The demand for small apartments in business class increased 1.8 times

The demand for small business class apartments has increased 1.8 times. This is the conclusion reached by analysts at STONE, who traced the evolution of demand for apartments up to 40 square meters. From 2020 to 2025, we found out how Muscovites' preferences for such housing have changed in the business and comfort class market. On January 15, Izvestia got acquainted with the results of the study.

According to the preliminary results of the year, the business class segment demonstrated the strongest growth in interest in small-sized apartments (up to 40 square meters). Since the end of summer, the dynamics of transactions has significantly outpaced last year's figures. If demand was unstable in the first half of 2025, then in August the increase compared to August 2024 was 76%.

In autumn, the trend intensified in September and October: the excess of last year's figures was 77% and 76%, respectively. In November 2025, the annual increase in demand for compact apartments reached 83%. The premium segment has been showing negative dynamics relative to 2024 for most of the year.

The most noticeable lag was recorded in February (-66%) and June (-57%). However, the end of the year was marked by a sharp reversal of the trend: in November 2025, demand for small premium apartments jumped by 60% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, in November 2020, small-sized apartments (up to 40 square meters) in business class occupied a modest niche of 17%, while the vast majority of transactions (83%) accounted for spacious formats.

The study showed that the situation has changed dramatically in five years: the share of compact apartments has reached 42%. The premium segment also demonstrates a trend towards "shrinking" areas. In 2020, the share of apartments is up to 40 sq. m. The difference in sales fluctuated by 1-7% during the year (only in November the figure rose to 11%). By November 2025, this figure had reached 19%.

"Today, a client with a business and premium segment budget prefers to invest in location status and environmental quality rather than in excess space – an additional important incentive for demand for small apartments is the desire to have time to arrange a family mortgage, the terms of which ideally match the cost of housing in this format," Marina Gritskova, head of the STONE analytical center, explained to Izvestia

The expert explained that a compact lot in a prestigious house is becoming an ideal format for businessmen living in two cities, or a "start-up capital" for the younger generation. In five years, as she emphasized, this trend has strengthened and turned small apartments from a niche product into a highly liquid asset. Ergonomic compact layouts allow you to get premium service and environment with a reasonable check.

Construction noise: how new buildings and secondary buildings have risen in price in 2025

The market is faced with inflation, which increases the cost of housing, and the consequences of prohibitive mortgage rates

On January 12, Vladimir Vinogradov, investor and CEO of Pro-Vision Communications, predicted a 3-5% increase in prices for secondary real estate in February this year, which will be fixed compared to December 2025. He stated that the purchase of housing remains a profitable investment, because it is also regarded as an asset that becomes more expensive over time.

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