(Seoul=News1) Reporter Kim Do-woo = The average presale price of Seoul apartments breaks 20 million won per 1㎡ for the first time last month. According to analysis of Cheongyak Home data by presale evaluation firm Realhouse on the 5th, the presale price per exclusive 1㎡ of Seoul apartments this year is 20.07 million won, surpassing 20 million won for the first time. The photo shows apartment complexes in downtown as seen from Namsan in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Sep. 5, 2025./Courtesy of News1

It was found that last month's apartment subscription competition rate in Seoul topped 150 to 1. The nationwide apartment subscription competition rate stayed in the single digits.

According to an analysis by Real House on the 20th of data from the Korea Real Estate Board (REB) Subscription Home, the nationwide average first-priority apartment subscription competition rate in December last year was compiled at 6.93 to 1 (based on the 12-month moving average).

The nationwide rate has remained in the single digits for six consecutive months from July (9.08 to 1) to December after recording 14.8 to 1 in May last year. Last year's annual rate fell more than 40% from the previous year (12.54 to 1).

Seoul, however, showed the opposite trend. Seoul's first-priority subscription competition rate in December was 155.98 to 1. This is a record high since January 2022 (144.91 to 1) and the highest level in the past four years. Even as nationwide demand declined, pent-up waitlist demand appears to have concentrated in Seoul.

Among the December offerings, "Yeoksam Central Xi" in the Gangnam area of Seoul posted a competition rate of 487.1 to 1, as expectations for a price gap from the price ceiling system drove demand even though the sale price for the 84-square-meter exclusive unit was as high as 2.813 billion won.

Source = Realhouse

In contrast, all five projects that went on sale in Incheon in December were undersubscribed, and many areas on the outskirts of the greater Seoul area and outside the metropolitan area showed competition rates below 1 to 1, presenting a stark contrast.

With selective demand concentrating in the subscription market, November's unsold inventory by region rose 45.7% month over month in South Chungcheong. North Chungcheong (7.4%), Incheon (5.1%), and Sejong (4.3%) also saw increases in unsold units. In contrast, Seoul (1.8%), Gyeonggi (7.5%), Daejeon (9.3%), and Ulsan (13.7%) saw declines in unsold units.

Kim Seon-a, head of subscription analysis at Real House, said, "Judging by the unsold inventory and recent apartment subscription competition rates, cautious subscriptions are increasing, with applications flocking only to projects or regions with clear price gains," and added, "There seems to be a growing view that entering through subscription is relatively advantageous in regulated areas."

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.