Yle reported in August 2026 that property price data is not easily available online. This is not a minor technical detail. It means that the average buyer enters one of their biggest financial decisions without proper data. The seller and the agent have the information. The buyer does not.
What the problem really is
The National Land Survey of Finland wants to establish a register of property sale prices, but it requires a legislative change. This was reported in August 2026. So the register does not yet exist. Until then, the buyer has to piece together a price picture from fragments.
The situation is peculiar. You’re buying a property for hundreds of thousands of euros, often with a 25–35 year loan, and comparison data is harder to find than for a used car. It’s not because you’re lazy or don’t know how to search. The information simply isn’t available in public sources.
Where you can try to look
A few places exist, and they’re worth checking before you make any offer.
- Etuovi and Oikotie – asking prices in sale listings are visible, but the asking price is not the sale price. The difference can be significant.
- Statistics Finland – publishes property price indices and regional price trend data. The figures are general-level statistics, not individual property sale prices.
- Bank market reviews – for example, Nordea predicted as recently as spring 2026 that prices would not rise this year. Useful background information, but the bank’s interest is not entirely neutral.
- Property manager’s certificate and financial statements – tell you about the housing company’s finances, not about neighboring apartment sales.
According to Yle’s reporting, property price declines have continued and price trends vary significantly by city—even by neighborhood. This information is publicly available at a general level. But what that specific two-bedroom apartment on the top floor of the same housing company last sold for cannot be found by googling. It’s also important to remember that the actual price of that other two-bedroom is not the most relevant piece of information, because properties and the situations of their sellers and buyers are never identical.
Why the asking price is misleading
Here’s the thing that’s often not said out loud. The agent sets the asking price based on the seller’s wishes and the market situation. It’s the starting point for negotiation, not the truth about the property’s value.
Property price trends have been declining in many cities. At the same time, properties are coming onto the market whose asking prices may not necessarily reflect this trend. A buyer who only looks at asking prices gets a distorted picture of what properties are actually selling for.
Add to this the fact that housing costs are turning upward this year according to Yle. Owner-occupiers are in a worse position than renters. Context is therefore important, and that context must be read correctly before making a purchase decision.
What public data doesn’t tell you
Even if you found all the fragmented sources mentioned above and spent an hour or two browsing them, a number of things remain that you don’t have information about.
- What has been the actual sale price in comparable properties over the past six months
- Are there upcoming repair projects in the housing company that will eat into the property’s value
- Is the asking price realistic in relation to what has been paid in the area
- Is your offer too high or too low
These are exactly the questions the buyer needs answers to before signing their name on a purchase offer.
Why this gap is a problem especially now
New lending rules, rising costs of home ownership, and market uncertainty make this moment particularly difficult for buyers. According to the Bank of Finland, the new lending rules will lead to rising property prices and increased debt. The maximum loan term may rise to 40 years. According to a recent study, 44 percent of Finns consider a mortgage a financial risk.
When the stakes are this high, the buyer needs to know what they’re buying and at what price. Public data doesn’t provide that answer. The agent represents the seller. No one is on the buyer’s side by default unless the buyer gets help themselves.
The gap left by missing public price data is exactly where independent analysis comes in. OUN® does exactly this—no commissions, no seller mandate. If you’re buying a property and want to know what it’s really worth paying for it, get in touch and order a property analysis.
Is it time to buy my own apartment?
The purchase agreement for your home is one of the most important contracts you’ll ever sign. Before signing, it’s a good idea to know exactly what the property’s documents say—and what’s missing from them.
OUN® reviews the documents related to the sale of the property on your behalf and provides a plain-language analysis within 24 hours. We are 100% on your side—we don’t sell the apartment to anyone.
