Italians are buying houses again. Prices rising

The real estate market in Italy records “positive signs” with the trades estimated to rise in 2026 and rising prices, although rentals could slow down slightly. In the usual “Sentiment” of Fimaa Italia-Confcommercio, carried out by the Research Office and relating to the first quarter of 2026, sector operators expect sales to increase by 1-1.5% and property prices to grow by around 2% which will lead to 2026 trades exceeding the 770 thousand transactions recorded last year. The one driving the market, explains a note, should be precisely the residential sector already built in the face of a shortage of new units and redeveloped solutions.

On the rental front, demand should continue to exceed supply with the consequent increase in rents, with the rental market currently tending to be oriented towards more flexible contractual formulas. “The Sentiment highlights a structured residential market, with possible territorial fluctuations, but still solid”, comments Santino Taverna, President of Fimaa Italia. “We are seeing shortages of new or remanufactured product impacting unit values.

What Italians are looking for

Demand – explains Taverna – is also oriented towards different typologies from the past: flexible solutions, low management costs and local services in response to the changing needs of the market. Two-room and three-room apartments they are the units most requested by mobile workers, students, smaller families and elderly people. The rental market, however, continues to show strong signs of tension throughout the national territory.”

First investment house

However, the house remains the priority investment of Italian families and there is also growing interest from foreign investors. As regards sales, in the first quarter of 2026, 35% of Fimaa operators note that supply is slowing down, while 54% believe supply is at the same levels with stable demand.

A third of operators believe that prices may increase.

The numbers

Il number of trades remains stable for 50% of operators while for 27% transactions could increase. Fimaa underlines that the main driver of the market remains the purchase of the first home (30%) which could grow with greater ease of access to credit. The main factors holding back purchase intentions for used vehicles to be redeveloped are the high restructuring costs (33%) and the reduced spending capacity of families eroded by the increase in energy costs and inflation (25%).

The new construction transactions there are approximately 54 thousand units, equal to 7% of the market. “This trend is determined by a series of factors – explains Andrea Oliva, head of the Fimaa Italia research office – starting from the higher prices of new ones and the greater competitiveness determined by the costs of redeveloping used ones. From 2010 to today, the prices of new homes have grown by 30%, while those of used ones have fallen on average by 11%. Furthermore, the analysis highlights a climate of prudence, linked to the decrease in spending capacity dictated by the cost energy and inflation”.

As regards rentals, Fimaa provides a contraction of supply. Rents are expected to grow by an average of 3-4% with agreed contracts likely to see more substantial increases (5% for students). The report still highlights a marked imbalance between supply and demand for the months to come. For 64% of operators the demand will grow while for 58% the supply will continue to decrease. “Even if, in 2025, long-term rental remained the most used type (39%), its weight has progressively reduced”, observes Gian Luca Sondali, delegate of the research office for the residential and urban sector of Fimaa Italia. “On the other hand, transitional contracts are growing (29%) confirming a demand increasingly oriented towards housing flexibility. Finally, subsidized contracts reach around 32% of the total, with a significant role for both the composition agreement (25%) and for students (7%)”, concludes Sondali.