The Finnish buying process, step by step
Two different purchases: shares in a housing company, or real estate with a deed and title registration. How both work.
Applies to: Finland. Reviewed 2026-09-25.
Key takeaways
- Flats and many terraced houses are shares in a housing company; detached houses on their own plot are real estate.
- An accepted written offer with a deposit binds both parties.
- A real estate purchase needs a public purchase witness or an electronic transaction, and the buyer must apply for title within six months.
Buying housing shares
- Work out the loan and own funds and get a loan offer.
- Read the manager's certificate, maintenance needs report, accounts and energy certificate.
- Make a written offer through the agent, often with a deposit.
- Once the seller accepts, the agreement is binding.
- The deal is completed at the bank: payment, transfer of the shares and registration in the residential property register.
- Pay the transfer tax and register ownership.
For housing shares, the Housing Transactions Act governs the deposit, defects and how the buyer complains, among other things. If a consumer buyer backs out after acceptance, the Act lets the seller keep at most 4 per cent of the price as the deposit; anything above that must be refunded.
Buying real estate
A real estate purchase must be in writing and confirmed by a public purchase witness, or completed in the National Land Survey's electronic service. The buyer must apply for title registration within six months.
Questions to ask
- Are the manager's certificate and the five-year maintenance needs report available?
- How large is the flat's share of the company's loans?
Red flags
- Major renovations (pipes, façade, roof) planned but not reflected in the price.
- You are asked to pay a deposit before seeing the company's documents.
Sources
- The Housing Transactions Act (Finlex)
- The Code of Real Estate (Finlex)
- Title registration and property transactions (Maanmittauslaitos)
- The residential property register (Maanmittauslaitos)