Press Releases and Media Information for Kyero.com

According to the latest analysis from Kyero.com, the Spanish property most likely to attract the attention of a foreign buyer is a 3-bed country house, with no swimming pool in Alicante province, priced under €150,000.

Far from a pipe-dream, such properties do exist.

Published on July 4th, 2008, the latest Kyero.com enquiry report analyses over 130,000 enquiries made by email through the site during the first half of 2008.

Estate agents advertising on Kyero.com can access the full 30-page report providing a province-by-province breakdown of Spanish properties of most interest to foreign buyers. With the benefit of the information contained in 8 previous issues, they can also access in-depth buyer trends dating back to 2004.

A single page overview of the latest report is available as a free download.

Aside from Alicante, provinces faring well in terms of enquiry numbers are the traditional favourites of Malaga, Granada and Tarragona, attracting 14.3%, 11.8% and 7% of enquiries respectively.

The provinces of Murcia, Almeria and Valencia were closely matched with 6.8%, 6.5% and 6.3% of enquiries respectively. Overall, just seven provinces attracted almost three-quarters of interest from foreign buyers with the remainder shared between 40 other Spanish provinces.

Kyero.com MD, Martin Dell commented "The criteria of foreign buyers differs significantly from that of Spanish property buyers. Unsurprisingly, Spanish buyers favour big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, yet the majority of foreign buyers are more interested in traditional inland property or a beachfront lifestyle."

Comparing the latest enquiry report with previous issues, Alicante province ranks consistently as the most popular province since 2006, with Granada and Malaga jockeying for second position.

In the last three years, Alicante province is the only one of the top-5 to have increased its share of enquiries from 18.2% in 2006 to 20.9% in 2008. Each of the other contenders has lost share - to Alicante and to other, less familiar areas of Spain.

The good news for estate agents is that foreigners are increasingly interested in buying more expensive properties. Since 2006, the proportion of enquiries for properties over €500,000 has quadrupled - now standing at 4% of all enquiries made.

The trend at the other end of the price spectrum has also changed dramatically. In 2006, 28% of enquiries were made about properties priced under €50,000. In 2008, that percentage decreased to just 18%.

The most popular price range of €50,000 to €150,000 attracted a steady 40% of total enquiries each year but the higher price ranges all increased their share of enquiries over time.

The Kyero.com enquiry report is published bi-annually to analyse the trends in buyer behaviour and interest regarding Spanish property for sale. It excludes enquiries made about leasehold, fractional-ownership and rental properties.

Martin Dell of Kyero.com comments "One trend this report doesn't highlight is the increasing interest from foreigners in long term rental property in Spain."

"In 2004, enquiries about long-term rentals accounted for just 11% of the total - now they account for almost 20%. In one of the few property markets in Spain where demand outstrips supply, savvy estate agents are using long term rental properties to supplement their property sales businesses."

Now that there’s detailed Spanish house price information on Kyero.com, we’ve taken the opportunity to streamline the pdf version of the Kyero.com Spanish House Price Index.

As you can see from the image above, it’s just 3 pages in length now – but there’s no shortage of information in there. There are average proces for 30 Spanish provinces and pricing trends going back to the last quarter of 2006.

We’ve also worked hard on the layout and presentation to make it easier to read, understand and digest – I hope you like it and that it proves to be a useful overview and companion to the detailed information now available throughout Kyero.com.

Martin Dell, Kyero.com

One of the problems we've been wrestling with is how best to present the quantity of pricing data we've amassed over the years (we've produced over 5 million points of data by updating our house price stats every month since the middle of 2005).

Hopefully, these new features, released only yesterday, will make it easier for you to dive in at the level you need without getting bogged down in too much detail.

You can find links to this new data from every property page and every property results page - just look for these About links at the bottom of the left-hand column.

These links are always relevant to wherever you are currently searching or viewing property details and link to more information about that particular town, province or region.

