House prices grew year-on-year in most states in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2024. The District of Columbia was the only exception, with a decline of ***** percent. The annual appreciation for single-family housing in the U.S. was **** percent, while in Hawaii—the state where homes appreciated the most—the increase exceeded ** percent. How have home prices developed in recent years? House price growth in the U.S. has been going strong for years. In 2024, the median sales price of a single-family home exceeded ******* U.S. dollars, up from ******* U.S. dollars five years ago. One of the factors driving house prices was the cost of credit. The record-low federal funds effective rate allowed mortgage lenders to set mortgage interest rates as low as *** percent. With interest rates on the rise, home buying has also slowed, causing fluctuations in house prices. Why are house prices growing? Many markets in the U.S. are overheated because supply has not been able to keep up with demand. How many homes enter the housing market depends on the construction output, whereas the availability of existing homes for purchase depends on many other factors, such as the willingness of owners to sell. Furthermore, growing investor appetite in the housing sector means that prospective homebuyers have some extra competition to worry about. In certain metros, for example, the share of homes bought by investors exceeded ** percent in 2024.

Global house prices experienced a significant shift in 2022, with advanced economies seeing a notable decline after a prolonged period of growth. The real house price index (adjusted for inflation) for advanced economies peaked at nearly *** index points in early 2022 before falling to around ****** points by the fourth quarter of 2024. This represents a reversal of the upward trend that had characterized the housing market for roughly a decade. Conversely, real house prices in emerging economies resumed growing, after a brief correction in the second half of 2022. What is behind the slowdown? Inflation and slow economic growth have been the primary drivers for the cooling of the housing market. Secondly, the growing gap between incomes and house prices since 2012 has decreased the affordability of homeownership. Last but not least, homebuyers in 2024 faced dramatically higher mortgage interest rates, further contributing to worsening sentiment and declining transactions. Some markets continue to grow While many countries witnessed a deceleration in house price growth in 2022, some markets continued to see substantial increases. Turkey, in particular, stood out with a nominal increase in house prices of over ** percent in the first quarter of 2024. Other countries that recorded a two-digit growth include Russia and the United Arab Emirates. When accounting for inflation, the three countries with the fastest growing residential prices in early 2024 were the United Arab Emirates, Poland, and Bulgaria.

The U.S. mortgage market has declined notably since 2020 and 2021, mostly due to the effect of higher borrowing costs on refinance mortgages. The value of refinancing mortgage originations, amounted to 190 billion U.S. dollars in the fourth quarter of 2024, down from a peak of 851 billion U.S. dollars in the fourth quarter of 2020. The value of mortgage loans for the purchase of a property recorded milder fluctuations, with a value of 304 billion U.S. dollars in the fourth quarter of 2024. According to the forecast, mortgage lending is expected to slightly increase until the end of 2026. The cost of mortgage borrowing in the U.S. Mortgage interest rates in the U.S. rose dramatically in 2022, peaking in the final quarter of 2024. In 2020, a homebuyer could lock in a 30-year fixed interest rate of under three percent, whereas in 2024, the average rate for the same mortgage type exceeded 6.6 percent. This has led to a decline in homebuyer sentiment, and an increasing share of the population pessimistic about buying a home in the current market. The effect of a slower housing market on property prices and rents According to the S&P/Case Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, housing prices experienced a slight correction in early 2023, as property transactions declined. Nevertheless, the index continued to grow in the following months. On the other hand, residential rents have increased steadily since 2000.

Just as in many other countries, the housing market in the UK grew substantially during the coronavirus pandemic, fueled by robust demand and low borrowing costs. Nevertheless, high inflation and the increase in mortgage rates has led to house price growth slowing down. According to the forecast, 2024 is expected to see house prices decrease by ***** percent. Between 2024 and 2028, the average house price growth is projected at *** percent. A contraction after a period of continuous growth In June 2022, the UK's house price index exceeded *** index points, meaning that since 2015 which was the base year for the index, house prices had increased by ** percent. In just two years, between 2020 and 2022, the index surged by ** index points. As the market stood in December 2023, the average price for a home stood at approximately ******* British pounds. Rents are expected to continue to grow According to another forecast, the prime residential market is also expected to see rental prices grow in the next years. Growth is forecast to be stronger in 2024 and slow down in the period between 2025 and 2028. The rental market in London is expected to follow a similar trend, with Central London slightly outperforming Greater London.

