The recommendation applies to buyers who have found a home that suits their needs at a price they can comfortably afford.
With the property market still volatile, prospective buyers in Catalonia are weighing whether to buy in the remaining months of 2026 or wait until 2027. Experts are unsure whether prices will fall, although some expect price growth to slow at different rates across the region.
“If the decision hinges entirely on waiting for a widespread drop in prices, we don’t see a clear reason to put off buying until 2027. Demand in Catalonia remains high, and housing supply is failing to keep pace,” says Robin Decaux, CEO of Equito.
Decaux says the decision should depend on the buyer’s finances, how long they plan to stay and, above all, the property itself and its location. “For someone who has found a suitable home and can comfortably afford the financing, waiting solely in the hope that the market will be significantly cheaper in 2027 may work against them,” he adds.
Miguel Ángel Gómez Huecas, president of Spain’s real estate employers’ federation FADEI, agrees. “If someone has found a home that meets their needs, is financially stable, has the necessary savings and can comfortably afford the financing, I don’t see a clear reason to automatically put off buying in the hope that prices might fall.”
Decaux sees a long-standing shortage of housing as the main factor keeping prices high. In many parts of Catalonia, new households are forming and demand is growing faster than homes are coming onto the market. “That shortage limits the scope for substantial price declines as long as demand remains strong,” he says.
Uncertainty over the housing market in 2027
One reason experts favor buying in 2026 is the uncertainty surrounding next year’s market. Emiliano Bermúdez, deputy managing director of donpiso, says the situation in the energy market could trigger a period of rising inflation that, in his view, would lead to higher interest rates.
“What we don’t know is whether those increases will be large enough to slow the property market and put home prices on a downward trend,” he adds.
Donpiso recommends that buyers who find a suitable home and can afford it this year go ahead with the purchase. Even if prices fall, the company says, the decline may be too small to justify passing up a home that meets their needs and is already within budget.
Decaux says higher interest rates could cool demand somewhat and reduce some households’ purchasing power. A significant, widespread drop in prices, however, would require a much sharper decline in demand or a substantial increase in supply. He sees little evidence of either so far.
Home prices may rise more slowly
Gómez Huecas expects 2027 to bring slower price growth, with widespread price declines less likely. “We could go from very sharp increases to much more modest gains. Some forecasts still point to higher prices in 2027, although any forecast made today could change if interest rates, the economy, employment or the supply of homes change,” he says.
“For someone buying a primary residence, I think making a sound purchase matters more than trying to guess the perfect month to buy.”
Decaux already sees signs of a slowdown. According to idealista, home prices in Barcelona were up 6.3% year on year in August, well below the increase across Catalonia as a whole. Prices in the city were virtually unchanged from the previous month. Decaux says the figures point to slower growth and widening differences between local markets, with little sign of a region-wide reversal.
Gómez Huecas says the underlying shortage persists. “In areas such as Barcelona, demand continues to far exceed the number of homes available. It’s hard to see significant, widespread price declines unless we substantially increase housing supply, especially in the markets under the most pressure.”
Even with improvements in supply, there would still be too few homes to keep pace with the formation of new households. Gómez Huecas advises families against waiting a year solely in the hope that home prices will fall, since there is no guarantee they will.
