The Ides of March
The March 2026 figures from Spain’s Notaries are out, and they show weak sales performance compared to last year, with some steep provincial differences. There were 53,364 property sales completed in Spain during March, up just 0.6% from what was generally considered a poor February, but 20.7% lower than in March 2025.
On prices, the rate of growth is slowing, as many had expected. The national average price rose 1% from February to €2,009 per square metre. Compared to March 2025, prices are up 7%, from a base of €1,877 per square metre.
Let’s look at the main Coastal provinces and the islands where most of the foreign demand is concentrated…
Sales Volume
The table below presents the property sales volumes recorded in March 2026 for each reported province, ordered from highest to lowest transaction volume, with the national total for Spain positioned at the bottom. It includes comparative metrics for month-on-month changes (February 2026 compared to March 2026) and year-on-year changes (March 2025 compared to March 2026).
| Region | March 2026 Sales Volume | Month on Month Change (%) | Year on Year Change (%) |
| Barcelona Province | 5,775 | +6.0% | -15.8% |
| Alicante Province | 4,195 | +2.1% | -20.1% |
| Málaga Province | 2,377 | +3.3% | -35.3% |
| Murcia Province | 2,357 | +15.7% | -9.5% |
| Las Palmas | 1,431 | +47.7% | +12.2% |
| Granada Province | 1,197 | +3.0% | -20.0% |
| Almería Province | 1,142 | -7.2% | -29.8% |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1,022 | +22.0% | -11.1% |
| Balearic Islands | 943 | -6.3% | -34.9% |
| Spain | 53,364 | +0.6% | -20.7% |
Las Palmas saw the biggest monthly rise in sales, up 47.7% compared to February 2026. It was also the only province where sales grew year-on-year, finishing 12.2% higher than in March 2025.
In contrast, high-end coastal markets continue to see falling sales over the longer term. Both Málaga Province (where the Costa del Sol is) and the Balearic Islands saw annual sales drop by around 35%.
Property Prices
The Balearic Islands remains the most expensive area in the report, with prices reaching €4,161 per square metre after a 9% rise from February. Santa Cruz de Tenerife saw the biggest monthly price jump, up 26.7% compared to February 2026. Over the past year, Alicante Province (where the Costa Blanca is) had the strongest price growth, with average prices rising 20.0%.
| Region | March 2026 Price (€/m²) | Month on Month Change (%) | Year on Year Change (%) |
Balearics | 4,161 | +9.0% | +4.2% |
Málaga Province | 2,988 | -9.2% | +12.8% |
Barcelona Province | 2,871 | +3.2% | +7.6% |
Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 2,685 | +26.7% | +11.6% |
Las Palmas | 2,430 | +1.1% | +9.7% |
Alicante Province | 2,134 | +4.9% | +20.0% |
Murcia Province | 1,275 | +10.9% | +11.2% |
Granada Province | 1,270 | +6.1% | +9.8% |
Almería Province | 1,228 | +4.2% | +4.9% |
Spain | 2,009 | +1.0% | +7.0% |
