idealist/data

Foreign buyers remain highly active in Spain’s housing market, with over 70,000 transactions recorded in the first half of 2025 alone, according to the latest notary data.

Legal uncertainty from the Housing Act and the failed Land Act has defined Isabel Rodríguez’s tenure, as she pushes for more public housing and defends rent intervention.

The share of household income needed to rent a property in Spain stands at 36% of the average family’s total net income, while for buying it is significantly lower at 25%, excluding the savings required to secure financing, according to a study by idealista based on data from Q3 2025.

The sale of homes without vacant possession is becoming increasingly common in the Spanish property market, now accounting for 3% of all properties for sale in the country, according to a study by idealista based on listings in its database for Q3 2025.

Soaring rents and fierce competition are pushing many people towards room rentals. On average, 22 prospective tenants compete for each listing on idealista, though demand remains lower than for full homes. Palma (65) and San Sebastián (62) record the most enquiries per room, while among the largest markets, Barcelona (22) edges ahead of Madrid (20).

Rental properties in the Balearic Islands (29.1%), Alicante (27.4%), Málaga (25.7%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (21.9%) are seeing strong international demand, each accounting for more than 20% of total rental interest in Q1, according to a study by idealista.

The British remain the largest group of foreign homebuyers in Spain, but interest is growing among citizens of other countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy, particularly for properties on the Mediterranean coast, the main draw for foreign buyers.

Forty-nine of Spain’s 50 provinces have at least one home listed on idealista for over €1 million, though the distribution is highly uneven. Málaga, the Balearic Islands, Madrid, Alicante, Barcelona and Girona alone account for 84% of all such properties. In many provinces, with fewer than 22 listings, their share is so small that it rounds down to 0.0%.

Thirteen per cent of the homes sold through idealista in the second quarter of 2025 found a buyer in less than a week, according to a study by idealista, Southern Europe’s leading real estate marketplace.

The property market in southern Europe’s three key countries continues to rise, with varying trends. According to idealista’s June report, Spain has hit record highs in both sales and rentals. Portugal remains the most expensive overall, though its price growth is more moderate. In Italy, sales prices are still below the peaks of over a decade ago, but rental prices have surged to historic highs, even surpassing Spain. We take a closer look at the property and rental markets in the main cities and top tourist areas of all three countries.

Spain’s housing stock experienced a significant 16% annual decline, marking the steepest drop in recent years. The shortage is driven by rising demand, slow construction rates, and economic pressures, intensifying concerns over affordability and housing availability across the country.

Over the past year, the percentage of household income needed for housing rose to 23% for purchases and 36% for rentals, according to an idealista study based on Q1 2025 data.

When discussing foreign interest in luxury property in Spain, attention often turns to the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands. However, the two major cities of Madrid and Barcelona also offer a substantial stock of high-end homes, which are increasingly attracting demand from abroad.

The sale of homes without possession is notably impacting the Spanish property market. Once virtually unheard of, these properties now account for 2.6% of all homes for sale in Spain, according to a study published by idealista based on listings from the Q4 2024.

It has been five years since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and the real estate market has undergone significant changes, particularly in the rental sector. During the period of isolation, the supply of long-term rental properties doubled, peaking in December 2020 as prices fell. However, since then, rental supply has declined by 56%, while prices have risen by 30%. Political measures implemented in response have only reduced stock to minimal levels, placing further strain on the market with heightened demand and record-high prices in many capital cities.

idealista reports confirm that the luxury housing market in Spain is growing rapidly.

17% of the homes rented through idealista in Q4 last year were on the market for less than 24 hours – one percentage point lower than during the same period in 2023, according to a study by idealista, the leading real estate marketplace in southern Europe.Vitoria and Girona recorded the highest perc

The luxury housing market in Spain is firmly established with over 45,000 properties listed for sale above €1 million at the end of November, according to an idealista study. Of these, more than 20% exceed prime prices, above €3 million, totalling nearly 9,800 homes.

Nearly half of those searching for a home on the market are focusing on properties priced up to €210,000, according to a recent relative demand study conducted by idealista during the last quarter. A significant portion of residential stock in the provincial capitals falls within this price range.

According to a study published by idealista, the Balearic Islands contain seven of the ten municipalities where the effort required by families to purchase a home is the highest.

Andalusia is home to four of the ten towns and cities with the highest household effort to rent a home, according to a study published by idealista.

Many people aspire to own a property near a golf course in Spain. Location and surroundings have always been crucial factors when choosing a second home, and golf has become an important consideration for both Spaniards and international buyers.

Rental demand in the major provincial capitals, with the exceptions of Vitoria and Barcelona, is outstripped by towns such as Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona and Terrassa, which exert greater pressure on the existing supply in the rental market, according to idealista's latest ranking.

Renting a two-bedroom property costs 83% more than the mortgage payment required to purchase the same home. However, buying needs a down payment of €48,480, according to a study published by idealista.

Every one of Spain's 50 provinces has at least one property listed for over €1 million on idealista, but their distribution is uneven. Notably, the provinces of Malaga, the Balearic Islands, Madrid, Alicante, and Barcelona account for 79.6% of all such properties.