Estate agents cannot force house hunters to pay fees on collapsed purchases when acting for the vendor, a Spanish court has ruled. According to reports, an estate agency tried charging buyers for a failed property transaction involving a home listed by the agency. The Provincial Court of Caceres rejected a claim by an estate agency for €9,038.70 from a couple who made an offer on […]
Andalucia will lower its Property Transfer Tax from 7% to 6.75% in 2027, according to the Junta de Andalucia. Regional economy minister Carolina España announced the plan during a parliamentary commission meeting. Transfer tax applies when you purchase a resale/second hand property (new developments are subject to IVA (sales tax/VAT). On a €1 million property, this works out as a saving of €2,500. Carolina España […]
The Marbella real estate market has updated its urban planning framework. On 18 September 2026, Marbella Town Hall granted final approval to the Plan General de Ordenacion Municipal (PGOM). This replaces the 1986 urban plan and makes Marbella the first municipality in Andalucia to adopt the regional LISTA law. Please note: This is my interpretation of what is changed, as well as my questions of […]
Spanish landlords are increasing protection against rent default, according to a survey by Asval, the Association of Rental Home Owners, reported by elEconomista. The study shows that 39% (38.89%) of surveyed landlords hold rent default insurance (also known as rent guarantee insurance), a policy that guarantees rental income and covers legal costs if a tenant stops paying. This is an increase from 33% in the […]
Headlines about Spain’s property market often focus on record asking prices, but portal listings tell only part of the story. According to Idealista’s July 2026 House Price Index, the average asking price for a second-hand home in Málaga Province reached €4,272/m², up 7.6% compared to a year earlier. However, official figures from Spain’s General Council of Notaries present a different picture. The latest available notary […]
The Costa del Sol property market delivered mixed results during the second quarter of 2026. Official notary data showed transaction volumes falling across many municipalities compared with the same period in 2025. However, prices remained relatively resilient in most areas, suggesting that lower activity has not yet translated into widespread price reductions. The discussion also highlighted the growing importance of looking beyond regional averages. While […]
Data 12 months to April 2026 via Notaries portal Penotariado.com. Where is has “unknown”, this means the nationality in question is not in the top 5 foreign buyer nationalities for a given area, so the data is not available and thus sales volumes cannot be calculated. It does not mean there were no sales by that nationality in that town. 1. Regional Market Overview Málaga […]
What percentage of foreign buyers on the Costa del Sol are residents vs non-residents? Analysis of real estate transaction data from Spain’s Portal Penotariado.com for the 12 months ending April 2026 reveals distinct patterns between resident and non-resident foreign property buyers across different municipalities on the Costa del Sol. Note about Methodology: You won’t find these stats as I have presented them anywhere other than […]
The Fairmont Residences La Hacienda project launched in June 10, 2026, on the Costa del Sol, located between Sotogrande and Alcaidesa. This project is the first branded residences initiative by Fairmont in Europe, owned and developed by ActivumSG, operated by Accor Group, and commercialised in partnership with Colliers. The development consists of 31 completed private villas, in a direct fronline golf and beach position, with […]
Estate agencies in Spain are under investigation for failing to fully declare commissions, among other things. The Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) has launched “Operación Insulae,” an investigation into tax fraud within the real estate sector, according to the press release on the official government website lamoncloa.gob.es dated 29th June 2026. The operation targets estate agencies providing brokerage services for property sales and rentals. Tax […]