idealista report

Among the most exclusive enclaves on the Costa del Sol, Sotogrande is always on the radar. This high-end community is known across Europe for its privacy, golf courses and mild climate.

Demand for homeownership continues to focus on Spain’s provincial capitals, where housing supply is highest. According to an idealista study, Madrid leads the ranking of places with the greatest demand pressure in the first quarter of the year, followed by Zaragoza and Valencia. Hospitalet de Llobregat and Valladolid are gaining ground, overtaking Barcelona and Vitoria thanks to more affordable average prices. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Seville and A Coruña complete the top ten.

Buying a run-down property and reselling after renovation can deliver returns of 24% to 31%, depending on the type, according to idealista. Studios lead the way, with renovated homes priced 31% higher than those needing work. One-bedroom flats follow at 29%, then two-bedroom homes at 28%, and three-bedroom properties at 26%.

One of the first consequences of the pandemic and the state of emergency on the property market was a sharp rise in the supply of rental homes.

According to the latest data from property portal Idealista, 15% of rental homes in Spain were taken off the market in less than 24 hours during the final quarter of 2025. In some cities, demand is even more intense.

For those who can manage the initial outlay, buying in Spain may now make far more financial sense than renting. We have all the details.

According to a study by idealista, 49% of the current supply of two-bedroom flats for sale in Spain is priced below the reasonable affordability threshold. In other words, they are within reach of a household on an average income that allocates no more than 30% of its earnings to mortgage repayments – equivalent to €805 per month.

Housing prices in Spain’s urban areas are now 99% higher than in rural locations, according to idealista. The widest gap is in Madrid, where city prices exceed rural ones by 131%. Urban homes also cost at least double those in the countryside across five other provinces: Álava, Salamanca, Cáceres, Valladolid and Palencia.

In some parts of Spain, more than 100 families now end up competing for the very same flat.

The cheapest town in Spain for buying a second-hand home is Almadén, in Ciudad Real, with an average price of just €335/m², according to idealista’s latest price report.The top three most affordable towns are all in Ciudad Real: Almodóvar del Campo (€427/m²) and Socuéllamos (€460/m²) follow Almadén.

According to a study by idealista, 25% of Spanish homes lack any heating system. The study is based on data from property listings for sale and rent in November. The warmest regions, less exposed to extreme weather, have the highest share of homes without heating.

idealista spokesperson Francisco Iñareta analyses the housing market situation and his forecasts for 2026. The housing situation in Spain at the end of 2025 is clear: a national emergency. The lack of supply has become endemic, but the focus remains on attacking prices from highly ideology-based positions.

Three-bedroom flats were the fastest-selling property type in Spain during Q3 2025, with 37% sold in under a month. Studios and one- and two-bedroom flats also sold quickly, while larger homes with four or more bedrooms took longer, varying across major Spanish markets.

The Madrid property market continues to attract interest from American buyers, according to idealista’s data on listings over recent quarters. In 2025, a notable shift has emerged in the language of searches from the US, with Spanish speakers (47.2%) now overtaking English (46.3%) as the dominant language for the first time.

Demand pressure on the existing supply of rental housing is becoming increasingly acute in the suburbs of major cities.

While house prices across Spain have soared by nearly 16% over the past year, a surprising number of towns are seeing significant declines.

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.

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.

Based on data from Spain’s Tax Agency, we’ve analysed the latest prices of second-hand homes for sale in the country’s wealthiest municipalities, using statistics from idealista. Leading the pack once again is Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), with an average gross income of €88,011 per year.

In August, the average price of second-hand homes for sale in Spain rose by 14.8% year-on-year, reaching €2,498/m² – the highest level since idealista began recording data.

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.

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.