🇳🇱 Netherlands

The Netherlands has experienced one of Europe's most dramatic housing booms, with Amsterdam prices tripling between 2013 and 2023 despite various government interventions. The Dutch housing market is characterized by severe supply shortages — the country needs an estimated 400,000 additional homes — and a strong culture of homeownership supported by generous mortgage interest deductibility. Amsterdam's canal houses are among Europe's most iconic properties, while modern developments in Rotterdam and The Hague offer more accessible entry points.

The Dutch government has introduced several measures to cool the market, including banning buy-to-let investors from certain areas, capping rental prices for mid-segment housing, and reducing mortgage interest deductibility. Foreign buyers face no restrictions on purchasing property, and the transparent Dutch auction system (where all bids are sealed) creates a relatively fair market. Transfer tax is 2% for primary residences (0% for buyers under 35 purchasing their first home under €510,000) and 10.4% for investment properties, a significant deterrent for speculative buying.