Optimism returns to estate agents: market forecasts for the end of 2026 in Málaga

Property market forecasts for the end of 2026 are more positive than three months ago: 46% of agencies expect to sell more homes next quarter and 60% believe prices in their area will hold steady. That is the reading of idealista's latest quarterly survey of industry professionals, and for anyone buying or selling in Malaga and on the Costa del Sol the message is clear: more activity, but no new price surge in sight.

The figure needs to be read in context. Sentiment is improving from a low point, not from a peak, and renting remains the sector's weak spot. We go through the key figures and set them against data from our own listings on the Málaga coast.

What does idealista's property sentiment survey say?

The agency sentiment index for sales rises to 57.8 points in the fourth quarter, about 2.5 points more than in the third, when it hit its lowest level in three years. The recovery is real, but it is still far from the 71.5 points recorded at the end of 2025: the sector is doing better than in the summer, not better than a year ago.

For rentals the index stands at 55.1 points. It improves by barely seven tenths compared with the June to September period and remains more than four points below a year ago.

Will home prices go up or down in the coming months?

Most agencies say neither: six in ten expect stability. Those forecasting rises (22%) still outnumber those forecasting falls (14%), and the latter are down from 16% the previous quarter, the highest level of the year. In other words, fears of a correction have eased.

Stability does not mean prices will fall, but that they will rise more slowly. In October, resale homes set a new record in Spain and the province of Málaga reached 4,322 euros per square metre, the fourth most expensive in the country, while the capital's annual increase eased to 3.4%. The agencies' expectations fit that picture: high prices that are no longer accelerating.

Why do agencies expect to sell more?

The most striking figure in the survey concerns new listings: 46% of agencies expect to add more homes to their portfolio, up from 41% the previous quarter. More owners willing to sell is exactly what a market short of supply needs, and it underpins the improvement in expected sales.

In the province of Málaga the supply of homes for sale fell by 8% year on year in the third quarter, according to idealista. If new listings pick up in the coming months, buyers will have a little more to choose from, though not enough to shift the balance of power in the most sought-after areas.

Add to this a more predictable financial backdrop: with the ECB holding rates and several lenders offering fixed-rate mortgages below 3%, financing is no longer the brake it was in 2023.

What is happening with rentals?

Renting is the big contrast. 27% of agencies expect to let fewer homes, against 21% who expect to let more, and 29% no longer handle residential lettings at all; idealista links this retreat to current regulation. When it comes to new listings, one in three agencies no longer looks for flats to let.

With less supply, rents remain under pressure: 31% of professionals believe they will rise in their area, four points more than in the summer. In the province of Málaga rents reached 18.8 euros per square metre per month in October, 6.8% more than a year earlier, although they barely moved 0.2% over the last quarter.

What are prices like on the Costa del Sol?

To bring the survey down to the Málaga coast, this is the snapshot of our listings in November 2026: 8,432 homes for sale with a median price of 649,000 euros and 4,744 euros per square metre. The figures by municipality are updated every month in our Costa del Sol price report.

The range is wide: among the most active municipalities, the price per square metre runs from around 3,400 euros in the western part to more than 6,000 in Marbella. That is why the general forecast of stability has to be read area by area: in markets with strong international demand, prices tend to hold up better than the national average.

What does it mean for buyers and sellers?

• Buyers: a more stable market leaves room to compare and negotiate, but it is unwise to wait for widespread price falls that the agencies themselves do not foresee.
• Sellers: the forecast of more new listings means more competition; a price in line with the market from day one makes the difference.
• Buy-to-let investors: rents keep rising, but regulation and lower agency activity mean the numbers must be done carefully before buying.
• For everyone: national data set the trend, but on the Costa del Sol prices are decided by each municipality and each development.

Conclusion

Agencies are closing 2026 with more confidence than in the summer: they expect to sell and list more, and they see prices holding at high levels without further acceleration. Renting, on the other hand, remains caught between a lack of supply and regulation. If you are thinking of buying or selling on the Costa del Sol, EVS Property can help you interpret this data for your specific situation and find the home that fits your budget.

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