In the second quarter of 2019, notary agreements regarding sales of real estate units and any other kind of exchange of properties and appurtenances in return for payment were 216,483. Seasonally adjusted data decreased by 1.7% compared with the previous quarter (-1.7% the residential sector, -1,4% the economic properties sector).
In comparison with the previous quarter, the residential sector recorded negative changes in all the geographical areas, though with considerably different intensities (Centre -3.7%, North-East and North-West -1.5%, Islands -0.8% and South -0.2%). In the economic sector, the decline concerned the Centre (-7.4%) and the North-East (-4.4%), while increases were recorded in the Islands (+5.7%) and in the South (+3.5%); the North-West remained substantially stable (+0.3%).
Almost the total of notary agreements (94.5%) concerned transfers of residential properties (204,512), followed by transfers of properties for business purposes (11,272; 5.2%) and estates for special uses and multi-owned properties (699; 0.3%).
Real estate unit exchange agreements rose overall by 3.5% in comparison with the II quarter 2018. The expansion concerned both the residential and the economic sector (+3.6% and +3.1% respectively).
The trend growth, observed in the housing sector, involved the entire national territory (Centre +4.5%, North-East +3.8%, South and the Islands +3.3%, North-West +3.2%) and all types of municipalities (small municipalities +4.9%; metropolitan cities +2.1%). The economic sector recorded positive trend changes in the Centre (+11.4%), in the Islands (+10.7%), in the South (+3.9%), in the North-East (+0.7%), in metropolitan cities (+4.8%) as well as in small municipalities (+1.9%); the changes were negative in the North-West (-1.8%).
Mortgage-secured loans (106,490) declined by 5.9% compared with the previous quarter and by 6.4% on an annual basis.
Mortgage-secured loans decreased throughout the national territory, both compared with the previous quarter (Centre -8.8%, Islands -6.5%, South -5.1%, North-West and North-East both -4.9%) and the second quarter 2018 (South -8.1%, North-West and the Islands -6.7%, Centre -5.7% and North-East -5.4%). As regards types of municipality, the decline concerned both metropolitan cities (-7.4%) and small municipalities (-5.6%).