Almeria has emerged as Spain’s new Property hotspot, reveals new research from TheMoveChannel.com, as the country remains the most sought-after destination among international buyers.

TheMoveChannel.com’s latest Hotspots Index, which maps the most searched-for locations on the international portal, saw Spain hold on to its top position in Q2 2017 for the second quarter in a row.

Spanish property’s popularity hit a three-year high in Q1 2017, as Malaga knocked Florence of its perch, the first time in 18 months that Italy had not topped TheMoveChannel.com’s Index. Now, the familiar favourite of the Costa del Sol has been trumped by an up-and-coming hotspot, with Almeria climbing from second place into first. Almeria accounted for 2.75 per cent of all searches by location on TheMoveChannel.com in Q2 2017. Malaga slipped into fourth place, with 2.2 per cent of searches.

Second place went to another new hotspot: Alessandria, which led interest in Italian property, with 2.47 per cent of searches. Indeed, Italy’s appeal rebounded in Q2 2017, accounting for 13 of the top 50 hotspots, up from 8 in Q1 2017. The country was also responsible for 4 of the top 10, double its share in Q1 2017. Portugal accounted for 6 of the top 50, down from 8 in Q1 2017.

Spain’s most popular property hotspots are now Almeria (1st), Malaga (4th), Benidorm (5th), Tenerife (7th), Barcelona (8th). Italy’s top property hotspots are Alessandria (2nd), Florence (3rd), Rome (6th) and Verona (10th). Interest in Portugal is fuelled by Albufeira (13th), Cascais (16th) and Vilamoura (25th).

Thailand, Greece and the UK both had one hotspot apiece in the top 50: Pattaya (33rd), Liverpool (47th) and Zante (44th), respectively.

TheMoveChannel.com Director Dan Johnson comments: “As Brexit negotiations begin, recent reports from agents that British demand for Spanish holiday homes has weakened are unlikely to witness a turnaround. However, international demand from other countries shows no sign of stopping, with Spain accounting for 26 of the top 50 hotspots – its second highest level ever recorded and double its share in Q4 2016. Spanish real estate is currently some of the most attractive in the world, with a pleasant climate, a stable presence within the Eurozone, rising but still low house prices, and beautiful beaches.

“Spain’s Golden Visa scheme is still fuelling interest in Barcelona, but Benidorm’s ranking in the top 5 highlights the continuing presence of some British buyers in the country’s expat hotspots. Almeria’s more affordable opportunities, meanwhile, continue to bring in buyers from the UK and places such as Northern Europe. Spain’s enduring popularity in our Hotspots Index is in spite of the USA’s dominance in our Top of the Props chart: while enquiries are soaring for US real estate, due to the investment potential in cities such as Detroit, the strong search volume for Spanish locations on TheMoveChannel.com in 2017 highlights the country’s unchanging lifestyle appeal, Brexit or no Brexit.”

The Top 50 Hotspots on TheMoveChannel.com in Q2 2017 are as follows:

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