Penthouses given to young hands: buyers on Moscow's luxury real estate market have become younger

Since the beginning of this year, demand for ultra-premium housing in new buildings in Moscow has grown sharply. More and more often, prestigious apartments and flats in the center of the First Throne are purchased by citizens aged 20 to 30. They are no longer interested in views of the Kremlin; they choose new residential complexes in dynamically developing areas of the metropolis — with a technological environment, well-thought-out layouts and opportunities for the next generation to live.

The capital's new buildings of the "elite" and deluxe classes remain one of the most reliable and liquid instruments for private investment by Russians. Over the past 12 months, according to NF Group, the number of apartments and flats worth over 1 billion rubles in the center of Moscow has doubled.

As the head of the sales department of the BEL Development Group of Companies, Lyudmila Kostyaykina, said, this year the portrait of the buyer of elite real estate has changed noticeably. If a few years ago wealthy people aged 50-60 prevailed, today many transactions are made by 20- and 30-year-old citizens who prefer a completely different format of communication. "Money came to them easily and they easily part with money. Therefore, there are a lot of emotional purchases," the developer added.

"Young buyers of premium housing have fallen out of love with the center. They need "action", fresh air, ecology," noted Olga Vilonova, head of the elite real estate department at VSN Group. According to her, so-called "weekend" apartments are very popular among wealthy people living in the Moscow region. On weekends, they entrust their children to the care of security and nannies, and they themselves go to the capital for the weekend to unwind: go to the theater, an exhibition, have dinner in a cozy restaurant with delicious cuisine.

According to Kostyaykina, since the beginning of this year, the number of buyers from the regions has increased sharply. Particularly active are representatives of the oil and gas industry, the agro-industrial complex and other sectors of the economy, whose business has received a second wind from the Russian Federation's course on import substitution. There are also many crypto investors, bloggers, people who love traveling, who buy so-called "suite" real estate (for several nights - "MK"). For this category of clients, many developers are creating hotel services. If earlier the priority of buyers of elite real estate was location and clubbing, today, infrastructure and location are mainly valued.

Due to the shortage of sites for elite construction in the center of the metropolis, the capital's residents actively went to the regions. "Many apartment complexes with the participation of Muscovites are being built in Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and Kaliningrad. Moreover, at first, the capital's standards are usually received with hostility by local residents, but over time, the Moscow fashion takes root in the regions. For example, Muscovites instilled an interest in apartment complexes in Novosibirsk residents: if in this Siberian city elite apartments were bought only for personal residence, now lots are often purchased specifically for renting out," Kostyaykina said.

It is no secret that a lot of noise in the capital's elite housing market is also created by applications from Asia. "In practice, the bulk of real transactions among foreign buyers are citizens of Belarus and Kazakhstan. These are reliable, solvent clients who are well versed in the Moscow agenda," emphasized Etagi Prime Managing Partner Rigina Gordeeva.

She noted a number of new trends that are gaining momentum. "Today, people with capital make decisions based not only on their own needs, but also with an eye to the future - the interests of children and even grandchildren are taken into account," the expert emphasized. If earlier, in her opinion, the key argument in favor of choosing was, for example, a view of the Kremlin, now for many, a "view of the Yandex office" has become more attractive than the historical center. "We see a steady demand for new residential complexes in actively developing areas of Moscow - with a technological environment, thoughtful layouts and opportunities for the next generation to live," Gordeeva added.

According to her, in the first quarter of 2025, demand remained high, but the transaction cycle lengthened from 2-4 months to 6-12. Clients carefully analyze not only the objects, but also the context - infrastructure, life scenarios, growth prospects. More and more often, they choose not just square meters, but the real estate that "lies on the heart" and corresponds to their life scenarios.

Another important trend is that pricing has become more flexible. "Prices are rising, but deals are increasingly being concluded with a discount. Especially if the buyer is ready to make a deal quickly and pay in one transaction. In such cases, the discount can reach up to 15%. At the same time, many choose individual installment plans and we adapt to this," Gordeeva added.

"Among buyers of new buildings of the premium class and above, installment plans with deferred payment are especially popular, when the buyer makes a minimum payment, and then pays in small tranches at the agreed time and finally - 40-60% of the total amount. After the payment, the property rights to the lot are registered," said Whitewill broker Alexander Rogov.

Gordeeva highlighted another interesting trend: buyers of elite apartments prefer lots with ready-made finishing: “Our client is tired of endless repairs, delays and communication with contractors. He wants to move in and live. This is a new level of market maturity – and the demand for comfort is key here.”

However, the approach is not dominant. "Our clients prefer options when the rough work in a new building has already been completed, and then you can choose a designer finish with possible changes to suit the customer," Olga Vilonova added.

According to Dream Realty expert Erlan Azhibaev, the confrontation between developers regarding finishing resembles the confrontation between the two clans of Montague and Capulet from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. According to him, there are companies that prefer to sell lots without finishing, and there are many examples when objects with high-quality finishing using the best foreign technologies are successfully sold.

The expert drew attention to a new trend: the attention of buyers of elite housing today quickly switches. In fact, it is controlled by the brokerage community, whose interests are directed towards new projects. As a result, the number of leftovers in already completed projects, commissioned two or three years ago, is increasing in Moscow. The current share of leftovers, in the broker's opinion, fluctuates in old projects at the level of 10-20%.

According to Azhibaev's forecast, the number of elite properties, including new projects and reconstruction of old mansions, will grow in Moscow in the coming years. On the contrary, premium real estate broker Nargiz Sultanova believes that the volume of elite projects in Moscow will decrease by 2026-2027.

Time will tell what scenario the situation on the capital's housing market will follow. The opinions of market participants coincide in only one conclusion. "Moscow's elite real estate will definitely retain its status as one of the most reliable and liquid forms of investment," Rigina Gordeeva is sure.

Let us recall that in the recently published rating of the Intermark company, Moscow entered the TOP-5 cities with the most expensive luxury real estate in the world. For example, 1 sq. m. in the capital's premium-class new building is estimated at € 21 thousand - this is about 2 million rubles. Prices for premium housing have increased by 30% since the first quarter of 2024. For luxury - even more. And this trend will continue in the near future, analysts are sure.