The supply of forest properties has reached a record high, giving buyers more options to choose from. In the current market, realistic asking prices and high-quality sales materials are increasingly important for a successful sale.
High-quality, well-managed forests are at the top of buyers’ lists
Between January and August 2025, 1,580 forest properties or designated parcels of more than 10 hectares were publicly listed for sale. In Southern and Central Finland, the number of new listings was the highest recorded since Suomen Sijoitusmetsät began monitoring the market in 2017. Northern Finland and Lapland have seen busier starts to the year in the past. Among the properties listed for sale, the share of properties under 20 hectares has increased, while the relative share of properties between 20 and 50 hectares has declined slightly. The share of large properties exceeding 50 hectares has remained stable. The properties entering the market have also tended to contain more mature forests than before, continuing a longer-term trend.
“The record-high price level of forest properties may have encouraged forest owners to put their properties on the market,” says Eero Viitanen, Head of Forest Information at Suomen Sijoitusmetsät. “It is also worth noting that the increase in supply has not pushed prices down. Supported by rising timber prices, the overall direction has remained upward.”
Properties that have previously been withdrawn from sale and subsequently relisted account for approximately five per cent of the total supply. Their share is higher in the north than in the south. Although the proportion of relisted properties has increased considerably in recent years, there has been no further increase this year. The share of properties that remain completely unsold has declined slightly from last year’s peak and now stands at 18%. Sales are completed relatively less often in the north than in the south. Buildings located on a forest property, for example, can also reduce the likelihood of a successful sale.
“The market now gives buyers a genuine opportunity to choose between properties, making pricing and preparation for sale crucial,” says Mika Venho, founder and CEO of Suomen Sijoitusmetsät. “A realistic asking price set by a professional and reliable sales materials improve the likelihood of a successful transaction – particularly for properties with less productive soils or limited harvesting opportunities.”
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