Debrecen4U March 2, 2026

Real Estate Options Presentation at the Otthon Start Expo in Debrecen

Along a corridor at the Kölcsey Centre, several banks had set up temporary branches to welcome visitors to the Otthon Start Expo. This allowed attendees to assess within a few hours which lender might be the best choice for taking out a low-interest loan.

At the expo, prospective buyers could even find their dream home. According to property developers, homes that meet the Otthon Start criteria – that is, those priced at no more than HUF 100 million and with a maximum price of HUF 1.5 million per square metre – are selling quickly. “We began selling the flats in the first half of October, and in the first residential park 70 per cent of them, 60 flats, have already been sold. The Otthon Start scheme has greatly contributed to this,” said László Bana, Managing Director of Dryvit Profit Kft..

Since 1 September, the 3 per cent fixed-rate housing loan has been available to those who do not own residential property, Miklós Panyi said at the expo. The Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office added that the state-backed housing loan, available with a 10 per cent deposit and a term of up to 25 years, has opened up unprecedented opportunities for first-time buyers.” Within six months, more than 50,000 applicants have joined the Otthon Start Programme. The number of approved contracts is also very high, as financial institutions have already disbursed more than 27,000 contracts in half a year. Since every second contract is linked to young married couples, this means that in six months the Otthon Start Programme has already helped more than 40,000 young people to get started and to acquire their first home,” said Miklós Panyi.

As a result of the economic development that has taken place in Debrecen, the number of people interested in housing in the city has also increased, said László Papp. The Mayor added that major property developments are currently being planned in three areas of the city: Tócóvölgy, and the southern and eastern districts. “There are no industrial areas in the eastern district, so we have designated it primarily for residential development. Significant transport infrastructure construction and planning is currently under way in the eastern district. We are planning the water utility and transport infrastructure for an area of nearly 1,200 hectares,” emphasised László Papp.

Debrecen’s significance on the property market is demonstrated by the fact that the city hosted the first Otthon Start Expo outside the capital.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu