The Greek real estate market is gaining momentum again thanks to foreign capital, but no longer solely because of the “Golden Visa” program. In the first quarter of 2026, the inflow of foreign direct investment into Greek real estate rose by 43.4% year-over-year, reaching EUR511.6 million compared to EUR356.8 million during the same period last year, according to data from the Bank of Greece.
It is telling that this growth in investment coincided with a sharp decline in interest in residence permits for investment. The number of Golden Visa applications in the first quarter of 2026 fell by 52.2%—to 1,677, compared to 3,507 a year earlier. This means that some foreigners are no longer purchasing Greek real estate as a “ticket to Europe,” but rather as a standalone investment and lifestyle asset.
Foreign demand is currently concentrated in two segments. The first is premium real estate in Attica, on the Athens Riviera, and on popular islands. The second is new vacation homes priced at EUR400,000–600,000 in regions where there is still potential for price growth and rental yields. Higher thresholds now apply for the Golden Visa: EUR800,000 for Greater Athens, the municipality of Thessaloniki, and the major islands, as well as EUR400,000 for the rest of the country.
There has also been a noticeable increase in demand from North America. According to Elxis – At Home in Greece, demand from buyers in the U.S. and Canada rose by 50% in the first half of 2026. Only 11% of these buyers take advantage of the Golden Visa program; the average transaction value is EUR448,000; and 70% choose new homes, often still under construction. The top destinations for Americans are Crete and the Ionian Islands.
By nationality, publicly available statistics for 2026 are still incomplete: what is available consists mainly of individual market assessments and data on capital flows, rather than a comprehensive ranking of all buyers. In the premium segment, foreigners account for 60–85% of demand in top locations, with citizens of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, the United States, and Israel among the primary buyers.
According to data for 2025, the largest sources of foreign capital flowing into Greek real estate included Turkey (EUR 214 million), China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as well as the UAE (EUR 67 million) and the United Kingdom (EUR 63 million).
Investors from Israel and the United States also remained significant groups, although their investments declined in 2025.