In October 2024, the interest rate for mortgages with an initial rate fixation of five and up to ten years was 3.23 percent. This mortgage rate saw a general increase since the beginning of 2022 until the end of 2023, however started to decline in 2024. Falling mortgage rates might be a reason for the value of new mortgage lending rose in 2024. As borrowing costs increase, taking out a mortgage becomes less affordable for home buyers, also leading to the mortgage market slowing down. What about housing prices in Belgium? On average, a house cost approximately 319,000 euros in Belgium in 2022. Big price differences are observed, however, among the three regions of the country. A house in the French-speaking region of Wallonia is much more expensive on average than a house in the Brussels-Capital Region (the city of Brussels with its surrounding villages). Belgium’s real estate market grows steadily Property transactions in Belgium are affected by the country’s fiscal system. When purchasing a house in Belgium, consumers pay the asking price plus ten (in Flanders) or 12 percent (in Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region) in registration rights. This makes buying a house in Belgium a long-term investment and something consumers do not do right away.

Over the current period, waterproofing contractors have faced an overall decline in revenue. While the residential construction market performed well for some of the current period, consistently slow commercial construction activity hindered growth. Over the past five years, industry-wide revenue has been declining at an expected CAGR of 2.2%, reaching an estimated $5.2 billion in 2024, when revenue is set to increase 0.1% and profit is expected to have fallen to 7.2%. The outbreak of COVID-19 had mixed effects on waterproofing contractors. Low interest rates meant to spur the economy led to a housing market boom, driving industry demand through private spending on home improvements and housing starts. Despite low interest rates, economic uncertainty and falling corporate profit led to falling commercial construction activity. As interest rates have been elevated from 2022 into 2024, when the Federal reserve has begun to cut rates, residential and commercial construction activity has fallen. Elevated wage and purchase costs have drove down average industry profit margins in recent years. Over the outlook period, waterproofing contractors will return to growth. Growing housing starts will bolster waterproofing contractors' growth as mortgage rates eventually drop. Private spending on home improvements returning to growth will be a boon to contractors. An uptick in commercial building construction activity over the outlook period as interest rates continue to drop will also promote growth. Tax incentives for energy-efficient residential and commercial buildings will greatly benefit waterproofing contractors. Overall, industry revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.6% to reach $5.6 in 2029.

The average sales price of new homes in the United States experienced a slight decrease in 2024, dropping to 512,2000 U.S. dollars from the peak of 521,500 U.S. dollars in 2022. This decline came after years of substantial price increases, with the average price surpassing 400,000 U.S. dollars for the first time in 2021. The recent cooling in the housing market reflects broader economic trends and changing consumer sentiment towards homeownership. Factors influencing home prices and affordability The rapid rise in home prices over the past few years has been driven by several factors, including historically low mortgage rates and increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the market has since slowed down, with the number of home sales declining by over two million between 2021 and 2023. This decline can be attributed to rising mortgage rates and decreased affordability. The Housing Affordability Index hit a record low of 98.1 in 2023, indicating that the median-income family could no longer afford a median-priced home. Future outlook for the housing market Despite the recent cooling, experts forecast a potential recovery in the coming years. The Freddie Mac House Price Index showed a growth of 6.5 percent in 2023, which is still above the long-term average of 4.4 percent since 1990. However, homebuyer sentiment remains low across all age groups, with people aged 45 to 64 expressing the most pessimistic outlook. The median sales price of existing homes is expected to increase slightly until 2025, suggesting that affordability challenges may persist in the near future.

