Prices for luxury properties reach their zenith
Prices for luxury real estate increased by only 2 percent in 2023. This is shown by a survey conducted by UBS. Experts at the major bank expect a slight decline in prices this year. The reasons are the weak economy and the strong franc.
Luxury properties in Switzerland were on average 2 per cent more expensive in 2023 than in the previous year. This means that the rapid rise in prices in the luxury segment is coming to an end after peaking at 10 per cent in 2022, writes UBS in a press release. The experts at the major bank attribute the slowdown in the market to the weak economy and the strong Swiss franc.
“Advertised properties are attracting fewer potential buyers, who are increasingly questioning the price,” UBS property economist Katharina Hofer is quoted as saying in the press release. “If sellers are under time pressure, they may have to accept discounts.” For the current year, Hofer expects prices for luxury properties to fall by a low single-digit percentage year-on-year.
In terms of location, St. Moritz GR leads the rankings with prices per square metre of over CHF 42,000. In municipalities with a high proportion of luxury properties in Geneva or on Lake Zurich, prices per square metre start at CHF 25,000. Established luxury locations such as St. Moritz, Gstaad BE and Verbier VS have formed the top group of the most expensive Swiss municipalities for a good ten years.
In the canton of Zug, on the other hand, UBS experts have identified a remarkable increase in prices in the municipalities analysed over the past ten years. According to UBS, this shows “how attractive the low-tax strategy has made the location for some time now, particularly for people with high incomes and assets”. In Andermatt, the availability of numerous high-priced properties has led to the municipality in Uri being increasingly perceived as a luxury destination.