Update 17 July 2026 — There are more homes for sale than ever and price growth is levelling off. Yet buyers are still bidding above the asking price — how much depends enormously on where you look. Nationally the average is around 3.7 percent, but in Amsterdam 7.5 percent is common and in Almere 4.2 percent. In this article we line up the figures per city and neighbourhood, and show what an overbid really costs you in own money.
Quick summary
• National average: around 3.7 percent above the asking price.
• Big spread: Amsterdam 7.5 percent, Utrecht 7.0 percent, Rotterdam 5.3 percent, Almere 4.2 percent.
• Within one city it varies strongly: Amsterdam Centrum 8.5 percent versus Bos en Lommer 6.5 percent.
• Cheaper homes get overbid the most: under €300,000 the average is about 4.4 percent, above €1 million only about 0.8 percent.
• The bank does not finance your overbid: everything above the appraisal value comes out of your own pocket.
What is a "normal" overbid in 2026?
There is no such thing as a national norm you can lean on. The average of 3.7 percent hides an enormous spread: in quiet regions homes regularly sell at or below the asking price, while in the busiest cities double digits are no exception.
The city averages from our own dataset (65 cities, 338 neighbourhoods, based on NVM/Kadaster figures from mid-2026):
• Amsterdam — 7.5 percent
• Utrecht — 7.0 percent
• The Hague — 5.8 percent
• Rotterdam — 5.3 percent
• Groningen — 4.8 percent
• Eindhoven — 4.8 percent
• Zaandam — 4.5 percent
• Almere — 4.2 percent
Within the same city, the neighbourhood decides
A city average tells you surprisingly little. Take Amsterdam: in the Grachtengordel the average overbid is 9.0 percent and in Centrum 8.5 percent, while in Bos en Lommer it is 6.5 percent and on IJburg 6.8 percent.
That difference of roughly 2.5 percentage points is €10,000 on a home of €400,000. So always look at the neighbourhood, not the city.
The surprise: cheap homes get overbid the most
Many people assume the fiercest bidding happens at the top of the market. The opposite is true. Under €300,000 buyers overbid by an average of about 4.4 percent, while above €1 million it is only around 0.8 percent.
The explanation is simple: the cheapest segment is where first-time buyers, investors and downsizers all compete for the same scarce homes. In the expensive segment there are far fewer buyers per home, and there is genuine room to negotiate.
The uncomfortable conclusion: precisely as a first-time buyer, with the smallest budget and the least own money, you face the most overbidding.
What an overbid really costs you
This is where it gets painful, and it is what many first-time buyers discover too late: a bank finances at most the appraisal value of the home (or your maximum mortgage, if that is lower). The appraiser does not simply follow your bid. Everything you bid above that value, you pay from your own savings — on top of the buyer costs.
A concrete example:
• Asking price: €400,000
• Your bid with 7.5 percent overbid (Amsterdam): €430,000
• Appraisal value: €410,000
• The bank finances: €410,000
• From your own money: €20,000 (bid minus appraisal value)
• Plus buyer costs (first-time buyer, with the exemption): roughly €5,500
• Total own money needed: roughly €25,500
Calculate this for your own situation with our bidding guide: it shows an indicative bidding range for your neighbourhood and, per bid, exactly how much own money it requires.
Bidding without a financing contingency?
In a tight market buyers sometimes drop the financing contingency (voorbehoud van financiering) to make their offer more attractive. Understandable, but risky: if your financing then falls through, you owe a penalty of 10 percent of the purchase price. On a home of €430,000 that is €43,000.
Only consider this if you are genuinely certain your financing is secure — and preferably discuss it with a mortgage advisor or buying agent first.
How to determine your bid
• Start with your room to manoeuvre. Calculate your maximum mortgage and monthly payments using the 2026 standards.
• Look up the local bidding range with the bidding guide, including the financing check.
• Factor in the one-off costs with the buyers costs calculator.
• Look beyond the average: how long has the home been listed, how many interested buyers are there, and what did comparable homes nearby actually sell for?
Good news for anyone starting now: with record supply and cooling prices, the frenzy is easing somewhat. Read more in our housing market update for July 2026.
Please note: these percentages are averages from a recent period and are explicitly not bidding advice. Every home and every negotiation is different. For a tailored assessment, consider engaging a buying agent.
Sources
• Overbidding figures per city and neighbourhood: our own dataset, based on NVM/Kadaster data from mid-2026
• NVM – Housing market figures Q2 2026: nvm.nl
• CBS – Prices of existing owner-occupied homes: cbs.nl
• Kadaster – Registered sale prices: kadaster.nl