In the United States, interest rates for all mortgage types started to increase in 2021. This was due to the Federal Reserve introducing a series of hikes in the federal funds rate to contain the rising inflation. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the 30-year fixed rate rose slightly, to **** percent. Despite the increase, the rate remained below the peak of **** percent in the same quarter a year ago. Why have U.S. home sales decreased? Cheaper mortgages normally encourage consumers to buy homes, while higher borrowing costs have the opposite effect. As interest rates increased in 2022, the number of existing homes sold plummeted. Soaring house prices over the past 10 years have further affected housing affordability. Between 2013 and 2023, the median price of an existing single-family home risen by about ** percent. On the other hand, the median weekly earnings have risen much slower. Comparing mortgage terms and rates Between 2008 and 2023, the average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage in the United States stood between **** and **** percent. Over the same period, a 30-year mortgage term averaged a fixed-rate of between **** and **** percent. Rates on 15-year loan terms are lower to encourage a quicker repayment, which helps to improve a homeowner’s equity.

Companies operating in the third-party real estate industry have had to navigate numerous economic headwinds in recent years, ranging from rising interest rates, spiralling inflation and muted economic growth. Typically, estate agents can earn income via fees and commissions charged to clients, which allows them to protect their operating profit margin from property price fluctuations. Revenue is projected to sink at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025, including an estimated rise of 1.2% in 2025 to €207.6billion, while the average industry profit margin is forecast to reach 35.1%. Amid spiralling inflation, central banks across Europe ratcheted up interest rates, resulting in borrowing costs skyrocketing in the two years through 2023. In residential markets, elevated mortgage rates combined with tightening credit conditions eventually ate into demand, inciting a drop in house prices. Rental markets performed well when house prices were elevated, being the cheaper alternative for cash-strapped buyers. However, even lessors felt the pinch of rising mortgage rates, forcing them to hoist rent to cover costs and pricing out potential buyers. This led to a slowdown in rental markets in 2023, weighing on revenue growth. However, this have started to turn around in 2025 as interest rates have been falling across Europe in the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs for buyers and boosting property transactions. This has helped revenue to rebound slightly in 2025 as estate agents earn commission from property transactions. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2030 to €249.5 billion. Housing prices are recovering in 2025 as fixed-rate mortgages begin to drop and economic uncertainty subsides, aiding revenue growth in the short term. Over the coming years, Proptech, which has been heavily invested in, will force estate agents to adapt, shaking up the traditional real estate industry. A notable application of Proptech is the use of AI and data analytics to predict a home’s future value and speed up the process of retrofitting properties to become more sustainable.

The U.S. housing market has slowed, after ** consecutive years of rising home prices. In 2021, house prices surged by an unprecedented ** percent, marking the highest increase on record. However, the market has since cooled, with the Freddie Mac House Price Index showing more modest growth between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, home prices increased by *** percent. That was lower than the long-term average of *** percent since 1990. Impact of mortgage rates on homebuying The recent cooling in the housing market can be partly attributed to rising mortgage rates. After reaching a record low of **** percent in 2021, the average annual rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage more than doubled in 2023. This significant increase has made homeownership less affordable for many potential buyers, contributing to a substantial decline in home sales. Despite these challenges, forecasts suggest a potential recovery in the coming years. How much does it cost to buy a house in the U.S.? In 2023, the median sales price of an existing single-family home reached a record high of over ******* U.S. dollars. Newly built homes were even pricier, despite a slight decline in the median sales price in 2023. Naturally, home prices continue to vary significantly across the country, with West Virginia being the most affordable state for homebuyers.

