The Spanish property market is cooling in the number of sales, but foreign buyers are holding their ground. idealista/news reports on the latest Land Registrars' statistics (Estadística Registral Inmobiliaria, Colegio de Registradores) for the third quarter of 2026.
Home sales in Spain fell 5.9% year on year to 164,148 transactions, the third quarterly decline in a row. Against that, international buyers acquired more than 26,300 homes, 11.2% more than a year earlier. That is 16.05% of all transactions, the highest share ever recorded. The absolute figure is about 500 homes below the record of the previous quarter (26,836), but still the third highest in history. Over the last 12 months foreigners accounted for 14.82% of purchases.
The Balearic Islands remain one of the most international markets in the country. Foreign buyers made up 37.2% of home purchases there, behind only Alicante (46.5%) and Málaga (38.8%) among the provinces listed. Nationally, British buyers led with 7.5% of purchases (1,943 homes), followed by Moroccan (6.4%), Dutch (5.8%), German (5.7%), Romanian (5.7%), Italian (5%), French (4.2%) and Polish (4.2%) buyers. By region of origin, 54.7% came from the European Union and 17.8% from the rest of Europe.
What it means
For owners thinking of selling, the data shows that international demand has not weakened while the wider market slows. Buyers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and France are all among the leading nationalities, so marketing to several language groups still matters.
The Balearics also have the second-highest average price per square metre in Spain, at €4,502, behind only Madrid (€4,565). Nationally, the average price reached a record €2,512 per square metre, up 9.3% year on year, although the registrars say the upward trend is moderating. Their repeat-sales price index rose 15.8% year on year to a new high. Buyers should expect fewer but better-prepared transactions, with prices that remain firm.
Background
The figures cover sales registered between July and September and come from the registrars' official statistics. They describe Spain as a whole and by province; they do not give a separate figure for Ibiza. Nationally, new-build sales were 34,611 and used-home sales 129,537, the latter down 2.6% on the previous quarter.
Frequently asked questions
What share of Spanish home sales went to foreign buyers?
In the third quarter of 2026 foreign buyers accounted for 16.05% of home sales, a record, with more than 26,300 homes bought.
How much of the Balearic market is foreign?
Foreign buyers made up 37.2% of home purchases in the Balearic Islands in the third quarter, according to the Land Registrars.
What is the average home price in the Balearics?
The registrars put it at €4,502 per square metre, the second highest in Spain after Madrid at €4,565.
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