Foreign Buyers Dominate in Tourist Regions
Foreign buyers have been responsible for 36% of all property sales in the Canary Islands between January 2007 and August 2025, according to new data. The figures from Spain’s General Council of Notaries reveal a stark divide between the country’s coastal tourist destinations and its interior, with the Balearic Islands (38%), the Canary Islands (36%), and the Valencia region (34%) leading in international transactions. In contrast, regions like Extremadura, Galicia, and Cantabria see foreign buyers involved in less than 5% of sales.
Corporate Buyers Hit Record High Nationally
While foreign individuals are a major force in specific areas, the national market remains dominated by private buyers. In 2024, corporate entities (legal persons) carried out a record 76,745 property transactions since 2007, representing 11% of the total market. Historically, corporate participation has hovered around 10%, except between 2011 and 2013 when it rose to between 17% and 20%. Despite this peak, private individuals (natural persons) continue to account for over 89% of all housing sales, a proportion consistent in 2024 and the first months of 2025.
Market Recovery and Current Trends
Following the pre-financial crisis boom, which peaked in 2007, property transactions fell sharply until 2013. From 2014, the private buyer market began a sustained recovery, reaching its highest level in 2022 with 625,885 transactions (90% of all purchases). After a dip to 553,302 operations in 2023, activity rebounded to 624,459 in 2024. Projections for 2025 estimate around 640,000 transactions for private individuals and 74,000 for corporate buyers.
Different Buyers, Different Properties
The type of buyer significantly influences the characteristics of the property purchased. In 2025, companies paid an average of €2,347 per square metre for properties averaging 136 square metres. Private citizens, meanwhile, paid €1,887 per square metre for smaller homes, averaging 113 square metres. A spokesperson for the General Council of Notaries, María Teresa Barea, highlighted the differing motives: “While private individuals typically acquire property for residential use or as a family asset, legal persons usually do so for investment purposes, economic activity, or asset management.”
Stable Foreign Participation in 2024-2025
The share of foreign buyers in the Spanish housing market has stabilised, consolidating growth seen in previous years, especially since 2021. Among private buyers, foreigners accounted for 21% of transactions in 2024, a rate very similar to the first months of 2025 (20%). Within the corporate sector, foreign companies play a minimal role, responsible for just 3% of purchases in 2024, a figure that remains unchanged in 2025.
Regional Price Variations and Hotspots
Andalucía, the Valencia region, and Catalonia recorded the highest volume of sales, partly due to their larger populations. Together with the Community of Madrid, they concentrated over 62% of all purchases. For private buyers, the highest average prices per square metre were found in the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands (€2,484), while the lowest were in Extremadura (€700) and Castilla-La Mancha (€856). For corporate buyers, the most expensive regions were the Balearic Islands (€3,137) and Madrid (€3,049), with the lowest prices in Extremadura (€1,033) and the Region of Murcia (€1,106).
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