In 2025 the Italian real estate market recorded 766,756 sales, with a growth of 6.4 percent compared to the previous year. The increase mainly concerned non-capital municipalities, where the increase was 6.9 percent, while large cities remained at 5.4 percent. According to data from the Tecnocasa group, the price increase was 2.6 percent in the second half of the year, the highest value since the post-pandemic period.
Prices and best-selling types
The growth in values affected all large Italian cities, without recording declines in any main centre. Bari marked the greatest increase with +6.3 percent, followed by Milan and Rome, both at 2.2. An important fact concerns the nature of the properties traded: transactions of new homes decreased by 21 percent, while sales of used homes grew by 9.1 percent. This shift is also linked to the lack of supply of new buildings, which however saw their prices rise by 2.5 percent.
Sales times and discounts
It takes an average of 108 days to sell a home in large cities. Milan and Bologna remain the fastest markets, with times of 88 and 91 days respectively, although they are slightly increasing compared to a year ago. Genoa and Bari, on the other hand, are the cities where negotiations are slowest. The average discount applied on the asking price is 7.7 percent, but the percentage rises for used properties that need renovation, reaching almost 8 percent in metropolitan areas.
Who buys and what they look for
The three-room apartment confirms itself as the most requested type of house in Italy, garnering over 41 percent of preferences in large cities. The exception is Milan, where demand is concentrated on two-room apartments. The majority of purchases, around 75 percent, concern first homes, while investments are slightly decreasing at 17.9 percent. The share of buyers in the age groups between 18 and 34 and between 55 and 64 has increased, with a general average age of around 43 years.
Rental trends
The rental market is showing signs of a slowdown in rent growth, which had been very rapid in recent years. In Milan and Bologna, rental prices have started to fall slightly after a long period of strong tensions. However, Milan remains the most expensive city: a studio apartment costs on average 837 euros per month, which becomes 1,128 for a two-room apartment. There is a return to the long-term rental market of properties previously intended for short-term rentals for tourists.
The forecast for 2026
However, the supply of apartments for rent remains lower than demand, conditioned by the low turnover of tenants and the owners’ fears about possible arrears. However, the share of contracts stipulated by university students is growing, now representing 14 percent of the total. For 2026, forecasts indicate further growth in sales, which could reach 790 thousand units, with prices and rents still rising slightly.