New buildings are "thinning out": the area of apartments continues to shrink.

      The most noticeable reduction has occurred in the square footage of business and elite class apartments. Thus, the area of one-bedroom apartments has decreased by 8 square meters — to 38 sq. m, two-bedroom apartments have also decreased by 8 square meters, to 59 sq. m. Three-bedroom apartments have become smaller by 9 square meters, while four-bedroom and larger apartments have decreased by 16 square meters, to 118 sq. m. According to the founder of the Developer School, Evelina Ishmetova, the main reason is the changing capabilities of buyers. Against the backdrop of the high key rate of the Bank of Russia, people are increasingly focusing not on the cost per square meter, but on the size of the monthly payment and the total cost of the apartment. In response, developers are reducing the area of housing while simultaneously increasing the price per square meter. As a result, the final cost of the apartment becomes lower, and the layouts are made more functional to maintain comfort with a smaller square footage. David Khudoyan, the CEO of "Optima Development," noted that the reasons for the reduction in areas vary depending on the market segment. In mass housing, it is about the need to maintain the affordability of apartments, while in premium housing, buyers have started to value not the number of square meters, but the convenience of the layout, the quality of engineering solutions, infrastructure, and privacy. According to the expert, this trend will continue in the coming years. At the same time, developers will pay more attention not to the area of apartments, but to their functionality and quality, betting on the principle of "more value per meter," as stated on the website of the Unified Resource for Developers.