More than two-thirds of Ukrainians planning to buy an apartment pay attention to the availability of a backup power supply and independent heating, according to the results of a survey by “OLX Real Estate.”
According to the study, 68% of potential buyers consider a backup power supply in case of power outages to be important, compared to 49% in 2025. Thus, over the course of a year, the share of buyers paying attention to a home’s energy independence has risen by 19 percentage points. The availability of autonomous heating is also important to 68% of respondents.
“Energy sustainability has effectively become on par with many ‘traditional’ characteristics of an apartment or house,” notes the OLX report.
At the same time, the main criterion when buying an apartment remains its cost—82% of respondents cited price as important. In second place is the total area of the home—79%.
The number of rooms and the city neighborhood are considered by 77% of potential buyers each. A good floor plan or renovation, as well as the property’s stage of completion, are important to 76% of respondents; infrastructure and the building’s exterior are important to 73%; and the floor level is important to 72%.
At the same time, the war has significantly changed Ukrainians’ security requirements for real estate. 67% of potential buyers consider the distance from strategic facilities, and the presence of a shelter directly in the building is important to 60%.
At the same time, traditional advantages of a property’s location are less important. Proximity to the metro was cited as important by 46% of respondents, and a location near the city center by 45%.
The main reason for purchasing real estate remains the desire to improve current living conditions—47% of respondents cited this as their motivation. Another 42% want to acquire their own private space, 23% plan to move into a more spacious home, 20% view the purchase as a way to improve their standard of living, and 11% want to change the neighborhood where they live.
The investment component remains significant, though it takes a back seat to purchasing a home for personal use. Twenty-eight percent of potential buyers view real estate as an investment. Specifically, 19% expect to generate income in the future by renting out the property or reselling it.
Thus, the survey results indicate a shift in Ukrainian buyers’ priorities: alongside price, square footage, and location, a property’s ability to function during power outages and its level of security are becoming increasingly important.
According to OLX, attitudes toward backup power have changed particularly noticeably: while in 2025 approximately one in two potential buyers considered this factor, by 2026 the figure had risen to more than two-thirds.
Source: “OLX Real Estate” study.
According to the Relocation project, Greece has proposed discontinuing the granting of residence permits to foreign investors for the purchase of real estate and refocusing the “Golden Visa” program on direct investments in the country’s economy.
This initiative was put forward by Nikos Androulakis, leader of the main opposition party PASOK, amid the ongoing housing crisis. Androulakis believes that the current model effectively encourages the sale of Greek real estate to foreign investors and further impacts housing affordability for the local population.
However, PASOK’s proposal does not call for Greece to completely stop granting residence permits in exchange for investment. The party proposes removing real estate from the list of assets eligible for a “Golden Visa” and redirecting foreign capital toward investment instruments that promote economic growth.
For now, this is solely a political initiative by the opposition. PASOK holds 34 seats in Greece’s 300-seat parliament, so the proposal does not automatically mean a change to the current program.
Currently, the minimum real estate investment required to obtain a Greek Golden Visa depends on the region and the type of property.
In Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini, as well as on islands with a population of over 3,100, the minimum threshold is 800,000 euros. In most other regions of the country, it is set at 400,000 euros.
A reduced threshold of 250,000 euros applies to certain categories of properties, including real estate being converted from commercial to residential use and certain buildings requiring restoration. For standard investments of 400,000 euros and 800,000 euros, there is a requirement to purchase a single property with an area of at least 120 square meters.
Greek authorities have tightened the conditions of the Golden Visa program several times in recent years amid rising housing costs. In addition to raising the minimum investment thresholds, real estate purchased under the program can no longer be used for short-term rentals.
The stricter rules have already affected demand. According to the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum, in the first half of 2026, foreign investors submitted 2,551 new applications for the Golden Visa—44% fewer than the 4,553 applications filed during the same period in 2025.
At the end of the first half of the year, there were 32,702 active investor residence permits in Greece, issued under the program since its launch. Another 7,368 applications from previous periods remained pending.
The decline in interest in the Golden Visa has not yet led to an overall drop in foreign investment in Greek real estate. In the first quarter of 2026, the inflow of foreign capital into the real estate market reached 511.6 million euros, an increase of 43.4% compared to 356.8 million euros a year earlier. This indicates that demand for Greek properties among foreigners remains strong even without the incentive of obtaining a residence permit.
Between 2019 and 2025, foreign investors poured approximately €12.4 billion into Greek real estate. In 2025, the volume of foreign investment totaled €2.05 billion, compared to €2.75 billion in 2024.
