Geneva property prices according to the OCSTAT: sales trends since 2024, price per square metre by zone, houses, and purchase rules for foreigners.
Property prices in Geneva are among the highest in Switzerland. In the second quarter of 2026, the median price of an existing apartment sold in the canton reached CHF 1.397 million, and that of a detached house CHF 2.100 million, according to the Office cantonal de la statistique (OCSTAT). Per square metre, an existing apartment on the open market sold in 2024 at a median price of CHF 10,853, 2.5% more than in 2023.
The market reads in two stages. The number of sales has been falling or flat since the end of the pandemic, but prices keep rising, and activity has picked up again since the end of 2025. Here is what the official figures say, how prices vary by area, and what you need to know before buying from France.
In 2024, the OCSTAT recorded 2,964 property transactions for a total value of CHF 7.819 billion. That is 504 fewer transactions than in 2023, the lowest total since 2019. The value, though, stayed close to that of 2023, because prices rose and entire high-value buildings changed hands.
The first estimates for 2025 show a stable number of sales (2,987) but a lower total value, at CHF 7.444 billion. If these figures are confirmed, it would be the fourth year in a row of falling traded value since the 2021 peak.
The fourth quarter of 2025 was busy, with CHF 2.461 billion traded across 786 transactions. The trend continued in 2026: CHF 1.869 billion in the first quarter, then CHF 2.002 billion in the second, a level slightly above the same quarters of the three previous years. The OCSTAT specifies that this rise comes from higher property prices and a few large sales, not from a greater number of transactions: 668 sales in the second quarter of 2026, against 766 a year earlier.
Scarcity also weighs on rentals. On 1 June 2026, the canton had 793 vacant homes, including 682 apartments, for a vacancy rate of 0.31%. For a buyer who wants to live in the property, that means little supply and strong competition for well-located homes.
In Geneva, the OCSTAT analyses prices by the zoning categories defined by cantonal law. Zone 1 corresponds to the Old Town, inside the former fortifications, zone 2 to the neighbourhoods bordering it, and zone 3 to areas that are already largely urbanised. The gap is clear:
In development zones, the State controls the sale price of new condominium-owned (PPE) apartments for 10 years after the first occupants move in, and the owner must live there during that period. These homes are clearly cheaper than the open market, but they are sold in batches and their number varies widely: they made up only 10% of the 1,423 apartments sold in 2024, the lowest share since 2006.
The median price of a house sold in 2024 reached CHF 2.190 million, against CHF 2.138 million in 2023. The gaps between municipalities are considerable: CHF 6.200 million in Cologny, nearly four times the median price in the municipalities of the west of the canton, Champagne and Mandement, at CHF 1.595 million. For an existing house, a quarter of sales are below CHF 1.700 million and a quarter above CHF 3.261 million. The median plot size is 860 square metres for an existing house, against 465 for a new one.
In 2024, individuals accounted for 53% of the value bought, split almost evenly between foreign buyers (26%) and Swiss buyers (27%). Real estate and construction professionals made up 33%. On the seller side, Swiss individuals dominate by a wide margin (44% of the value), far ahead of foreign individuals (9%).
The purchase of property by people abroad is governed by the federal law known as the lex Koller (LFAIE). On 15 April 2026, the Federal Council opened a consultation, until 15 July 2026, on a draft that tightens it. Among other things, it would make the purchase of a main residence by nationals of states that are neither in the European Union nor in EFTA subject to authorisation, with an obligation to resell within two years if they leave. It also proposes restricting holiday homes and banning people abroad from buying commercial buildings to rent them out.
This draft targets nationals of third countries: it does not target European citizens who come to live in Switzerland. Your situation nonetheless depends on your nationality, your residence permit and the intended use of the property. Have it checked by a Geneva notary before any purchase promise, and follow the progress of the text after the consultation.
In a market where supply is scarce and prices can vary twofold depending on the zone, knowing the ground matters. A Remoters home finder based in Geneva can search for you, view properties, compare prices with recent sales in the area and prepare the signing with the notary. The first conversation and the quote are free.
Short answers to the questions our readers ask, written to stand on their own.
Sources cited in this article
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