Flat rents increase nationwide in February

02.03.2023

Landlords of residential properties increased their asking prices in February, which has already compensated for the decline observed in the previous month. On the other hand, sellers of single-family houses and condominiums have hardly made any price adjustments.

Tenants looking for a home must currently expect rising prices. Residential properties were advertised at 1.2 per cent higher values in February, according to the Swiss Real Estate Offer Index, compiled by SMG Swiss Marketplace Group in cooperation with the real estate consulting firm IAZI.

Depending on the region, there are clear differences in the development of rents. In the greater Zurich region, rents were increased by 2.5 per cent, and in central Switzerland, with its hotspot Zug by 1.7 per cent. Slightly lower price increases were visible in the Lake Geneva region (0.9 per cent) as well as in northwestern Switzerland (0.7 per cent) and Mittelland (0.6 per cent). Rents remained virtually unchanged in eastern Switzerland (0.3 per cent) and in Ticino (-0.1 per cent). The rise in rents is even more pronounced when looking at the past twelve months. On an annual basis, rents were raised on a national average by 3.8 per cent.

The current trend of rising rent asking prices is likely to continue in the current year. While immigration to Switzerland continues unabated due to positive economic developments on the one hand and the war in Ukraine on the other, rental housing construction is lagging behind – resulting in a housing shortage. “There is still no entitlement to an increase in the majority of existing tenancies, as the reference interest rate relevant under tenancy law will remain at 1.25 per cent for the time being, as recently announced by the Federal Office for Housing. However, an increase in the reference interest rate to 1.5 per cent at the next expected announcement at the beginning of June is becoming increasingly likely,” says Martin Waeber, Managing Director Real Estate, SMG Swiss Marketplace Group.

Residential property prices almost unchanged
Anyone wishing to buy a single-family house (-0.2 per cent) or a condominium (0.4 per cent) was confronted with practically unchanged asking prices in February. The median asking price per square metre for single-family houses is thus CHF 7,407, and for condominiums, CHF 8,499.

Date 28th February 2023

The Swiss Real Estate Offer Index is published on the websites of ImmoScout24 and IAZI AG.

www.immoscout24.ch/immobilienindex
www.iazi.ch/angebotsindizes

Detailed information and statistics on developments throughout Switzerland including the various major regions can be found in the download area.

Rental offers for all of Switzerland (CHF/m2 per year)

  01.02.2023 28.02.2023 Change in %
Month 266.6 269.9 3.3 1.2%
  28.02.2022 28.02.2023 Change in %
Year 260.1 269.9 9.8 3.8%

Purchase offers for single-family houses all of Switzerland (CHF/m2)

  01.02.2023 28.02.2023 Change in %
Month 7422.4 7406.6 -15.8 -0.2%
  28.02.2022 28.02.2023 Change in %
Year 7241.1 7406.6 165.5 2.3%

Purchase offers for condominiums all of Switzerland (CHF/m2)

  01.02.2023 28.02.2023 Change in %
Month 8463.3 8498.9 35.6 0.4%
  28.02.2022 28.02.2023 Change in %
Year 8155.9 8498.9 343.0 4.2%

Downloads (partly in german)

Sebastian Sinemus
Senior Communications Manager Real Estate & Mediensprecher

[email protected]

+41 79 819 21 50

Marta Andreoni

Head of Design for Automotive

Introduce yourself and your role at SMG

I’m Marta Andreoni, Head of Design at SMG Automotive. I lead the design and UX writing team shaping AutoScout24 user experience. 

In my role, I wear many hats. My main focus is ensuring we stay true to our vision “simplifying people’s lives and connecting humans through innovative digital platforms” and our brand promise, “make it happen”. I challenge my team to think user-first, push for innovation, ease of use for our customers and make forward-thinking decisions, even within business and technological constraints.

 A big part of my role is supporting each designer’s growth, motivation, and career development. Through one-on-one coaching, mentoring, group work, and projects, I help my colleagues set and achieve their goals while fostering new learning opportunities.

What helps you feel empowered and confident in your role?

If I had to mention one thing I would say “being proactive” has been key to feeling more empowered. I enjoy solving problems, so when issues or opportunities arise, be it in the product, market or the team, I get curious and I proactively investigate the reasons and try to bring inputs to be discussed with others, this makes me feel I can be part of the process or solution and my point of view is going to be taken seriously. My optimism also plays a role, giving me confidence that even the most complex challenges can be solved. 

Besides, having trust from other managers and colleagues makes me feel in a safe environment where I can take ownership on topics I’m passionate about. 

What’s one thing SMG does well in fostering an inclusive workplace? What more can be done to amplify and support different perspectives in the workplace?

In my experience, we strive for balancing top-down and bottom-up inputs, ensuring employees can influence product directions, processes, and culture. People are approachable, and our strong feedback culture helps voices be heard. Across SMG, initiatives like regular People & Culture Surveys, topic guilds, and events in our locations across the world foster open exchange and mutual learning.

That said, I’ve noticed that quieter voices sometimes get less space, or interacting with top management can feel intimidating, especially when giving critical feedback. To make participation more inclusive, we could apply more facilitation and group work techniques like structured turn-taking, written input, and smaller group discussions – ensuring everyone, regardless of confidence level, seniority or personality, feels comfortable contributing. 

Design is often about seeing the world differently. How do unique perspectives contribute to more innovative, inclusive, or impactful design?

Design is about understanding diverse user personas and perspectives to create solutions that truly meet their needs or create new opportunities. I believe in the power of collaboration to shape user experiences – bringing together different disciplines, backgrounds, and lived experiences helps challenge assumptions, uncover blind spots, and drive more inclusive, innovative, and impactful solutions.

Looking back on your career, what’s one lesson or piece of advice you wish you had known earlier as a leader in design?

There are three things no one really prepares you for as a design leader: dealing with constant change, facing failure and handling emotions at work. These topics aren’t talked about much until you face them. I was lucky to learn from others’ experiences, but much of it came through my own.

One thing I wish I had understood earlier is the power of emotional intelligence, my job is no longer about the content and the design, it is about people. Self-awareness, not just of your own emotions, but also how others feel and react, can be the difference between conflict and harmony, frustration and clarity. The more I grow as a leader and designer, the more I realise that design isn’t just about doing the design job, delivering solutions on the market: it’s about navigating people, their emotions, and making change more acceptable and transforming issues into opportunities, both within the organisation and through great products.

 

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