Israelis led residential buys of foreigners last year

Nearly half of realty purchases were for a secondary residence, and cost €100,000-200,000

Israelis led last year the list of residential property buyers from abroad in Greece, with most buys costing up to €200,000.

According to last data, based on purchases made in 2025, buyers from Israel proved the most dynamic category in terms of real estate purchases in Attica and Thessaloniki. After investors from Israel, in Attica, the most active buyers from abroad were the Turks and the Lebanese, followed by the Chinese and Ukrainians.

Holiday homes worth €100,000-200,000 were the choice of almost half of foreign property buyers, with 47% of purchases involving homes of this price, while, 52% purchased a property as a second or vacation home. Another 30% of foreign buyers chose a property for investment use (rental or resale), and 10% proceeded to purchase a primary residence. Meanwhile, through the network of real estate offices, only 8% concerned property purchases aimed at securing a residence permit through the “Golden Visa” program, with the company noting that this option “is no longer the main driver of demand from abroad.”

This is also based on the available budget, as in addition to the €100,000-200,000 category, which is the most popular, there are properties worth €200,000-300,000, which were chosen by 27% of the total, and those of just €50,000-100,000, preferred by 17% of foreign buyers. These are small or old properties in small settlements, which certainly require significant additional amounts for their reconstruction.

While one in 10 buyers chooses to acquire a residence for permanent residence, according to another analysis, 57% of buyers from abroad leave open the possibility of permanent residence in Greece, while 18% are positive about such a prospect.

Regarding the size of residential properties chosen by foreign buyers, the category of those with an area of 61 to 100 square meters occupies 75% of purchases, covering both investment needs and owner-occupancy.

Source: eKathimerini.com