Thousands of “For Sale” signs have disappeared from Denmark’s streets in the past year as the national housing supply hits decade-long lows. Major cities like Copenhagen and Aarhus are now facing an unusually tight real estate market.
Fewer Homes on the Market Nationwide
In just one year, Denmark has seen a dramatic decline in available homes for sale. According to Boligsiden data, only 5,249 owner-occupied apartments were on the market by the end of December 2025, down from 7,046 the previous December. That means more than one in four listings vanished within twelve months.
The drop marks a sharp shift in a market that was already tight. For many Danes, finding the right home has become more difficult, especially for those trying to buy a house in Denmark for the first time.
Cities Hit Hardest by the Shortage
The shortage is most visible in larger cities. In Aarhus, the number of condos for sale plunged from 776 to just 368 during 2025. It is the lowest number ever recorded by Boligsiden since tracking began 15 years ago.
Copenhagen and neighboring municipalities, including Frederiksberg, Dragør, and Tårnby, saw similar patterns. Listings fell from 1,639 to 1,155—a 30 percent drop in one year.
A key reason is the lack of new housing projects. Construction slowed after the inflation crisis of 2022, when prices for building materials skyrocketed. Many developers paused new projects, and years later this pause is now being felt across the market. With fewer new units completed, fewer homes are coming up for sale.
Rapid Sales and Hidden Listings
The trend is not limited to condos. Single-family homes and townhouses have also become harder to find. At the end of 2025, only 30,634 villas and row houses were for sale, compared with nearly 34,500 a year earlier. That is an 11 percent decline in supply.
Interestingly, the reason is not necessarily that fewer homes enter the market. Many are simply being sold faster. Throughout 2025, strong demand absorbed new listings as quickly as agents could post them, leaving fewer properties visible at any given time.
A growing portion of the market also happens quietly through what Danes call “pocket sales.” In early 2025, up to one in seven homes were reportedly sold without ever being publicly listed. Such sales make the housing inventory appear smaller and make it harder for buyers to compare prices or gauge average time on the market.
Social Media Shapes the Housing Scene
Interestingly, real estate agents and sellers are increasingly turning to social platforms like Instagram and TikTok to find buyers before listings reach official property sites. This trend reshapes how people search for homes and could further blur transparency in the market.
Because of that, many potential homeowners are left uncertain. Without public listings, they struggle to see how prices are shifting or whether a discount might be reasonable.
Regional Disparities Across the Country
At the same time, the housing gap between Copenhagen and smaller Jutland cities is shrinking in surprising ways. In December, Copenhagen, home to over 670,000 residents, had just 1,232 properties listed. Meanwhile, Frederikshavn, Viborg, Randers, and Hjørring—towns with far fewer residents—offered roughly 1,000 listings each.
That means Copenhagen now has roughly the same number of listings as mid-sized regional cities. And the trend has continued into 2026. As of early January, 1,062 homes were for sale in Copenhagen, compared with 1,103 in Frederikshavn and 1,071 in Viborg.
Such figures highlight how Denmark’s capital has reached near-record scarcity, a reality that challenges both new homeowners and investors looking into buying property in Denmark for foreigners.
The Bigger Picture
In the end, the Danish property market reflects the combined effects of inflation, slow construction, and modern selling habits. The result is a housing landscape where buyers face fewer options and mounting competition.
Unless new projects ramp up soon, experts warn that major cities will remain under pressure throughout 2026. Apartment hunting in Copenhagen or Aarhus could stay challenging for quite some time.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: How to Buy a House in Denmark
The Danish Dream: Buying Property in Denmark for Foreigners
TV2: På ét år er tusindvis af ’til salg’-skilte forsvundet