The Golden Visa program has been in effect in Greece since 2014 and allows citizens of non-EU countries to obtain a five-year renewable residence permit provided they meet the investment requirements. The question of the future role of real estate in this program takes on particular significance against the backdrop of rising housing costs and the government’s efforts to increase the supply of properties available for long-term rent.
https://relocation.com.ua/greece-proposes-to-exclude-real-estate-from-the-golden-visa-program/
golden visa, GREECE, INVESTMENTS, REAL ESTATE, RESIDENCE PERMIT
Georgia’s residential real estate market ended the summer of 2026 with rising sales and prices in Tbilisi and continued exceptionally high activity among foreign investors in Batumi, where foreigners accounted for more than half of all residential property transactions in August.
According to data from the Recov analytics platform, developed by Colliers Georgia, 3,388 apartment transactions were registered in Tbilisi in August 2026, an increase of 18.9% compared to the same month last year.
The market’s total transaction value grew even faster—by 35.2%, to $297 million.
New projects were the main driver of growth. The number of apartment transactions in new developments increased by 23.7%, including a 22.9% rise in the primary market and a 24.5% rise in the secondary market for new properties. Sales of apartments in the existing housing stock rose by 3.8%.
Colliers attributes a significant portion of the growth in new-construction sales to an expansion of supply, primarily in the Samgori and Didi Digomi districts.
At the same time, prices continued to rise. In August, the weighted average price of apartments in new buildings in Tbilisi rose year-over-year by 16.7% in the city center, 16% in the extended city center, and 10.4% in the suburbs.
Citywide, prices in the primary market rose by 11.9%, and in the secondary market for new projects, by 11%.
That said, Tbilisi remains a market dominated by local buyers. Georgian citizens account for the majority of transactions involving both new and existing apartments.
However, the share of foreign buyers continues to grow. In August, it reached 14%, up from 12% in July.
A completely different demand structure has emerged in Batumi. In August, foreign citizens accounted for 52% of apartment transactions, exceeding the share of Georgian buyers for the first time during the period under review. Back in July, the share of foreign buyers stood at 48%.
In total, 1,235 transactions were concluded in Batumi in August, which is 4.3% less than a year earlier. However, the market’s total value increased by 2.9% to $81 million.
The weighted average price of apartments in new buildings in Batumi rose by 1.2% year-over-year—to $1,386 per square meter.
Thus, Georgia’s two largest real estate markets are currently developing along different trajectories. In Tbilisi, domestic buyers drive the main demand, while Batumi has effectively become an international real estate investment market.
Among the most active foreign buyers of real estate in Georgia—particularly in Batumi—are citizens of Israel, Russia, Ukraine, EU countries, Turkey, and other post-Soviet states.
Recent detailed studies of the buyer demographic confirm a significant presence of Ukrainians.
According to data from Galt & Taggart for the first quarter of 2026, foreigners accounted for about 63% of apartment sales in the surveyed projects in Batumi, while Georgian citizens accounted for 37%.
The largest group consisted of buyers from European countries—about 18% of all sales. Israeli citizens accounted for a significant share. Buyers from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus also formed one of the largest groups of foreign investors.
However, the published statistics combine citizens of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus into a single category, so it is impossible to determine the exact number or share of purchases made directly by Ukrainians based on this data.
Earlier data from Colliers also lists Russians, Ukrainians, and Israelis among the main foreign buyers of residential property in Batumi.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the dissolution of parliament and the holding of early parliamentary elections on November 29, 2026, after a fragmented parliament blocked a number of key government initiatives, including measures to combat the housing crisis.
On October 5, Sánchez announced the convening of an extraordinary cabinet meeting to initiate the procedure for dissolving parliament. The early election will take place nearly a year ahead of schedule.
The decision was made following yet another escalation of the housing crisis in Spain. Last week, parliament rejected the government’s proposed housing measures, and on October 3, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in protests across approximately 50 cities nationwide.
In Madrid alone, according to Reuters, about 70,000 people took part in the demonstrations. Protesters demanded tougher measures against rising rents, evictions, and the shortage of affordable housing. Protests also took place in Valencia and other major cities.
The housing crisis in Spain has worsened in recent years amid rapidly rising prices, insufficient supply of new housing, and high rental costs in major cities and tourist regions.
According to the latest Eurostat data, published on October 1, 2026, residential real estate prices in Spain rose by 12.1% in the second quarter compared to the second quarter of 2025. By comparison, housing prices across the European Union rose by an average of 4.7% during this period, and by 4% in the eurozone. Thus, the rate of price growth in Spain is more than double the European average.
Moreover, prices continue to rise on a quarterly basis: in the second quarter, prices in Spain rose by another 3.4% compared to the first quarter of 2026. In the first quarter, the annual growth rate was 12.8%.
