In 2025, foreign buyers looking at Greek real estate were not chasing grandeur. They were chasing something far more specific: apartments and small houses, usually more than five years old, sized for everyday living and priced within reach of the European middle class.
That is the picture that emerges from a new survey by RE/MAX Greece, the country’s largest real estate network, which tracked completed transactions across its 88 offices and more than 1,200 real estate advisers. The data show a market shaped by quiet, steady demand for practical homes that fit neatly into modern, mobile lives.
The typical purchase fell between 60 and 100 square meters and cost between €100,000 and €200,000. These were not showpieces. They were places to stay, return to and, in many cases, rent out.
For most foreign buyers, the motivation was personal. Just over half, 52%, bought their property to use as a second or holiday home, reflecting Greece’s enduring pull as a place to escape to rather than speculate in. Investment was the next most common reason, with 30% buying to rent or resell. Another 10% were looking for a primary residence.
The Golden Visa program, Greece’s residency-by-investment program, now plays a much smaller role. Only 8% of buyers cited it as their main motive, a sharp signal that foreign interest is no longer driven primarily by visa incentives.
What buyers chose was just as revealing. Apartments made up the largest share of purchases, at 38%, followed by detached houses at 27% and maisonettes at 20%. Together, these three categories accounted for most of the foreign demand. Commercial properties barely registered, at 3%, while plots and agricultural land together made up just 12%.
The overwhelming preference was for existing homes. Nearly eight in 10 foreign buyers, which accounts for 78%, purchased resale properties. New builds accounted for 20%, and renovated homes just 2%, suggesting that buyers were more focused on location and affordability than on newness.
Size followed the same pattern of restraint. Three-quarters of all purchases were for homes between 61 and 100 square meters, large enough for comfort but small enough to manage easily. Properties under 60 square meters and those between 101 and 150 square meters each attracted 10% of buyers. Only 5% opted for homes larger than 151 square meters.
Prices clustered just as tightly. Almost half of all transactions fell in the €100,001 to €200,000 range. Another 27% were between €200,001 and €300,000, and 17% between €50,001 and €100,000. Purchases below €50,000 or above €300,000 were rare, each price band accounting for only 3%.
Finding the right home, however, was not always straightforward. Nearly half of buyers, 48%, said they reassessed their plans if they could not quickly locate a suitable property. Limited supply in their chosen area affected 15%, rising prices 13% and personal circumstances 12%. Bureaucratic procedures influenced 8% of decisions. Far fewer were deterred by changing priorities or lack of financing.
Even the pace of decision-making varied. About one-third of foreign buyers took four to six months to commit, while nearly a quarter decided within two to three months. Roughly 20% moved either very quickly or only after more than seven months of searching.
Yet the overall conclusion of the RE/MAX survey is unambiguous. In 2025, Greece remained one of the Mediterranean’s most attractive and stable destinations for foreign buyers, both for holiday homes and for investment.