Companies operating in the third-party real estate industry have had to navigate numerous economic headwinds in recent years, ranging from rising interest rates, spiralling inflation and muted economic growth. Typically, estate agents can earn income via fees and commissions charged to clients, which allows them to protect their operating profit margin from property price fluctuations. Revenue is projected to sink at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025, including an estimated rise of 1.2% in 2025 to €207.6billion, while the average industry profit margin is forecast to reach 35.1%. Amid spiralling inflation, central banks across Europe ratcheted up interest rates, resulting in borrowing costs skyrocketing in the two years through 2023. In residential markets, elevated mortgage rates combined with tightening credit conditions eventually ate into demand, inciting a drop in house prices. Rental markets performed well when house prices were elevated, being the cheaper alternative for cash-strapped buyers. However, even lessors felt the pinch of rising mortgage rates, forcing them to hoist rent to cover costs and pricing out potential buyers. This led to a slowdown in rental markets in 2023, weighing on revenue growth. However, this have started to turn around in 2025 as interest rates have been falling across Europe in the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs for buyers and boosting property transactions. This has helped revenue to rebound slightly in 2025 as estate agents earn commission from property transactions. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2030 to €249.5 billion. Housing prices are recovering in 2025 as fixed-rate mortgages begin to drop and economic uncertainty subsides, aiding revenue growth in the short term. Over the coming years, Proptech, which has been heavily invested in, will force estate agents to adapt, shaking up the traditional real estate industry. A notable application of Proptech is the use of AI and data analytics to predict a home’s future value and speed up the process of retrofitting properties to become more sustainable.

Companies operating in the third-party real estate industry have had to navigate numerous economic headwinds in recent years, ranging from rising interest rates, spiralling inflation and muted economic growth. Typically, estate agents can earn income via fees and commissions charged to clients, which allows them to protect their operating profit margin from property price fluctuations. Revenue is projected to sink at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025, including an estimated rise of 1.2% in 2025 to €207.6billion, while the average industry profit margin is forecast to reach 35.1%. Amid spiralling inflation, central banks across Europe ratcheted up interest rates, resulting in borrowing costs skyrocketing in the two years through 2023. In residential markets, elevated mortgage rates combined with tightening credit conditions eventually ate into demand, inciting a drop in house prices. Rental markets performed well when house prices were elevated, being the cheaper alternative for cash-strapped buyers. However, even lessors felt the pinch of rising mortgage rates, forcing them to hoist rent to cover costs and pricing out potential buyers. This led to a slowdown in rental markets in 2023, weighing on revenue growth. However, this have started to turn around in 2025 as interest rates have been falling across Europe in the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs for buyers and boosting property transactions. This has helped revenue to rebound slightly in 2025 as estate agents earn commission from property transactions. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2030 to €249.5 billion. Housing prices are recovering in 2025 as fixed-rate mortgages begin to drop and economic uncertainty subsides, aiding revenue growth in the short term. Over the coming years, Proptech, which has been heavily invested in, will force estate agents to adapt, shaking up the traditional real estate industry. A notable application of Proptech is the use of AI and data analytics to predict a home’s future value and speed up the process of retrofitting properties to become more sustainable.

Companies operating in the third-party real estate industry have had to navigate numerous economic headwinds in recent years, ranging from rising interest rates, spiralling inflation and muted economic growth. Typically, estate agents can earn income via fees and commissions charged to clients, which allows them to protect their operating profit margin from property price fluctuations. Revenue is projected to sink at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025, including an estimated rise of 1.2% in 2025 to €207.6billion, while the average industry profit margin is forecast to reach 35.1%. Amid spiralling inflation, central banks across Europe ratcheted up interest rates, resulting in borrowing costs skyrocketing in the two years through 2023. In residential markets, elevated mortgage rates combined with tightening credit conditions eventually ate into demand, inciting a drop in house prices. Rental markets performed well when house prices were elevated, being the cheaper alternative for cash-strapped buyers. However, even lessors felt the pinch of rising mortgage rates, forcing them to hoist rent to cover costs and pricing out potential buyers. This led to a slowdown in rental markets in 2023, weighing on revenue growth. However, this have started to turn around in 2025 as interest rates have been falling across Europe in the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs for buyers and boosting property transactions. This has helped revenue to rebound slightly in 2025 as estate agents earn commission from property transactions. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2030 to €249.5 billion. Housing prices are recovering in 2025 as fixed-rate mortgages begin to drop and economic uncertainty subsides, aiding revenue growth in the short term. Over the coming years, Proptech, which has been heavily invested in, will force estate agents to adapt, shaking up the traditional real estate industry. A notable application of Proptech is the use of AI and data analytics to predict a home’s future value and speed up the process of retrofitting properties to become more sustainable.

