One third of homes in this Spanish city are snapped up within a week – and it may surprise you

IT’S not Madrid, Barcelona or even Malaga.

The fastest-moving property market in Spain right now is Granada, where nearly one in three homes change hands in under seven days.

The Andalucian city tops the national league for so-called ‘express sales’ – properties listed for less than a week before finding a buyer – according to a new study from property portal Idealista.

Granada’s 32% share dwarfs the national average of 13%, which has actually dipped slightly from 14% a year ago.

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But the home of the Alhambra isn’t the only less popular location to dominate the rankings. Next comes Huesca (27%), Soria (25%) and the north African enclave of Ceuta (23%). 

The traditional power house of Madrid sits further down the list at 18%, while Barcelona, Malaga and Palma all hover around 12%.

In fact, the big names have cooled. Barcelona’s rate has fallen to 12% in a year, while Málaga slipped from 16%.

At the other end of the spectrum, some markets remain sluggish. In Pontevedra, Badajoz, Ourense and Zamora, just 5% of homes sell within a week.

The report also highlights how fortunes can change fast. Soria has seen the most dramatic surge – from zero express sales in the same quarter last year to a quarter of all transactions now. Ceuta has jumped from 6% to 23%, while Huesca leapt from 12% to 27%.

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At provincial level, Granada still comes out on top with a quarter of all homes sold in under a week, ahead of Soria (20%) and Alava (19%).

Property experts point to Granada’s unique mix of factors, including relatively affordable prices, strong rental demand from students, and an influx of buyers seeking lifestyle and investment opportunities as fuelling the breakneck pace.

With the market still hot in pockets like Granada but slowing in others, the figures underline the increasingly localised nature of Spain’s property boom.

Property insiders suggest smaller, lesser-known cities can sometimes outpace the big hitters because demand is concentrated on a much tighter pool of homes. 

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In places like Soria, Huesca or Ceuta, the same effect can be amplified by limited supply – when the right home appears, local buyers and opportunistic investors are ready to pounce.

The Idealista report analysed sales recorded in the second quarter of 2025.

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