Clicking that house prices link will display this page about house prices in Malaga province. Here's what you'll find there

1. We now show when we do not have sufficient data to reliably display an average price
2. The quarterly average price is the biggest number, going back to 2005
3. Each quarter is compared to the province or regional average price
4. Each quarter is compared to the national average price
5. The current year is highlighted
6. The latest quarterly figures are summarised with links to province, region and national averages where appropriate
7. Average prices can be broken down even further by size of property
8. The original PDF house price index is still available for those who prefer a consolidated 'big picture' report

Murcia, one of the few autonomous communities of Spain consisting of a single province, is looking ahead to a prosperous 2008 as the latest data reveals that property prices rose nearly 4% in 2007 and tourism increased by 18%.

Figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Commerce show that Murcia has far exceeded the national average increase of visitors to Spain (2.1%) with passenger traffic up by 23% to nearly 2 million at San Javier airport and 20% more cruise liners making Cartagena a port of call. Not only were visitor numbers up but tourist spending also saw a significant increase of 30%.

Murcia, located on the south eastern coast of Spain and home to the Costa Calida, has long been popular with Britons who enjoy an average annual temperature of 18°C, low rainfall and a varied landscape from the mountains inland to the largest salt water lake in Europe, the Mar Menor, all available under 2.5 hours flying time direct from the UK.

According to the Spanish Ministry of Housing (MVIV), Murcia is the third most popular province (after Alicante and Malaga) in which foreigners buy property; 20% of properties sold in Murcia in Q1 2007 were to foreigners.

Data from award winning Spanish property portal Kyero.com, reveals that average property prices in Murcia have continued to rise year on year. Whilst always remaining below the national average, 2005 saw an average price of €197,488, rising 4% to €203,568 in 2006 and 4% again in 2007 to €211,250. The very latest independent figures from Kyero.com show an average asking price of €212,000 (Feb 08), 14% below the national average of €245,000.

Martin Dell, MD of Kyero, comments, “The steady price growth seen over the past 3 years is a positive indicator for Murcia’s future. Compared to other provinces popular with Britons seeking second properties such as Alicante and Malaga, Murcia remains an affordable option with a wide variety of product available.”

These sentiments are echoed by Mike Hamilton, Director of Casas de Lorca, a developer based in the town of Lorca, 1 hour inland from Murcia City, he comments, “Our new build villa prices in Lorca rose by an average of 6% in the last year and the average resale rose by 4%. Murcia is one of the fastest growing regions in Spain and a new international airport opening in 2009 will further drive growth with an estimated 3 million passengers visiting in the first year.”

Find properties for sale in Murcia

Find properties for sale in Lorca

Apartments are the most enquired about property type on three of the four main Canary Islands, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, according to award winning Spanish property portal Kyero.com, with commercial premises being the most popular on the island of Lanzarote.

Independent data from the Kyero Enquiry Report (July – Dec 2007) reveals that nationally 3 bedroom villas without a swimming pool and under €150,000 are the most sought after properties in Spain. It appears however that certain regions of Spain attract buyers looking for something a little different.

The Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of Africa, is one such region. Popular, with north Europeans especially, as a summer and winter holiday destination, retirement hotspot and the ideal place to start a new life in the sun, the volcanic archipelago attracts around 8 million visitors annually.

Currently ranked as the 8th most popular region in which to buy property in Spain on Kyero.com, property stock varies from bungalows, apartments and town houses to duplexes, villas and fincas but it is apartments by far which prove the most sought after in the Canaries with 42% of all enquiries. On the island of Tenerife for example 59% of enquiries are for apartments with town houses and villas trailing at 7% and 5% respectively. 64% of enquiries requested properties with swimming pools and 32% requested 2 bedrooms which currently average at €221,000 (Jan 08).

These types of properties are ideal for a wide range of buyers, be they families looking for an affordable holiday home in the sun, retired couples looking to downsize and emigrate or buy-to-let investors seeking low maintenance, high demand rental opportunities.

The Canary Islands certainly do offer something for everyone and the island of Lanzarote is no exception. Data from Kyero.com reveals that commercial premises are the most sought after on Lanzarote, ahead of apartments, with 37% of all enquiries. With over 5000 expats now living on this volcanic island, opportunities to set up and run a business in Spain abound. Commercial premises available range from Indian restaurants to bars, offices, shops, hair salons, bakeries, hotels and even swimming pool bars!

Find Properties for sale in the Canaries at Kyero.com