11/13/2025

The Greek real estate market has shown remarkable resilience amid recent challenges, including restrictions on short-term rentals and changes to the Golden Visa program. Despite these factors, investment activity from abroad remained strong.

According to data from the Bank of Greece, foreign investors poured a total of €581.5 million into Greek properties during the second quarter of 2025 — only 6.5% lower compared to the same period last year (€622 million).

As a result, total inflows for the first half of the year reached €938.3 million, down by 17.6% from last year’s €1.14 billion. This indicates a significant recovery compared to the sharp drop recorded in the first quarter of 2025, when foreign capital inflows fell by 31.4% year-on-year to €356.8 million (from €520 million in Q1 2024).

This steady performance is noteworthy, especially considering the increase of the minimum investment threshold for obtaining a residence permit through the Golden Visa program. The limit has now risen to €800,000 for the entire Attica region, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, and all major islands with a permanent population above 3,100 residents.

Furthermore, since March 2025, the final deadline for submitting applications under the previous, lower investment limits has passed — making the second quarter’s results even more impressive.

According to the Ministry of Migration Policy, a total of 5,011 residence permit applications were submitted under the Golden Visa program between January and July 2025, up from 4,734 during the same period last year. This surge was largely driven by the first two months of the year, when 2,076 applications were submitted versus 1,331 in early 2024 — as investors rushed to complete property purchases before the new higher thresholds took effect.

However, since April, the pace of new applications has started to normalize. In July 2025, applications fell by 23.3%compared to the same month last year.

It’s worth noting that foreign real estate investment in Greece has been booming in recent years. With the exception of the pandemic year (2020), inflows have consistently exceeded €1 billion annually, peaking in 2024 at €2.75 billion.

The combination of the country’s economic recovery, strong demand for short-term rentals, and comparatively lower property prices compared to other European destinations has positioned Greece as one of the most attractive markets for international buyers.

This trend is expected to continue in the coming years, with demand focusing on holiday homes, investment properties, and luxury villas across popular destinations.

Source:  https://www.capital.gr/agora-akiniton/3948299/kefalaia-938-3-ekat-euro-proselkuse-apo-to-exoteriko-i-elliniki-agora-akiniton-to-a-6mino/