The median sale price of an apartment in Brussels was €275,000 in the first half of this year – a 3.8% increase in compared to the first half of the year before, according to figures released today by Belgian statistics agency Statbel.
The data uses official sold prices rather than for-sale prices. Despite the increase, Kristophe Thijs, a spokesperson for the Confederation of Real Estate Professionals (CIB), told The Brussels Times that the market is being impacted by "excessive" rent rules.
"Our Brussels estate agents do report that investors and landlords are pulling back from the market. They point to the region’s rent regulation, which we consider unreasonable," he said.
"It uses outdated rental values as a benchmark, leaving reference rents out of step with current market conditions. Our concern is that this discourages investment in rental housing precisely when that investment is needed."
Statbel's house sales transaction data show that the Brussels municipality with the highest median apartment price was Woluwe-Saint-Pierre at €400,000. The lowest was Anderlecht, where an apartment in the first half of 2026 sold for a median price of €199,000.
Apartment prices in Flanders, meanwhile, rose faster than in Brussels – up 5.1% over the last year. However, at €268,000, the median price across Flemish communes still sits below Brussels.
"Faster apartment price growth in Flanders is not new," said Thijs. "In the first half of 2025, the increase was already 2.8%, compared with 1.9% in Brussels. So this continues a pattern visible last year."
Overall, Brussels remains the most expensive place in Belgium to buy any type of property. Statbel figures show the median price for a terraced or semi-detached house was €550,000 and for a detached house was €1.23 million.
Detached houses are cheaper elsewhere in Belgium; the median price in Wallonia was €331,000 at the start of the year. In Flanders, the figure was €449,000.
Striking contrasts
Detached houses are expensive in Brussels, reflecting the market compared with other parts of Belgium.
The Brussels-Capital Region has more apartments than houses, with around 70% of dwellings in the region being apartments and only 30% houses, the opposite of the situation in Flanders and Wallonia.
Additionally, more people rent, with only 20% of properties owner-occupied in Brussels.
As a result, rare detached houses sell for higher prices. Especially when compared to apartments, which are more abundant.
While noting that "the contrast between houses and apartments is particularly striking," Thijs qualifies the figures, noting that these are median prices.
"Changes can partly reflect which properties were sold, rather than an equivalent increase in the value of every home. The narrowing regional gap is interesting, but it does not mean comparable apartments now cost almost the same in both markets."
