Spanish notaries are warning about investors withdrawing from the housing market in Catalonia. Young people purchased only one in ten properties sold last year. Despite this, home prices continue to rise – in 2025 they exceeded 10% in almost half of Spain's provinces. Notaries have launched a portal with "real transaction prices" to increase market transparency.
Decline in Investor Activity
Notaries report a clear withdrawal of investors from the Catalan real estate market, signaling a decline in the sector's attractiveness as an investment.
Young People on the Margins of the Market
Individuals aged 35 and under purchased only 10.4% of all homes sold in 2025, highlighting the accessibility crisis.
Continued Price Increases
Home prices continue to rise, exceeding 10% in 2025 in 22 of Spain's 50 provinces, making market entry difficult.
New Portal with Notarial Data
The National Notarial Council has launched a portal with data on actual transaction prices to improve transparency and assist buyers.
The Spanish housing market presents a picture of deep generational inequalities and changing investment trends. According to data from notarial registries, individuals aged 35 and under purchased only 10.4% of all homes sold in 2025. This is the lowest recorded share of young buyers in years, illustrating the scale of the problem of housing accessibility for younger generations. Meanwhile, prices continue to rise, making market entry difficult. The Spanish real estate market underwent a deep crisis after the bubble burst in 2008, leading to mass evictions and a collapse in prices. Since then, especially in large cities, a strong upward trend has been observed, fueled by foreign investors and short-term tourism, which has driven prices beyond the reach of local incomes.Additionally, notaries are signaling a new trend – the withdrawal of traditional investors from the market in the Catalonia region. "Los inversores se están retirando de la vivienda en Catalunya" – they state in a communication. This reversal may be caused by regulations concerning short-term rentals, a decline in predictable profitability, or general economic uncertainty. Despite this, price pressure is not easing. Last year, home prices rose by over 10% in 22 of Spain's 50 provinces. The national average increase was 7.3%, but regions such as the Balearic Islands (13.9%), Cantabria (11.9%), and Madrid (10.2%) recorded double-digit jumps. To increase transparency for buyers, the National Notarial Council National Notarial Council has launched the "Precios de la Vivienda" portal. It presents data on actual transaction prices from notarial deeds, which is intended to help in making informed decisions and combat false valuations. The portal will be updated quarterly. In the context of profitability, data for January 2026 indicates that 7,09% — this is the net rental yield for a home in Spain. This is a drop of about one percentage point compared to the same period the previous year, which may explain investor caution.