The year 2025 is expected to mark yet another period of sharp growth in the acquisition of holiday homes across Greece by European buyers. According to our data during the first four months of this year (January–April) this continues the strong upward trend of 2024, with Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany emerging as particularly dynamic markets.
“Compared to the same period in 2024, we have recorded a 91% increase in sales to Dutch buyers, a 103% increase to Belgians, and a 64% rise to Germans (including, of course, Greeks living abroad),” states Mr. George Gavriilidis, CEO of Elxis.
The Greek company is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, and has offices in Thessaloniki and Crete. It specializes in selling holiday homes to foreign buyers, offering a comprehensive service package—from legal and technical due diligence to post-sale property management.
According to Mr. Gavriilidis, “A few months ago, we predicted that the recovery of property prices in the European market would benefit the Greek holiday home market. This assessment is being confirmed so far, based on the sales data we have, which shows a significant increase in both demand and new investments.
A price comparison between Greece and other countries clearly favors Greece,” he emphasizes. According to him, the purchase of a newly built three-bedroom villa in Crete—with high energy efficiency, a garden, and a pool—costs around €350,000, whereas in the Netherlands, a 100 sq.m. apartment in Amsterdam costs over twice as much (€700,000–€800,000).
According to data from the Bank of Greece, in 2024, real estate buyers from EU countries invested a total of €1 billion in Greece. This represents a 52.5% increase compared to 2023. Among individual countries, Germany leads the way with €162 million in property purchases (+16%), while Dutch buyers invested €96 million—a 100% increase compared to 2023. French investors also saw a strong rise of 79%, spending a total of €77 million on Greek property in 2024.
Based on Elxis’s analysis, most buyers seek holiday homes priced between €250,000 and €600,000, with the majority falling in the €350,000–€450,000 range. The most investment-active buyers are the Dutch, followed by the Belgians. Around 50% of buyers from these countries are investment-oriented and choose to rent out their holiday homes during the periods they are not using them. In contrast, buyers from countries like Germany and France are more focused on personal use, although some also explore rental income through short-term leasing.
Buyers from Northwestern Europe (e.g., the Dutch, Belgians, Germans, Swiss, and French) prefer holiday homes in Crete, the Ionian Islands, the Peloponnese, and Rhodes. Some also opt for specific Cycladic islands where good investment opportunities may be found.