Companies operating in the third-party real estate industry have had to navigate numerous economic headwinds in recent years, ranging from rising interest rates, spiralling inflation and muted economic growth. Typically, estate agents can earn income via fees and commissions charged to clients, which allows them to protect their operating profit margin from property price fluctuations. Revenue is projected to sink at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025, including an estimated rise of 1.2% in 2025 to €207.6billion, while the average industry profit margin is forecast to reach 35.1%. Amid spiralling inflation, central banks across Europe ratcheted up interest rates, resulting in borrowing costs skyrocketing in the two years through 2023. In residential markets, elevated mortgage rates combined with tightening credit conditions eventually ate into demand, inciting a drop in house prices. Rental markets performed well when house prices were elevated, being the cheaper alternative for cash-strapped buyers. However, even lessors felt the pinch of rising mortgage rates, forcing them to hoist rent to cover costs and pricing out potential buyers. This led to a slowdown in rental markets in 2023, weighing on revenue growth. However, this have started to turn around in 2025 as interest rates have been falling across Europe in the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs for buyers and boosting property transactions. This has helped revenue to rebound slightly in 2025 as estate agents earn commission from property transactions. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2030 to €249.5 billion. Housing prices are recovering in 2025 as fixed-rate mortgages begin to drop and economic uncertainty subsides, aiding revenue growth in the short term. Over the coming years, Proptech, which has been heavily invested in, will force estate agents to adapt, shaking up the traditional real estate industry. A notable application of Proptech is the use of AI and data analytics to predict a home’s future value and speed up the process of retrofitting properties to become more sustainable.

Rates have been trending downward in Canada for the last five years. The ebbs and flows are caused by changes in Canada’s bond yields (driven by Canadians economic developments and international rate movements, particularly U.S. rate fluctuations) and the overnight rate (which is set by the Bank of Canada). As of August 2022, there has been a 225 bps increase in the prime rate, since beginning of year 2022, from 2.45% to 4.70% as of Aug 24th 2022. The following are the historical conventional mortgage rates offered by the 6 major chartered banks in Canada in the past 20 years.

