Austria's Real Estate World in Transition: Who is Buying the Boomers' Houses?

The Austrian real estate market is in transition - as shown by various studies and surveys. Particularly noticeable are the differences between generations and their respective housing orientations. While the Boomers are selling, their offerings meet a group of buyers who cannot always buy - or do not want to. Property is still considered a stable investment, but inflation, rising interest rates, and high living costs make potential buyers think twice.

The Dream of Homeownership - Still Realistic Today?

The Austrian real estate landscape has undergone a profound transformation over the past decades. While the Baby Boomer generation often benefited from the economic miracle, rising incomes, and comparatively moderate real estate prices, subsequent generations face entirely different conditions: Entry into homeownership was more affordable, often possible with a single income, and property ownership became the standard for retirement provision and wealth security.

Today, prospective buyers face record prices, stricter credit lending guidelines, and high uncertainty about whether the dream of homeownership is even still realistic. Additionally, younger generations place more value on flexibility, sustainability, and mobility. New models like co-living or rent-to-own are seen as interesting alternatives.

Self-Evidence vs. Lifelong Debt

When Thomas, born in 1958, bought a terraced house in a suburban district of Vienna with his wife in the 1980s, the loan was still manageable with one salary. "We just started building - it was self-evident that one would acquire property," he says. Today, several decades later, he is considering selling.

His daughter Lisa, born in 1992, lives in a rented apartment in the city. "I earn well, but an owner-occupied apartment in Vienna? Utopian. I would have to go into debt for my entire life," she says. For Lisa, the parental house is not automatically a dream, but a responsibility: renovation, energy efficiency, location - all of this costs money.

Significantly Increased Square Meter Prices: Salzburg and Vienna at the Top

The decade comparison (2014-2015 to 2024-2025) shows across all generations that Austrians today spend about 51 percent more per square meter for residential real estate than they did ten years ago.
Interestingly, this mainly affects the age group between 36 to 55 years, who pay about 17 percent more for their dream property per square meter than younger people or Silver Agers aged 55 and over.

In the acquisition of real estate, buyers across all generations enjoy low square meter prices in Burgenland, while Salzburg and Vienna are the leaders here. While in 2014-2015, Burgenlanders aged 55+ paid a third more for their living space, this has shifted to the age group of 36-55 years in the period 2024-2025.

Throughout Austria, those over 55 in Vienna currently pay the most per square meter, while the lowest costs are for those up to 35 years old in Burgenland. This result is equivalent to the situation ten years ago.

On the seller side, Viennese over 55 and Vorarlbergers in the 36-55 age group lead the federal state ranking in terms of achieved square meter prices, closely followed by Tyroleans over 55, 36-55-year-old Viennese, and over-55 Salzburgers.

Young People Can No Longer Afford Large Living Spaces

It is interesting to consider how many square meters Austrians in different age groups purchased.

While Burgenlanders of all age groups have been living on an average of around 78 m² for ten years, residents of Salzburg have to settle for around 68.5 m².

Notably, the age group up to 35 years old purchased larger areas ten years ago, which have shrunk by 8 percent over the years across Austria, as larger areas are evidently no longer affordable for this buyer group. At the same time, over-55 buyers in Burgenland, Carinthia, and Vorarlberg have been purchasing larger areas again.

Looking at the age range in Austria over the past ten years, it shows that in Upper Austria, the younger age group up to 35 years currently buys the most, while the 55-plus buyers acquire less but own more living space.

Generations in Focus: The Average Age at a Glance

Regarding the average age of property buyers, not much has changed across Austria over the years; the comparison shows a clear line between 41 and 46 years across all federal states. In 2025, the youngest buyers, averaging 42 years old, come from Tyrol, while the oldest, at 46 years, come from Carinthia and Burgenland.

(Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.