High growth rates are also being seen in the resale market. According to indices published in early October by Spain’s largest real estate portals, the average price of resale housing continued to grow at double-digit rates in the third quarter. According to Idealista, prices rose by 11.8% year-over-year—to 2,930 euros per square meter—while Fotocasa estimates annual growth at 13.8% and the average price at approximately 3,140 euros per square meter.
At the same time, the situation is complicated by lending conditions. The Bank of Spain reported in July that in the second quarter of 2026, banks tightened lending conditions, and public demand for mortgage loans declined. Banks also expected lending conditions to tighten further in the third quarter.
Consequently, the housing issue has evolved from a primarily social and economic problem into one of the central factors on the Spanish political agenda. The rapid rise in real estate prices, the shortage of affordable housing, the situation in the rental market, and mass protests increased pressure on the government at a time when Sánchez’s cabinet was already struggling to pass bills in parliament.
Early parliamentary elections in Spain are scheduled for November 29, 2026.
According to the Serbian business media outlet Parametar, housing prices in the European Union rose by 4.7% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, and by 4.0% in the eurozone, according to Eurostat data published on October 1.
Compared to the first quarter of this year, housing prices in the EU rose by another 1.2%, and in the eurozone by 1.1%.
Year-over-year price increases were recorded in 23 EU countries for which data is available. Prices fell in only three countries: Finland (by 2.7%), Luxembourg (by 2.2%), and France (by 0.8%).
Portugal led the EU in housing price growth, with prices rising 16.5% over the year. Bulgaria ranked second with a 15.5% increase, and Lithuania third with 14.3%.
High growth rates also persisted in Slovakia, where housing prices rose by 13.6%, Croatia—by 12.7%, and Spain and Romania—by 12.1% each.
In Latvia, the increase was 11.4%; in Hungary, 10.2%; in Denmark, 9.4%; in Slovenia, 9.1%; in the Czech Republic, 8.6%; and in Cyprus, 7.9%.
More moderate price growth was observed in Malta—6.9%, in Poland—6.3%, Ireland—6%, Estonia—5.8%, Austria—5.1%, Sweden—4.8%, the Netherlands—4.3%, and Italy—4%.
Some of the lowest positive figures were recorded in Belgium—2.1%—and Germany—just 0.6%.
Compared to housing prices in the first quarter of 2026, prices rose the fastest in Lithuania—by 5%, Bulgaria—by 4.5%, and Romania—by 4.4%. Quarterly declines were observed only in Hungary—by 1.4%—and France—by 0.8%.
Eurostat calculates the House Price Index based on the cost of residential real estate purchased by households, including both new construction and existing homes.
The Lithuanian government has approved a draft law providing for additional restrictions on the acquisition of real estate by citizens of Russia and Belarus near strategically important facilities, Open4Business reports, citing data from the Lithuanian authorities.
According to a proposal by the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the restrictions should apply to real estate located near military training grounds and other facilities of importance to national security. The draft law materials refer to areas within a radius of up to 10 km from the relevant facilities.
A significant change is that the restrictions are proposed to be extended, among others, to citizens of Russia and Belarus who have a residence permit in Lithuania.
Currently, the country already restricts the right to acquire real estate for Russian citizens who do not have a temporary or permanent residence permit, as well as for legal entities whose beneficial owners are Russian citizens. An exception is provided for receiving real estate through inheritance.
The new draft law should expand the existing restrictions. Similar rules are proposed to be established for citizens of Belarus and legal entities associated with them, while Russians and Belarusians with a residence permit would additionally be restricted from acquiring real estate near facilities important to national security.
The Lithuanian authorities explain the initiative by the risks of hybrid threats, intelligence activities and possible surveillance of strategic infrastructure and military facilities.
The problem is of a fairly significant scale. According to data from Lithuania’s Centre of Registers published in February 2026, Russian citizens owned about 8.7 thousand real estate properties in which they controlled at least 50% of the ownership. Belarusian citizens owned another approximately 4 thousand properties.
Thus, taken together, citizens of the two countries own approximately 12.7 thousand real estate properties in Lithuania.
The highest concentration of such property is in major cities and their suburbs, as well as in border municipalities, including Visaginas and Šalčininkai.
The authorities are paying particular attention to real estate near strategic infrastructure. According to data cited by Lithuanian media with reference to the Centre of Registers, after the start of the full-scale war, 1,845 Russian citizens acquired real estate near airports, as well as within 10 km of military training grounds and power plants, of whom 364 had temporary residence permits.
At the same time, this does not mean a complete closure of the Lithuanian real estate market to all citizens of Russia and Belarus. The new additional restrictions are primarily tied to territories near facilities of interest to national security.
The draft law still has to be considered by the Seimas of Lithuania. If finally approved, the new rules are planned to apply from January 1, 2027.
