May 8, 2026

75% of Spanish Property Sales Financed With a Mortgage

According to data from the Spanish Land Registry, 133,618 residential mortgages were registered in Spain during Q1 2026, up from 132,385 in the previous quarter, a quarterly increase of 0.9%. Mortgages accounted for 75% of all residential property transactions during the quarter, 0.8 percentage points higher than the previous quarter. Seven autonomous communities recorded quarterly increases in mortgage activity. The highest volumes were registered in […]

May 7, 2026

Beyond the Brits: Foreign Buyers Ranked

Based on the Q1 2026 Spanish Real Estate Land Registry Statistics report, foreign demand reached 13.9% of all purchases during the quarter, totalling just under 24,800 properties. The following table details the number of properties sold to the top 18 foreign nationalities in Spain during Q1 2026. Note that these figures are derived by applying the specific percentage of each nationality relative to the total […]

May 3, 2026

Sotogrande Property Market: Q1 2026 in Focus

I caught up with Charlie Gubbins, Partner at Noll Sotogrande, to get his read on how the first quarter has played out for the real estate marke there. “Q1 has been relatively okay,” Charlie told me. “A slow start. I think everyone had that with the weather and people getting on later.” The numbers from Spain’s Notarial Statistics Portal for postcode 11310 backs that up. […]

April 28, 2026

Spain’s Emancipation Hurdle (compared)

Two-thirds (67.1%) of Spanish adults aged 18 to 34 were still living in their parental home in 2025, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) survey ‘Encuesta de Condiciones de Vida‘ (ECV).  Among those aged 26 to 34, nearly half (47.3%) say they cannot afford to move out – 34.6% citing unaffordable rent and 12.7% unable to purchase a home, per INE data reported by […]

April 28, 2026

February Sucked – but not everywhere

February was mostly worse than January this year… these were the property sales (completions) in February 2026 on the Costa del Sol by municipality as well as month-on-month trends: Marbella: 259 sales (-12% vs previous month, January 2026). Mijas: 190 sales (-15%) Estepona: 188 sales (-2%) Benalmádena: 144 sales (+𝟓%) Torremolinos: 103 sales (-6%) Fuengirola: 101 sales (-33%) Manilva: 67 sales (-20%) Benahavís: 34 sales […]

April 27, 2026

44% of Agents Empty-Handed in February?

Almost one in every two agents on the Costa del Sol didn’t sell anything in February this year, according to my calculations… bear with me… big assumptions coming up Let’s estimate that there are 4,000 individual agents operating on the Coast, whether it’s Paco the Gardener or within a large agency. According to Notary data, the total number of property sales (completions) for the main […]

April 25, 2026

Poland & Sweden Super-rich, Ones to Watch?

The Polish and Swedish markets on the Costa del Sol are significant, and in the next five years, they could become even more so, especially in the prime segment. This is highlighted in Knight Frank´s The Wealth Report 2026, which is out now. This annual report is considered the bible on where global wealth is growing the fastest. My favourite part is on on page 77 […]

April 19, 2026

Costa del Sol Quarterly Review Q1 2026: What Insiders Are Saying

The first quarterly edition of Quarterly Review, a new podcast series hosted by Alfredo Bloy-Dawson tracking the Costa del Sol real estate market, brought together agents, lawyers, developers, and data specialists to take stock of the first three months of 2026. The picture that emerged was of a market that remains fundamentally strong but is adjusting to a more uncertain global environment. On the Ground: […]

April 15, 2026

Europe’s luxury property market gets Middle East boost

Wealthy Middle Eastern residents are looking to rent luxury properties in Europe, driven by concerns over the conflict in Iran, according to a report on Bloomberg Business. Real estate agents report growing interest from influencers, high-net-worth traders, and wealthy families. London, Monaco, Switzerland, and Marbella are the most sought-after locations. Knight Frank recorded a 17% rise in prospective tenants in London. Some buyers want a […]

April 11, 2026

7 Questions Every Buyer Should Ask Before Buying a Branded Residence

The branded residence concept has become a significant trend on the Costa del Sol over the last five years. While lifestyle, fashion, and car brands are increasingly entering the real estate scene, these developments have existed globally for a long time. The central debate for any prospective buyer is whether they are paying for a logo or if the brand provides real added value. Traditionally, […]