Property sales collapsed in 2012. According to Istat, in fact, last year the total number of agreements for the transfer of real estate stood at 632.117, down by 22,6% compared to 2011 and even by 43,2% compared to 2006.
On an annual basis, the sales agreements of real estate units for residential use and accessories recorded a drop of 22,8%, while those of real estate units for economic use suffered a decrease of 19,7%. The decline in sales affected all territorial areas of Italy, and especially the Islands, (-24,5% in the housing sector and -30,6% in the economic sector.
In the fourth quarter of 2012 alone, on the other hand, notarial agreements for the transfer of ownership of real estate units amounted to 174.599, down 25,7% year over year, a synthesis of -26,4% in agreements for residential properties and -16,6% in those for business use.
Also in this case the greatest tendential decline is that recorded in the islands, -34,5%. Notarial agreements for mortgages, loans and other obligations with the establishment of a real estate mortgage entered into with banks or parties other than banks (69.369) confirm a negative trend (-30,6%) in line with the first three quarters, closing the year with a clear decrease on 2011 of 37,4%.
