Cologne real estate market: Sales times are falling – prices in focus!

Cologne real estate market: Sales times are falling – prices in focus!

Cologne will emerge as a dynamic market for residential real estate in 2025. The current analysis reveals that the marketing time for condominiums in the cathedral city has fallen to an average of 74 days, while single and two-family homes also find a buyer quicker at 75 days. Compared to the previous quarter, this represents a significant decrease: times fell by 14.9% for condominiums and by 12.8% for single-family homes, as konii.de reports.

At the same time, however, there is a decline in real estate supply. In the first quarter of 2025, only 995 apartments and 725 houses were for sale, a decrease of 27.1% for condominiums and 23.5% for single-family homes compared to the previous quarter. The price dynamics are very different: the average price for condominiums rose by 2.6% to 339,854 euros, while the prices for single-family homes fell by 1.2% to 607,803 euros.

Urban development and quality of life

Cologne, with a current population of around 1.1 million, continues to position itself as an attractive metropolis. Projections suggest the population will rise to 1.13 million by 2035. Cologne Cathedral, an international landmark, attracts millions of spectators every year, and the city proves to be a location with a lot of cultural wealth and diverse leisure opportunities.

The excellent transport connections via motorways such as the A1, A3, A4 and A57 as well as Cologne Central Station are considered important junctions in the national and international transport system. The city is also home to Germany's largest university with around 102,000 students, which further fuels the demand for living space. von-poll.com emphasizes that new building areas in districts such as Mülheim, Nippes and Ehrenfeld are also being continuously developed.

Price trends and popular locations

Popular residential areas include Altstadt-Süd, Marienburg, Hahnwald, Lindenthal and Müngersdorf. Here the prices for single-family homes in premium locations are between 1.2 million and 6 million euros. In trendy locations such as Altstadt-Nord, Neustadt-Nord and Deutz, apartments in old buildings are very popular, while the price per square meter can be up to 9,700 euros.

On the other hand, there are cheaper options, for example in Dellbrück and Holweide, where semi-detached houses are available from 650,000 euros. The north of Cologne offers the lowest prices: in Chorweiler they start at 310,000 euros for single-family homes. For condominiums in Nippes and the surrounding area, prices per square meter can be expected between 4,900 and 5,800 euros, as statista.com notes.

Market development and purchasing power

The demand for high-quality condominiums and penthouses remains high, although an overall lower price increase has been observed in recent years compared to other major cities in Germany. The average purchase price factor is 29.7 years, a decrease of 8.4% compared to 2022. Not only the diverse leisure options, but also the consistently high purchasing power in the city of 28,133 euros per capita, which corresponds to a purchasing power index of 104.7%, ensure a pleasant living experience.

Although rental prices for existing apartments have increased by almost 10% in the last five years, the current rental price of 16.05 euros per square meter is still advantageous, especially compared to new apartments, which are already at 17.36 euros per square meter. These developments make Cologne a highly attractive location for property and rental apartments, which has attracted and will likely continue to attract both investors and future owners.