Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Polish buyers are taking a larger role in Spain’s residential property market, with demand increasingly visible in coastal destinations such as the Costa del Sol. The trend is changing what was once primarily a second-home relationship with Spain into a broader flow of residential investment driven by lifestyle, rental opportunities, greater household wealth and, for some purchasers, the desire to hold assets in another part of Europe.
The change has developed rapidly. Polish buyers accounted for around 4% of residential acquisitions by foreigners in Spain in 2025, compared with approximately 1.6% before the pandemic. Independent market reporting indicates that the number of Spanish homes purchased by Poles has roughly tripled since 2019.
The strength of this demand is particularly apparent in individual developments. In Marbella, Polish purchasers reportedly accounted for around 70% of sales at a 102-home premium residential project developed by Neinor Homes. Strong Polish interest has also been recorded in new residential schemes in Benidorm, suggesting that the trend extends beyond one section of the Costa del Sol.
Data supplied by Dream Property Marbella places Polish nationals among Spain’s ten most active foreign buyer groups. Its market information reports 1,143 Polish purchases and an eighth-place position among international buyers. However, the precise attribution of those 1,143 transactions to the second quarter of 2026 cannot currently be confirmed from the headline quarterly statistics published by Spain’s Property Registrars and should therefore not be treated as independently verified.
The wider internationalisation of Spain’s housing market is much clearer. Overseas purchasers accounted for 15.98% of residential transactions during the second quarter of 2026, representing more than 26,800 acquisitions. This was up from just under 24,800 international purchases during the opening quarter of the year.
Foreign capital has an especially large presence in Spain’s coastal markets. International purchasers represented more than 30% of transactions in both the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community during the second quarter, while Málaga and other Mediterranean markets continue to attract substantial overseas demand.
This demand is entering a market where transaction volumes and prices are moving in different directions.
Spain recorded 167,934 residential transactions during the second quarter, 5.7% fewer than during the preceding three months and 2.3% below the corresponding period of 2025. New-home transactions declined particularly strongly, falling 11.5% quarter-on-quarter.
Prices nevertheless continued upwards. The average registered residential value reached €2,487 per sqm, approximately 2.4% above the previous quarter and 9.2% higher year-on-year. The combination of resilient pricing and weaker sales activity points to continuing supply constraints in many sought-after locations.
For Polish investors, buying into this environment also means adapting to a transaction system that differs in important respects from the one they know at home.
One of the biggest differences involves legal representation. Spain’s notary is an impartial public official who oversees the legality and formal execution of the transaction, but does not represent the purchaser’s individual interests in the same way as an independently appointed lawyer.
A buyer’s lawyer can investigate ownership, registered liabilities, outstanding obligations, contractual conditions and restrictions affecting the property. New-build acquisitions can require additional scrutiny of development documentation, permissions, payment arrangements and safeguards applying to money transferred before completion. Dream Property identifies this division of responsibilities as one of the areas Polish purchasers frequently misunderstand when approaching the Spanish market.
The cost of independent legal assistance is commonly estimated at around 1% of the acquisition price, although this is not a statutory tariff. Fees are negotiated commercially and can vary according to the property’s value and the complexity of the transaction.
The agency market can also operate differently.
On the Costa del Sol, an agent may introduce clients to homes marketed through several agencies rather than simply presenting its own stock. Local market access can therefore be valuable, particularly where properties advertised online have already been reserved or are no longer available.
Sellers commonly cover agency commissions in Andalusian residential transactions, but this should be regarded as market practice rather than an automatic rule. The responsibility for paying an intermediary ultimately depends on the agreement between the parties, making it important for buyers to establish any fees before proceeding.
Consumer protection in this area is also developing. Andalusia introduced housing legislation in late 2025 establishing the framework for a public register of specialist residential property agents, part of a wider attempt to strengthen professional standards and transparency in the sector.
Language is another consideration that can easily be underestimated. Official and contractual documents are generally prepared in Spanish. International developers and advisers may supply English translations, but buyers still need to establish which version has legal effect and understand their obligations before signing.
The motivations bringing Polish capital to Spain are also becoming more diverse.
Holiday use and investment returns remain part of the attraction, alongside Spain’s climate and the possibility of spending longer periods in the country. But geopolitical considerations have emerged as another factor since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Independent reporting has identified Polish purchasers who see Spanish property partly as geographical diversification, allowing part of their wealth to be held farther from Europe’s eastern frontier and potentially providing an alternative residence. This should not be interpreted as the motivation of Polish purchasers generally, but it adds another dimension to the growth recorded since 2019.
Spain itself is becoming increasingly international as a residential investment destination. Established British, German, Dutch and French demand is being supplemented by buyers from Poland and a widening range of other markets.
That presents opportunities for developers and property owners but also raises questions for Spanish housing policy. International investment supports transactions and development, particularly in coastal markets, while simultaneously adding purchasing power to locations where housing availability and affordability have become increasingly sensitive political issues.
For Polish investors, meanwhile, Spain appears to be moving beyond its traditional position as simply a destination for holiday properties. The growth in acquisitions since 2019 and the concentration of Polish purchasers in some new developments indicate the emergence of a more established cross-border investment market.
The opportunity nevertheless comes with a different legal and commercial environment. Buyers accustomed to the Polish system need to understand the respective roles of lawyers and notaries, establish agency costs in advance, investigate the property’s legal position and ensure they understand Spanish contractual documentation.
As Polish capital becomes more visible in Spain, successful investment will increasingly depend not simply on finding the right property, but on understanding the market in which that property is being bought.
