Comment from Granada Village & Country
I was subsequently asked by The Telegraph to submit a Comment article. They chose not to publish my article so I am publishing it here on our blog:
“A recent article in the Telegraph (4th March) featured stories of British immigrants in Spain struggling to sell their properties. There was an implication that the reason behind the lack of sales was that Spain is actively deterring buyers from investing in property, resulting in a market slowdown.
This could not be further from the truth.
Any actions being taken by the Spanish government are to control the property market in hotspots, in order to prevent mass property speculation. Speculative buying has been seen in many countries around the world, where huge development projects are bought by investors, forcing up prices and making it increasingly difficult for local people to buy or rent close to their places of employment.
As a real estate agent, I operate across 4 provinces in Andalucia and the market here is buoyant. Around 8% of our enquiries come from within Spain, 7% from the UK and the rest from northern Europe and an increasing number from the US. The Costa del Sol saw a record-breaking property boom in 2025, and this has a ripple effect to other parts of Spain, so the market is far from being stagnant.
For some years, the Spanish government has identified the risks involved in a lack of control of the property market, set against a national housing shortage. The country attracts 90 million visitors every year, and the majority of these visitors focus on the popular coastal areas, such as Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga and Alicante. It has been only natural, therefore, for investors to target these locations, snapping up properties that can generate income through Airbnb rental.
It is for this reason that the local governments of these popular zones, and some inland cities, have placed moratoria on the issuing of new tourism licences for short-term holiday rentals. This is the correct decision, and is not some vindictive decision taken to prevent overseas buyers from investing in property in the country.
Spain has been trying for some time to persuade holiday visitors to venture inland, taking the pressure off the seaside resorts. This is a slow process, as visitors expect certain ingredients that cannot always be easily found inland. Quality accommodation is a vital ingredient, and the provision of excellent boutique hotels, country houses and apartment rentals, and Bed & Breakfasts is increasing alongside the promotion of cultural and eco-tourism initiatives. New tourism licenses are still very much available in rural inland Spain, and sustainable tourism is a hugely welcome factor in local economies.
In any property market, worldwide, there will be ever-fluctuating trends and influences that result in the state of that market. The UK, for example, is currently witnessing a stagnant market in the South-East of England. This stagnation is not borne of any spiteful anti-immigrant sentiment; it is determined by external market influences and is part of the ebb and flow. The same exists in Spain.
Invariably, if a property in Andalucia is taking its time to sell, the price will be an issue. It is always difficult to gauge the exact value of a rural property, as so many factors have to be taken into account: location; land area; quality of the property; views (very important in Andalucia!); desirability. To claim that owners “are stranded in unsellable villas” is just inaccurate. Every property can find a buyer. Some properties may take a little longer to find the right buyer, but if the price is right and the property is marketed correctly, it will sell.
As an agent, I advise all of my vendors that, if there is no interest in their property in the first 3 months of its going on the market, the price is a barrier. Property portals always promote heavily any new listing, so the launch is an invaluable indicator of the viability of the price. Some vendors may not be in a hurry to sell, so there is time to wait for market conditions to fluctuate in favour of the property. Our job is to advise our vendors in the context of the prevailing market conditions. We would never expect any of our vendors to feel that they are “stranded”.
Post-Brexit, living permanently in Spain has become more complex for UK buyers, but the process of actually buying a property is as straightforward as it has always been. If a buyer from a non-EU state understands the 90 in 180 day rule, and the visa options that are available, then everyone can purchase a beautiful property in this amazing country. The Spanish government, contrary to misguided belief in the UK press, is doing nothing to prevent anyone from investing in property here; they are merely putting in measures to control over-inflation while they concentrate on providing more affordable homes for local residents. Likewise, vendors are not being hampered by the government in their efforts to sell their properties. Vendors need to be realistic and understand market fluctuations and trends. In any market, overpriced products are less attractive to any buyer.”
