"More people resorted to the help of online platforms and real estate agencies to buy a house: 32% accessed online platforms for this purpose and 31% visited real estate agency websites, with two in ten of those surveyed actually hiring an agency to look for a house", explains the consumer protection organisation.

The majority of respondents, reveals DECO Proteste, bought an apartment (65%), and apartments were also the most sold type of housing (around 65%).

"The preference, whether for purchase or for sale, are houses in the city, but outside the center (38% and 32%, respectively). Also on both sides of the deal, the suburbs take second place, with 26% of houses purchased and 30% of those sold. The city center appears as the third geographical force, deserving the preference of 23% of buyers and representing 25% of sellers surveyed. The countryside is in less demand: only 12% of transactions were made in more rural areas", it can also be read.

According to the data, the three most important criteria for choosing a house are price (9 points of importance, on a scale of 1 to 10), location (8.9) and area, number of bedrooms and floor plan (8.1).