In the third quarter of 2018, notary agrements regarding sales of real estate units and any other kind of exchange of properties and appurtenances in return for payment (175,102) decreased by 0.8% compared with the previous quarter (-0.2% in the residential sector and -10.9% in the economic properties sector).
In comparison with the previous quarter, the residential sector marked positive variations in the Centre (+0.9%), in the North-East (+0.8%) and in the Islands (+0.6%), while negative variations were observed in the North-West (-1.2%) and in the South (-1.1%). The economic sector was characterised by declines across all geographical areas (-21.8% in the North-West; -11.6% in the North-East; -6.1% in the Islands and -3.4% in the South) with the exception of expansive signals in the Centre (+2.3%).
Real estate unit exchange agreements increased overall by 1.6%, compared with the same period of the previous year. The growth concerned the transfers of residential properties (+3.9%), whereas real estate units for business purposes decreased (-27.1%).
In the period July-September 2018, the increase of transfers of residential properties involved both all the geographical areas (North-East +7.3%, Islands +5.0%, Centre +4.7%, North-West +2.1%, South +1.9%) and all types of municipality (metropolitan cities +3.3%, small municipalities +4.5%), in comparison with the third quarter of 2017. Also the decline registered in the economic sector was cross-cutting at all geographical areas and types of municipalities (North-East -41.1%, North-West -26.6%, Centre -22.1%, Islands -17.1% and South -13.7%; metropolitan cities -21.5% and small municipalities -30.5%).
Transfers of residential properties (165,379) represented 94.4% of notary agreements, whereas transfers for business purposes (8,946) and estates for special uses and multi-owned properties (777) represented 5.1% and 0.4% respectively.
Mortgage-secured loans (98,209) increased by 1.5% compared with the previous quarter and by 7.0% over the third quarter of 2017.
Mortgage-secured loans grew throughout the national territory, both compared with the previous quarter (Centre +2.3%, North-West +1.4%, North-East +1.3%, Islands +1.2%, South +0.8%) and compared with the third quarter of 2017 (North-East +9.4%, Centre +6.7%, South +6.6%, North-West +6.4%, Islands +3.8%). As regards types of municipality, the growth concerned both metropolitan cities (+8.3%) and small municipalities (+6.1%).