House prices in the Netherlands remained stable last year, while sales volumes were also similar to 2009, the real estate agents’ association NVM said on Thursday.

The average price paid for a home in the fourth quarter was €230,000, in line with the 2009 figure. Year on year prices actually rose in the first two quarters, the NVM said.
Total sales by NVM-allied estate agents amounted to almost 95,000, just under 1% up on 2009. Throughout the country as a whole, the NVM says 128,000 houses changed hands.
The organisation expects a similar picture in 2011.
Amsterdam
However, according to a spokesman for the Amsterdam estate agents’ organisation MVA, house prices in the capital bucked the trend with a 4.5% rise.
Spokeswoman Eefje Voogd told the Parool that the city council stop on new building is likely to drive up prices further this year.