As actual apartment transaction prices in Seoul rose last year, more than half of the areas traded in Seoul surpassed their pre-2024 record highs. In particular, the share of transactions setting new highs increased noticeably, led by certain areas such as Gangnam and the downtown districts in Seoul, and Gwacheon and Seongnam Bundang in Gyeonggi.
According to an analysis of apartment actual transaction record-high price trends by RealHouse, a presale evaluation specialist, released on the 23rd, among a total of 74,577 apartment area types with transactions since 2019, 17,729 area types exceeded their pre-2024 record highs. As a result, the record-high renewal rate for 2025 was tallied at 23.77%. The 2025 record highs rose an average 13.34% from the previous records, which translates to an average increase of 143.7 million won. This means that 2 out of 10 transactions by apartment area were on average 143.7 million won higher than the pre-2024 record highs.
By region, Seoul had the highest record-high renewal rate at 54.65% among major provinces and cities nationwide. Even within Seoul, the differences by area were clear. In the Gangnam area—Gangnam (83.68%), Seocho (80.92%), and Songpa (75%)—and in the downtown districts—Seongdong (87.69%), Yongsan (81.94%), and Mapo (76.84%)—the record-high renewal rates hovered above 80%, drawing in chase buying despite price burdens. In contrast, Nowon (12.07%), Dobong (12.90%), and Gangbuk (19.19%) posted renewal rates below the national average.
The region with the highest renewal rate nationwide was in Gyeonggi Province. Gyeonggi's overall renewal rate was 19.02%, below the national average, but Gwacheon showed super-strong momentum as 92 of 94 apartment area types set new record highs, for a renewal rate of 97.87%. Seongnam Bundang District in Gyeonggi also recorded a renewal rate of 83.09%. In contrast, price gains were modest in Icheon (5.76%), Paju (7.25%), and Pyeongtaek (4.88%).
Meanwhile, apartment price increases in provincial regions were relatively lower than in the greater Seoul area. Gwangju Metropolitan City (7.57%), Daegu Metropolitan City (9.18%), Daejeon Metropolitan City (11.15%), and Busan Metropolitan City (11.82%) had low record-high renewal rates and were analyzed to have faced limits on apartment price increases.
Looking at the change in record highs by region, Seoul was the highest at an average 284.85 million won (17.88%). It was followed by Gyeonggi Province at 100.59 million won, Sejong at 57.98 million won, Busan at 56.64 million won, and Daegu at 51.57 million won.
By individual complex, for units with the largest increases in record highs, the previous pre-2024 record high for the 243.2-square-meter exclusive unit at Hannam The Hill in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, was 8 billion won, but in 2025 it transacted at 17.5 billion won, jumping 9.5 billion won from the previous record. The 198.41-square-meter exclusive unit at Hyundai 2nd in Apgujeong, Gangnam, Seoul, transacted at 11.78 billion won, up 5.48 billion won from the previous record, and the 161.19-square-meter exclusive unit at Hyundai 1st in the same area also rose 4.72 billion won, from 3.78 billion won to 8.5 billion won.