5,493 apartments sold, approximately 5,500 apartments listed for sale, an average selling time of 78 days, and a record average asking price of €1,720/m². These are the key figures that define the residential real estate market in Chisinau and its suburbs during the first half of 2026.
In most cases, the real estate market is assessed solely through the lens of price trends. In reality, however, prices are only the final outcome of the interaction between supply and demand. To determine whether the market is experiencing a period of stagnation, stabilization, or the beginning of a new growth cycle, it is essential to analyze several key indicators simultaneously, including the number of transactions, active housing supply, average selling time, and price dynamics.
In this article, we bring these indicators together in a comprehensive analysis for the first time to answer a question that concerns both buyers and sellers: What stage is the residential real estate market in Chisinau and its suburbs currently in, and what are the prospects for the market through the end of 2026?
According to the 2024 Population and Housing Census, Chisinau and its suburbs have approximately 311,000 apartments. An analysis of listings published on the leading real estate platforms shows that, during a typical month in 2026, around 5,500 unique apartments are actively offered for sale, including listings from private owners, real estate agencies, and property developers.
This means that only 1.77% of the total housing stock is available for sale at any given time. Relative to the size of the residential market, the active inventory remains relatively limited, providing buyers with a restricted range of available options.
In mature residential markets, an active inventory representing approximately 2.5% - 3.5% of the total housing stock is generally considered consistent with a balanced market, where buyers have sufficient choice and competition among sellers helps keep prices close to fair market value. Applying this benchmark to Chisinau suggests that an active inventory of approximately 7,800 to 10,900 apartments would represent a more balanced relationship between supply and demand.
However, inventory levels should not be assessed in isolation. To accurately evaluate market conditions, they must be analyzed together with the number of transactions and the average selling time, as these indicators reveal how quickly the available housing supply is being absorbed by buyers.
View Apartments for Sale in Chișinău.
During the first half of 2026, a total of 5,493 apartments were sold in the municipality of Chisinau and its suburbs, compared to 7,483 apartments during the same period in 2025 (View the statistics on apartments sold in 2025). This represents a decrease of 1,990 transactions, or 26.6%, confirming a slowdown in market activity during the first six months of the year.
At the same time, another key market indicator - the average selling time of an apartment (priced at market value) -increased significantly. While in the second half of 2025 an apartment sold, on average, within 59 days, in the first half of 2026 the average selling period increased to 78 days, representing an increase of approximately 32%.
Taken together, these developments indicate that the residential market has slowed its pace. Properties are no longer selling as quickly as before, while buyers have become more cautious, spending more time comparing available options, conducting market research, and negotiating before making a purchase decision.
This shift in buyer behavior can be attributed to several factors, including the rapid increase in housing prices over recent years, declining housing affordability, ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and a more cautious decision-making process among purchasers.
Nevertheless, the market is already showing the first signs of recovery. In Q2 2026, the number of apartment transactions increased by 17.2% compared to Q1 2026, while the increase in buyer activity observed at the beginning of Q3 2026 suggests that demand is gradually returning. If this trend continues, the total number of apartment transactions by the end of 2026 could reach a level similar to that recorded in 2025.
One of the most notable developments during the first half of 2026 is that, despite the decline in the number of transactions, apartment prices have not experienced any significant correction. According to the Acces Imobil Real Estate Index, the average asking price remained at €1,720 per square meter, the highest level ever recorded in the residential real estate market of Chisinau.
Over the past several months, many potential buyers postponed their purchase decisions, expecting housing prices to decline. However, market developments show that such a correction has not occurred. On the contrary, as market conditions stabilized and transaction activity increased during Q2 2026, together with the stronger buyer interest observed at the beginning of Q3 2026, an increasing number of buyers have returned to the market.
This pent-up demand, accumulated during the first half of the year, is now adding to current demand and is likely to support a higher number of transactions during the second half of 2026. At the same time, the supply of apartments remains relatively limited, while asking prices continue to hold at record levels, making a significant price correction increasingly unlikely.
If current trends continue - including stronger transaction activity, the return of buyers, and a limited housing supply - the residential real estate market in Chisinau could experience a moderate price increase of up to 5% by the end of 2026. This forecast is based on the current balance between supply and demand and assumes that no major economic or geopolitical developments will significantly alter market conditions.
The analysis of the key residential market indicators shows that during the first half of 2026, the Chisinau residential market went through a period of adjustment, characterized by fewer transactions during Q1 2026 and a longer average selling period. However, the available data do not indicate a stalled market; rather, they suggest a process of normalization following the rapid price growth recorded over recent years.
At the same time, the Acces Imobil Real Estate Index shows that the average asking price has remained at €1,720/m², the highest level recorded to date. The gradual return of buyers who had postponed their purchasing decisions, combined with a relatively limited housing supply, creates favorable conditions for stronger market activity during the second half of the year.
If these trends continue, significant price declines remain unlikely, and the market could end 2026 with a moderate price increase of up to 5%.
Author: Victor Cernomorcenco
Realization of the analysis by Victor Cernomorcenco, specialist in real estate in Chisinau and representative of Acces Imobil.
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