The Three Key Trends that Shape Today's Holiday Home Market

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.