Companies operating in the third-party real estate industry have had to navigate numerous economic headwinds in recent years, ranging from rising interest rates, spiralling inflation and muted economic growth. Typically, estate agents can earn income via fees and commissions charged to clients, which allows them to protect their operating profit margin from property price fluctuations. Revenue is projected to sink at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025, including an estimated rise of 1.2% in 2025 to €207.6billion, while the average industry profit margin is forecast to reach 35.1%. Amid spiralling inflation, central banks across Europe ratcheted up interest rates, resulting in borrowing costs skyrocketing in the two years through 2023. In residential markets, elevated mortgage rates combined with tightening credit conditions eventually ate into demand, inciting a drop in house prices. Rental markets performed well when house prices were elevated, being the cheaper alternative for cash-strapped buyers. However, even lessors felt the pinch of rising mortgage rates, forcing them to hoist rent to cover costs and pricing out potential buyers. This led to a slowdown in rental markets in 2023, weighing on revenue growth. However, this have started to turn around in 2025 as interest rates have been falling across Europe in the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs for buyers and boosting property transactions. This has helped revenue to rebound slightly in 2025 as estate agents earn commission from property transactions. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2030 to €249.5 billion. Housing prices are recovering in 2025 as fixed-rate mortgages begin to drop and economic uncertainty subsides, aiding revenue growth in the short term. Over the coming years, Proptech, which has been heavily invested in, will force estate agents to adapt, shaking up the traditional real estate industry. A notable application of Proptech is the use of AI and data analytics to predict a home’s future value and speed up the process of retrofitting properties to become more sustainable.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of house sales in the UK spiked, followed by a period of decline. In 2023 and 2024, the housing market slowed notably, and in January 2025, transaction volumes fell to 46,774. House sales volumes are impacted by a number of factors, including mortgage rates, house prices, supply, demand, as well as the overall health of the market. The economic uncertainty and rising unemployment rates has also affected the homebuyer sentiment of Brits. How have UK house prices developed over the past 10 years? House prices in the UK have increased year-on-year since 2015, except for a brief period of decline in the second half of 2023 and the beginning of 2024. That is based on the 12-month percentage change of the UK house price index. At the peak of the housing boom in 2022, prices soared by nearly 14 percent. The decline that followed was mild, at under three percent. The cooling in the market was more pronounced in England and Wales, where the average house price declined in 2023. Conversely, growth in Scotland and Northern Ireland continued. What is the impact of mortgage rates on house sales? For a long period, mortgage rates were at record-low, allowing prospective homebuyers to take out a 10-year loan at a mortgage rate of less than three percent. In the last quarter of 2021, this period came to an end as the Bank of England rose the bank lending rate to contain the spike in inflation. Naturally, the higher borrowing costs affected consumer sentiment, urging many homebuyers to place their plans on hold and leading to a decline in sales.

In Q1 2025, the North American Methyl N-Propyl Ketone (MPK) market has experienced price decline, heavily influenced by weak performance in key downstream sectors such as paints and chemicals. The paints and coatings industry in the U.S. faced notable headwinds amid a slowdown in the housing market, rising mortgage rates, and cautious consumer sentiment.

Companies operating in the third-party real estate industry have had to navigate numerous economic headwinds in recent years, ranging from rising interest rates, spiralling inflation and muted economic growth. Typically, estate agents can earn income via fees and commissions charged to clients, which allows them to protect their operating profit margin from property price fluctuations. Revenue is projected to sink at a compound annual rate of 0.6% over the five years through 2025, including an estimated rise of 1.2% in 2025 to €207.6billion, while the average industry profit margin is forecast to reach 35.1%. Amid spiralling inflation, central banks across Europe ratcheted up interest rates, resulting in borrowing costs skyrocketing in the two years through 2023. In residential markets, elevated mortgage rates combined with tightening credit conditions eventually ate into demand, inciting a drop in house prices. Rental markets performed well when house prices were elevated, being the cheaper alternative for cash-strapped buyers. However, even lessors felt the pinch of rising mortgage rates, forcing them to hoist rent to cover costs and pricing out potential buyers. This led to a slowdown in rental markets in 2023, weighing on revenue growth. However, this have started to turn around in 2025 as interest rates have been falling across Europe in the two years through 2025, reducing borrowing costs for buyers and boosting property transactions. This has helped revenue to rebound slightly in 2025 as estate agents earn commission from property transactions. Revenue is forecast to swell at a compound annual rate of 3.7% over the five years through 2030 to €249.5 billion. Housing prices are recovering in 2025 as fixed-rate mortgages begin to drop and economic uncertainty subsides, aiding revenue growth in the short term. Over the coming years, Proptech, which has been heavily invested in, will force estate agents to adapt, shaking up the traditional real estate industry. A notable application of Proptech is the use of AI and data analytics to predict a home’s future value and speed up the process of retrofitting properties to become more sustainable.

In Q1 2025, the Titanium Dioxide market in North America experienced a fluctuating price landscape. In January, the Titanium Dioxide market followed a bearish trend in prices due to year-end destocking activities and sluggish demand, particularly from the housing sector affected by high mortgage rates and a slowdown in construction. The prevailing inflationary pressures added to the market's cautious sentiment, limiting potential improvements in demand.