The cheapest and most expensive premises are most often purchased for cash, but between these two extremes, customers who finance the purchase primarily with a mortgage dominate – and they are statistically the largest group – Otodom said in a press release. In the first quarter of 2026, the number of loans granted will be approximately 70,000, and their value will be approximately PLN 31 billion, Otodom predicts.
“The housing market is not divided only into cheap and expensive real estate. In between them, there is a clear segment of moderately priced apartments. While the cheapest and most expensive apartments are most often purchased for cash, the 'in the middle' is dominated by customers who finance the purchase primarily with a mortgage loan – and they are statistically the largest group,” the release said.
An Otodom survey conducted among website users shows that in price segments up to 400,000. PLN, most transactions are carried out in cash. However, as the price increases, the importance of credit financing increases. Already in the range of 250-400 thousand. PLN, the share of mortgages approaches one third of all transactions, and in the segment of PLN 400-700 thousand. PLN exceeds 40 percent It is this price range that is most often and most strongly supported by credit, and at the same time it accounts for the vast majority of demand.
Above this level, dependence on credit begins to weaken. Although its share in the price segment of PLN 850,000-1 million remains relatively high, the higher the price for the property, the less credit financing systematically decreases – said Paweł Jarząbek, research and analysis manager at Otodom, quoted in the release.
“In the case of the most expensive real estate, above PLN 1.4 million, almost seven out of ten purchases are made in cash, and the importance of credit falls to a marginal level. This is a group of wealthy customers interested in premium investments or financing the purchase of a new, expensive apartment or house with funds from the sale of another property,” he added.
The Otodom material states that currently the phenomenon of the so-called The credit crunch is additionally strengthened by the unprecedented demand for housing loans for years. According to data from the Credit Information Bureau, in the first quarter of 2026, 144,000 people applied for this type of financing. people (+47% y/y and +83% compared to 2024). March 2026 alone brought 63.3 thousand. conclusions.
It was indicated that the average amount of the loan applied for broke a record, reaching PLN 506,000. zloty. According to BIK data, in the period January-February, banks granted 44.9 thousand. loans with a total value of PLN 20.4 billion, which is an increase of 41.8%. in numerical terms and 53 percent in value year to year.
Housing loans granted in Poland finance both the purchase of real estate on the primary and secondary markets, as well as the refinancing of existing loans, in January and February this year. the latter could have been about 30 percent. numerically.
(…) Based on the dynamics of inquiries from February, it can be predicted that in the entire first quarter of 2026, the number of loans granted will be approximately 70,000 and their value will be approximately PLN 31 billion. Forecasts for the second quarter of this year. are positive. Therefore, the demand from the group of credit customers will not weaken in the following months of 2026 – it was written.
The situation of customers varies depending on the agglomeration
“In each of the seven largest cities in Poland, separate risks and opportunities can be identified, because the market is not homogeneous, and whether the customer enters it with cash or with a loan puts him in a completely different position depending on the agglomeration,” said Paweł Jarząbek.
“There are cities where the customer with cash dictates the conditions, and his budget significantly exceeds the possibilities of people using a loan. Such locations are, for example, Warsaw and the Tricity. However, in Poznań, Kraków and Wrocław, the situation is the opposite – borrowers have statistically higher budgets. In Łódź and Katowice, there is a relative balance between the budgets of people who take loans and those who use more cash,” he added.
On the Warsaw market, the percentage of cash transactions (43%) and credit transactions (39%) is very similar. However, customers, most of whom buy with their own funds, have an average budget of PLN 138,000. PLN higher than the borrower's (PLN 830,000 to PLN 692,000).
A high share of financing the purchase of real estate from own funds is also noticeable in the Tricity (52%), with a simultaneous lower percentage of loans (32%). In the Tri-City market we are dealing with 67,000 higher PLN in the budgets of cash clients (PLN 607 thousand to PLN 540 thousand).
In Poznań, Wrocław and Kraków the so-called The credit crunch is clear, but people taking out a loan have an equal or even larger budget than cash investors.
In Poznań, purchases from equity capital dominate (54 percent of all transactions), but borrowers dominate in the higher price segments. Their average budget is PLN 585,000. PLN, i.e. by 100 thousand PLN more than with savings buyers. We observe a similar situation in Wrocław. In turn, Krakow is the most balanced. The share of both forms of payment is similar (42% cash, 38% credit), and the difference in the average budget is approximately PLN 15,000. PLN to the benefit of borrowers.
In Łódź and Katowice, real estate prices are so low that taking out a loan is relatively easy. For example, in Katowice as much as 57 percent. all properties are purchased for cash. This is due to very low thresholds for entering the market, as average total budgets here are approximately PLN 400,000. PLN for both cash and credit.
In Łódź, almost half of transactions on the housing market are financed with savings (49%). The share of loans is only 30 percent. transaction. The budgets of credit and cash buyers in Łódź are almost identical and amount to PLN 418,000-428,000. zloty.
“Taking into account that 45% of loans granted today are aimed at the secondary market, and competition on this market takes place on terms dictated by cash, for individual sellers of second-hand real estate, a client with cash is safer. A loan is always time and the risk of a banking decision,” said Paweł Jarząbek.
“For borrowers who have a budget similar to that of cash borrowers, the development market may be more favorable, accounting for 40 percent of loans. Developers have their own procedures and are usually more willing to wait for bank formalities to be completed,” he added. (PAP Business)
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