At a glance
- The Bank of Albania's house price index was unchanged in the first half of 2026 compared with the second half of 2025.
- Prices were 10% higher than a year earlier, down from annual growth of 28% in H2 2025 and 41.7% in H1 2025.
- In Tirana, prices rose 10% on the previous half-year and 9% on a year earlier.
- About 20% of homes sold went to non-residents, down from about 25% in H2 2025. Around 85% of those buyers were EU citizens.
House prices in Albania stopped rising in the first half of 2026, according to the Bank of Albania's survey of the residential property market, published in its Financial Stability Report on 23 September and reported by Albanian Daily News the following day.
The central bank's Fisher house price index was unchanged compared with the second half of 2025. Prices were still 10% higher than a year earlier, but annual growth has slowed sharply, from 28% in the second half of 2025 and 41.7% in the first half of 2025, according to the bank's earlier surveys.
| Period | Albania, vs previous half-year | Albania, vs a year earlier | Tirana, vs previous half-year | Tirana, vs a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First half 2025 | +14.6% | +41.7% | +5.1% | +32.6% |
| Second half 2025 | +11.7% | +28% | Almost unchanged | +4.4% |
| First half 2026 | Unchanged | +10% | +10% | +9% |
Source: Bank of Albania real estate market surveys for each half-year.
The pattern has reversed since late 2025. In the second half of 2025 the national index was pushed up by the prices of homes sold on the coast while Tirana was almost flat, the bank said at the time. In the first half of 2026 Tirana prices rose 10% while the national index did not move.
Foreign buyers and selling times
About 20% of homes sold in the first half of the year were bought by non-residents, and about 85% of those buyers were citizens of EU countries. That share was lower than the roughly 25% recorded in the second half of 2025, although the bank says the weight of sales to non-residents has trended upwards over the past five years.
Homes are taking longer to sell in the capital. The average time to sell rose to 9.9 months nationally from 9.1, and in Tirana to 9.7 months from 8.1. On the coast it fell to 8.2 months from 9.9, while elsewhere it rose to 10.6 months from 10.1.
Agents surveyed said about 58% of the residential and commercial properties they sold were bought with bank loans, and that most sales closed at the asking price or up to 5% below it, with larger discounts rare. They also reported that rents kept rising, mainly on the basis of information from agents working in Tirana. The stock of bank loans for home purchases reached ALL 260 billion (about €2.8 billion) at the end of June, 12.5% more than a year earlier.
The survey covers 230 estate agencies and construction companies, whose sales account for about 75–80% of the market's turnover. INSTAT carries out the interviews for the central bank.
What this means for property buyers
The national index has paused, but the survey shows little sign of a buyers' market: most homes still sell at or within 5% of the asking price, and bigger discounts are rare. In Tirana prices are still rising even though homes take longer to sell, while on the coast homes are selling faster than six months earlier. For the rules on buying as a foreigner, see our real estate guide.
Sources
- Bank of Albania: Financial Stability Report, first half of 2026 (Albanian, PDF), 2026-09-23
- Bank of Albania: Real estate market survey, second half of 2025 (Albanian, PDF)
- Bank of Albania: Real estate market survey, first half of 2025 (Albanian, PDF), 2025-10-20
- Albanian Daily News: The pace of annual price growth also decelerated significantly, according to the Fisher housing price index, 2026-09-24