Alex Trelinski
POLES looking for a safe haven are boosting foreign property sales in Spain amidst fears that Russia could attack their homeland.
They had the biggest percentage rise in non-Spanish real estate buyers last year, with purchases soaring by 153% since 2021.
The driving force has been Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 which has prompted East Europeans to buy or rent on the other side of the continent.
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“They want to feel secure both physically and financially,” according to Katarzyna Wabia, speaking to the 20minutos news portal.
She runs an Alicante area estate agency that specialises in dealing with Polish customers.
“Poles love the sea views, the terraces, the modern finishes, the proximity to the beach and the good food,” Wabia added.
Price is also a key factor for Polish buyers, with real estate 27.5% cheaper in Spain.
Notary figures from 2024 showed that Polish nationals bought 5,947 homes in Spain- 35% more than the previous year.
They became the fifth-largest purchaser among non-residents, behind the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, though in raw numbers they are still way behind the top four.
Nevertheless, business is on the up, as only 1,684 sales to Polish purchasers were recorded in 2019.
The big tipping point was undoubtedly what happened in Ukraine in 2022.
A Polish agent in Marbella, Agnieszka Marciniak-Kostrzewa, told 20minutos: “Since the war began, there has been an avalanche of customers and the phone never stopped ringing.”
“The war is still there, and every day news arrives of what is happening behind our border and we do not know how it will end,” she continued.
The most popular areas for Poles are the Valencian Community and Andalucia.
Poles were the third largest foreign property buying group last year in Valencia, accounting for 8.1% of non-Spaniards, with the Costa Blanca the most popular part of the region.
Andalucia, with a focus of the Costa del Sol, saw 4.1% of purchasers coming from Poland to make it the seventh highest foreign group.
