A general increase, with few exceptions, is recorded for 2020 in the requested house prices for sale and rent in Athens and Thessaloniki, according to a survey conducted in January by the advertising site Spitogatos. Nationwide, the sale prices requested by property owners - managers increased by 3.3%, while those for rent by 6.5%. However, there was a significant reduction of (requested) prices, more than 15%, but this concerns minimal areas of the territory, according to the findings of the study. "Although the asking prices for the sale and rental of real estate have increased significantly throughout the country in the midst of the pandemic - a phenomenon that was observed in about 80% of the areas of Attica and Thessaloniki - based on the data we collected from our platform, some areas are visible. exceptions, with more notable some sought-after areas near the center of Athens, where rents are declining. We expect to see how the evolution of the pandemic but also the possible return of tourism - and therefore the restoration of short-term rental housing - will further affect the market ", noted the CEO of the platform Dimitris Melachrinos. In Attica, the asking sales prices increased to 81.2%, fell to 14.5% and remained stable in 4.3% of the regions. The highest asking selling prices, per square meter, are recorded in Filothei (3,440 euros), Sounio (2,562 euros), Legrena (2,325 euros) and Argyroupoli (2,300 euros).
In Thessaloniki, they strengthened to 82%, shrank to 14% and remained stable in 4% of the regions, with the highest expected prices being found in Byzantium (1,750 euros), Doxa (1,666 euros), 40 Churches (1,445 euros) and at the Depot (1,422 euros).
In terms of rents, in Attica they increased to 71.8%, decreased to 23.9% and remained stable in 4.3% of the areas, while in Thessaloniki they increased to 86.8%, decreased to 7.9% and remained stable in 5.3% of the areas.
The increase in asking prices is attributed, to some extent, to the return of housing due to the health crisis. "The apartments have shown resilience in the midst of a pandemic, given the restrictions that have been imposed on travel. "Due to teleworking, we see a shift of prospective buyers to older apartments, which as more affordable, compared to smaller older properties, have a larger area, better serving the increased needs for distance employment", explains Giannis to "K" Xylas, head of the company of certified appraisers Geoaxis. Despite the upward trends, the rise in asking prices is opposed to the deterioration of the fundamental dimensions of the economy due to measures to limit COVID-19 but also to the shrinkage of foreign investment. Indicatively, in 2020, only 403 residence permits were issued related to investing in real estate worth at least 250,000 euros, through the "Golden Visa" program, a size that had reached 3,504 in 2019.
* The article is republished from the website www.kathimerini.gr
