The Future of the Housing Market

Dear Colleagues,

A well-functioning housing market should ensure the provision of affordable and sufficient housing services that satisfy the needs of those demanding them. However, the economic, environmental, and societal developments observed in the past decade have led to this idea becoming utopic in many regional markets. Hence, one could wonder about the underlying elements explaining these trends and their translation into the future.

Some initial reflections are as follows. Traditional drivers such as demographics are expected to continue playing a role. Not only will the formation of new households and migration trends be important, but the characteristics of these households, e.g., size and age, could be even more relevant to anticipating demand. Looking at the financial side, the role of macroprudential policy cannot be neglected. Moreover, one could also think about the potential implications of the surge of new assets, such as cryptocurrencies. Another important element to mention is climate change and environmental regulation. The latter could directly contribute to “heating” some local markets by constraining the possibilities for new developments. Finally, a word on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic is due since some of the changes that it has brought will remain with us. While “work-from-home” has brought flexibility into the decision of where to settle down, it has also introduced the need for additional space. Would that mean that demand for larger units in rural and suburban areas will become the norm in the coming years?

All the above mentioned issues are expected to be addressed and further analyzed in this Special Issue (SI). We are seeking contributions that provide novel insights into the drivers of the housing market that could shape its development in the coming years. Both theoretical and empirical approaches will be considered.

Dr. Ana Rosa Gonzalez Martinez
Guest Editor

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• Housing affordability
• Residential investment
• Macroprudential policy
• Sustainability
• Demographics
• Hedonic prices
• Forecasting