy efficiency and 23 percent criticizing sound insulation.

Among the respondents planning to buy an apartment in the next two to three years, 42 percent are looking for a three-room apartment, 35 percent for a two-room apartment and 20 percent for an apartment with four or more rooms. The most popular size is 61-70 square meters (26 percent), followed by 51-60 square meters (22 percent) and 71-80 square meters (16 percent).

Regarding the scale of buildings, 20 percent of respondents said they would like to live in a small building with up to 20 apartments, 23 percent in a medium-sized building, while 43 percent said the size of the building was not decisive.

When choosing a particular neighborhood, residents are more often guided by emotional attachment, Kaamos pointed out, adding that 21 percent of respondents indicated that they simply like the place, 16 percent have lived there once or live there now, and 12 percent consider it well-known. Green environment and proximity to nature (16 percent), developed infrastructure (12 percent), convenient location (10 percent) and peace and quiet (11 percent) are also important.

The survey was commissioned by Kaamos and carried out by the public opinion research company Kantar, which surveyed 1,200 people aged 18-65 in Riga and the Riga region via the internet at the end of 2025. The survey was conducted to find out the needs, preferences and opportunities of Latvian real estate buyers, as well as the brand awareness of developers.