According to data related to the Spanish real estate market transactions in 2013, there is an upward trend in the number of foreigners purchasing property in Spain. Among them, Chinese and Russians are the primary buyer groups.
In recent years, affected by the economic crisis, the Spanish real estate market has remained sluggish, with most property prices continuing to fall. Housing prices have dropped by an average of 34.9%. According to a survey by the Spanish General Council of Notaries, the average price of homes sold this June was 1,206 euros per square meter, a 13.3% decrease compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the volume of home sales also decreased by 26.9%, with sales of apartments and villas falling by 27.7% and 23.4% respectively, at prices of 1,305 euros and 972 euros per square meter. The largest price drops were seen in second-hand apartments, which were nearly one-third cheaper than in the same period last year. However, according to recent data provided by the Spanish General Council of Notaries, the volume of housing transactions in 2013 reached 43%, showing a recovery compared to 2012. Another set of data indicates that 10% of these property buyers are foreign nationals.
It is reported that foreigners coming to Spain to purchase real estate come from eight countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, and China. Most of them prefer sea-view properties in coastal areas, with prices for these homes ranging between 65,000 and 250,000 euros, with an average price of 158,000 euros. The status of Chinese and Russians as the main body of property buyers is not only reflected in the transaction volume, but data also shows that they mostly prefer to purchase luxury homes. Because of this, these two types of buyers are particularly favored by the real estate market in Spain.
The report also provided the distribution of these properties across various regions in Spain, noting that between 2012 and 2013, the Valencia region saw the highest total number of foreigners purchasing property, at 15,500 people.