Barcelona homes sales rise again – and foreign demand hits a record 25%

The latest H1 2025 data show Barcelona home sales rising, prices firming, and foreign demand reaching its highest share on record.

Sales holding up despite the headwinds

Barcelona registered 8,200 home sales in the first half of the year – up 8% on 2024 and 14% above the ten-year average. In a sluggish European housing context, that’s a solid performance and another sign of the city’s enduring appeal.

Foreign buyers were once again the standout group. They purchased 2,083 homes – a 13% annual rise – and now account for 25% of all sales. That’s the highest share ever recorded, and well above the long-run average of 16%.

Prices continue to edge higher

Average sale prices reached €4,674 per sqm, 6% higher year-on-year. New-build homes achieved €5,320 per sqm – also up 6%. Asking prices on Idealista rose even faster, posting an 11% annual increase, which points to continued upward pressure in the resale market.

New builds: demand strong, supply weak

New-build sales fell 10% to 689 units, but remain above the long-term average. The real issue is supply: just 687 housing starts were approved in H1. That’s a big improvement on last year (+70%) but still below the ten-year norm, and nowhere near enough to ease the city’s chronic scarcity of new homes.

Mortgages buoyed by falling rates

With 31,010 new mortgages signed in the wider province (+22% YoY), credit remains a key driver of demand. The average Euribor rate dropped to 2.27% as the ECB began cutting rates in mid-2025, offering relief to borrowers and supporting sentiment.

Bottom line

Barcelona’s market remains highly competitive, increasingly international, and structurally undersupplied. Sales are up, foreign demand is booming, price growth is steady, and mortgage conditions have improved. But until the city can deliver more new housing, affordability pressures for locals will continue to mount.