21.09.2026
The origins of holiday home buyers from outside the EU are of particular interest, as the picture that emerges shows noticeable differences from investments in major urban centers. Following the government’s recent announcement regarding the introduction of a property transfer tax five times higher, specifically for buyers coming from countries outside the EU, we proceeded with an analysis of data from the last three years (2024-2026), based on the demand expressed for holiday homes.
This analysis shows that 44% of prospective buyers who contacted us about purchasing a holiday home in Greece during this period came from non-EU countries. Ultimately, 20% of the purchases that were completed concerned people from outside the EU. Therefore, one in five holiday home purchases is made by people from outside the EU, while the remaining purchases are made by citizens of EU member states.
As Mr. Giorgos Gavriilidis, CEO of Elxis, states: “Concerning non-EU buyers, our main markets are the UK (an increase of 20% from 2024 to 2026) and the US (an increase of approximately 30% from 2024 to 2026). Australia also doubled its share within one year and is now the third-largest market outside the EU, along with Switzerland and Israel, a country from which interest has declined significantly compared with 2024.”
British buyers prefer the Ionian Islands, at a rate of 24%. Meanwhile, buyers from the US and Canada mainly turn to Crete (28%) and mainland Greece (25%), while the Ionian Islands account for only 12%. The Aegean attracts the same level of interest from both markets, at 19% each.
At the same time, however, the share of prospective buyers from outside the EU recorded an increase of 11.1% from 2024 to 2026. This figure is of particular interest, taking into account that almost four in ten prospective buyers from countries outside the EU (38%) state that they have a budget of more than €400,000 available for the purchase of a holiday home in Greece. The corresponding percentage of prospective buyers from countries within the EU is 24%. Therefore, people from countries outside the EU generally have larger budgets and often choose more expensive and higher-quality properties.
According to the government’s announcement, the property transfer tax for non-EU citizens will increase to 15%, from the current 3%. It will apply exclusively to homes purchased by individuals, while Greek expatriates and long-term residents of the country will be exempt. The measure is scheduled to come into effect on 1 July 2027.
“We are monitoring developments and any changes that may arise during the legislative process of this measure with particular attention. One such change could, for example, be the exemption of areas located outside the major urban centers, which, by their nature, are not experiencing housing pressure. In any case, we expect an acceleration in decision-making by buyers from outside the EU in the coming months,” Mr. Gavriilidis points out.
Another useful conclusion, based on the above data, is that buying interest from non-EU countries was not curtailed following the increase in the minimum investment thresholds under the Golden Visa program, which were legislated from 2024 onwards.
This is explained by the fact that, by now, the main motivation of these people is no longer securing a residence permit. After all, only 11% of Elxis’ non-EU clients in 2026 chose to make use of the Golden Visa program. On the contrary, there is now increasingly strong and genuine interest in acquiring a holiday home in Greece.
It is recalled that for properties located outside the two major urban centers (Attica and the Municipality of Thessaloniki), as well as the major islands, the threshold for obtaining a residence permit through the Golden Visa program has increased from €250,000 to €400,000.
26.10.2026
As part of our recent research, we identified three key trends in the holiday home market: growing demand for off-plan purchases, rising interest from US buyers, and more prospective buyers seeking to relocate permanently to Greece.
24.08.2026
Greece is emerging as one of the most popular choices for foreign buyers, as almost one in three buyers (30.8%) from abroad are looking for a property in the country for permanent residence. This conclusion is based on this year’s analysis of purchasing trends among foreign buyers, drawing on our customer base, and is indicative not only of the growing appeal of the Greek market, but also of the program that has been in place in recent years exclusively for retirees.
20.07.2026
Crete ranks first among the preferred destinations of foreign holiday home buyers this year. According to data collected from our client base, during 2026, one-third of buyers chose Crete for the purchase of a holiday home. These buyers mainly come from Western European countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom. It is also noteworthy that 76.6% of prospective buyers plan to proceed with the purchase of a holiday home within the next 12 months, while half of that percentage, or 38.3% of the total, intend to move forward within the next six months.
29.06.2026
More and more buyers from the United States and Canada are looking to fulfill their own "Greek dream" by purchasing a holiday home in Greece. According to our data, demand from these two markets increased by 50% during the first half of this year, establishing an entirely new trend in Greece's holiday home market.
25.05.2026
Holiday home prices across Greece are rising by 10.8% this year. According to a recent study of ours, the average price per square meter increased by 10.8% during the January – April period of this year compared to the same period last year, reaching €3,398/sq.m. from €3,067/sq.m.
27.04.2026
Crete, the Peloponnese, and the Ionian Islands stand out this year in terms of demand for holiday homes from international buyers. At the same time, an increasing number of foreign buyers are seeking newly built properties “off-plan” to benefit from lower prices. These findings come from one of the recent analyses.
23.03.2026
A shift is evident this year in the profile of foreign property buyers in Greece, following adjustments to the Golden Visa program. According to an analysis by Elxis – At Home in Greece, demand for residency permits has dropped by 83% compared to last year. This is based on demand data and trends observed through Elxis’ network and its offices in the Netherlands, Thessaloniki, and Crete.
19.01.2026
Our survey forecasts notable changes compared to previous years and the formation of new trends in the holiday home market for 2026. Throughout our research, we identified an increasing shift not only toward luxury and high-end properties, but also toward more affordable holiday homes of smaller surface areas, based on demand observed in selected projects with such characteristics.
