In the period from January to March, 20,902 sales transactions were made in Catalonia, which is 19.35% more than in the previous quarter, even exceeding the results of the first quarter of 2020.
The Association of Real Estate Agents of Catalonia (AIC) and the Official Association of Real Estate Agents of Barcelona (COAPI) have published data on the impact of Covid-19 and the fourth wave on the real estate market in the region in the first quarter of this year.
Thus, according to the study, the number of sales and purchase transactions registered in Catalonia in the first quarter was 20,902, an increase of 19.35% compared to the previous quarter and exceeding by 3.31% the results of the first quarter of 2020, when the situation was before the pandemic.
In fact, this quarterly result is the second-highest since the end of 2007, second only to 21,877 sales in the first quarter of 2019. This quarterly improvement was the result of both new housing (+30.68% quarter-on-quarter) and secondary real estate (+17.14% quarter-on-quarter).
The percentage of property purchases by foreigners continues to decline as a result of mobility restrictions due to the global pandemic situation, and in the last quarter accounted for 10.2% of the total transactions. The important nationalities were French (21.63%), Moroccan (8.28%), Italian (6.86%), Romanian (5.56%) and Chinese (4.82%).
Girona leads with 24%, followed by the province of Tarragona (11,63%), the province of Lérida (9,47%) and in the province of Barcelona (to 8.34%). All of them have reduced their relative weight.
By capital city, the city of Barcelona had a total of 3,157 sales in the first quarter, with a quarterly increase of 26.43%. On an annualized basis, 10,186 purchase and sale transactions were made, with an annual decrease of 24.49%. In the city of Lérida, 557 purchase and sale transactions were registered, with a quarterly growth of 75.16%, reaching 1,360 transactions last year, with an annual recovery of 1.19%. In the city of Tarragona, 402 sales were made, with a quarterly improvement of 12.92%, reaching an annual result of 1,265 sales, with an adjustment of 18.33% compared to last year. Finally, in Girona, 324 sales were made between January and March, with a quarterly improvement of 54.29%, resulting in an annual total of 887 sales, and an annual correction of 13.29%.