BRITS were once again Spain’s biggest foreign home buyers last year, snapping up thousands of properties as overseas purchases edged close to the 100,000 mark despite rising prices.
The UK remains Spain’s single largest overseas market, with buyers continuing to favour established hotspots along the Costa del Sol, in Alicante province and across the Balearic Islands.
Agents say the profile of British buyers is evolving. Retirees relocating permanently are still a key group, but they are now joined by younger families and remote workers seeking a better quality of life, reliable healthcare and long-term value.
Another interesting aspect of the market is how many homes are being bought outright.
Around three in ten properties sold in Spain last year (roughly 206,500) were purchased without a mortgage.
Cash deals are particularly common among foreign buyers, many of whom rely on savings, pension payouts or from property sales in their home countries.
While Brits lead the rankings, they are not alone.
German, Dutch and French buyers remain highly active, especially in the Balearics and along the Mediterranean coast.
Scandinavian buyers are also present in coastal hotspots, although they did not feature among the top nationalities in the latest registry breakdown.
Eastern European purchasers, in particular Polish buyers, are becoming more visible in coastal markets.
The Polish join Romanians who have long maintained a strong presence both as residents and investors.
In total foreign nationals accounted for almost 100,000 home purchases in 2025, the highest figure recorded in absolute terms.
This has helped to push Spain’s housing market to its strongest level since before the financial crisis.
However, these foreigners still make up a relatively minor 13.8% of the market overall, indicating that regional dominance is far from translating nationally.
Property registrars have cautioned that the pace of price growth cannot continue indefinitely.
For now, however, overseas demand led by the British, remains one of the key pillars propping up Spain’s property boom.
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