- by croatiaweek
- October 25, 2025
-
in
News
Dalmatian coast
This year has seen a significant decline in property sales to foreign buyers in Croatia. According to data from the Tax Administration, the number of transactions has fallen sharply, from 11,623 last year to just 6,592 in the first nine months of 2025.
Despite the slowdown in sales, property prices continue to climb. Apartments in Split remain among the most expensive in the country, now reaching record highs.
“Prices are currently the highest in history,” says Marin Biliškov, director of a real estate agency. “We’ve just started selling a new project on an exclusive location in Split. The construction has just begun, and prices range from €7,500 up to €10,000 per square metre,” he revealed to RTL.
In a country where the average monthly salary is around €1,500, paying €10,000 per square metre is far out of reach for most locals. And now, it seems, even foreign buyers are starting to feel the pinch.
Too Expensive Even for Foreigners
According to Dubravko Ranilović, president of the Real Estate Business Association at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), the downward trend in foreign interest has been ongoing for some time.
“Since the onset of economic and political instability in Europe, we’ve seen a decline in both transaction numbers and foreign interest. Continuous price increases have not helped either,” Ranilović explained.
Germany, Austria and Slovenia, once among the biggest sources of foreign buyers, are now showing less interest in purchasing Croatian property.
Trend Reversal After Record 2022
The decline in foreign purchases first appeared during the pandemic year of 2020. Two years of growth followed, leading to a record-breaking 2022, before the current downward trend began. If the trend continues until the end of this year, the drop compared to last year will be even greater.
Real estate expert Boro Vujović expects that the years of constant price growth, among the steepest in Europe, may soon come to an end.
“We can expect prices to stabilise and some correction, especially for second-hand properties,” he says.
Ranilović agrees, noting that many properties on the market remain unsold for months. “We’re seeing signs that, at current prices, particularly for used apartments, it’s becoming difficult to find buyers. Many have been listed for six months or longer and are simply not selling,” he added.
