Search for Properties in the Interior of Portugal Increases while Lisbon and Porto Shrink

The Portuguese real estate market is beginning to reveal a significant change in the geography of demand. Between 2024 and 2025, data from Imovirtual point to a reduction in demand for purchasing housing in the main urban centers and significant growth in several municipalities in the interior.

Lisbon recorded a 13.2% drop in demand and Porto 4.3%. The retraction is more pronounced in municipalities such as Vila Nova de Gaia (-29.2%), Cascais (-34.6%) and Sintra (-14.8%), in a scenario of high prices, less negotiation margin and greater caution among buyers.

On the other hand, municipalities in the interior stood out with very sharp increases, such as Vila Nova de Foz Côa (+135.3%), Alfândega da Fé (+123.3%), Sernancelhe (+106.6%), Murça (+91.9%) and Aljezur (+83.1%).

The growing demand for these territories is accompanied by relevant price corrections, which make them more accessible.

In Vila Nova de Foz Côa the average offer price fell 32.3% (from 399 thousand to 270 thousand euros), in Alfândega da Fé there was a drop of 23.5% (from 85 thousand to 65 thousand euros), in Sernancelhe the drop was 26.5% (from 170 thousand to 125 thousand euros) and in Murça the correction reached 48.3% (from 115 thousand to 59,500 euros). At the same time, in large centers average sales prices often remain above 300 thousand euros and in emerging areas the majority of research is concentrated between 65 thousand and 120 thousand euros.

Sylvia Bozzo, Marketing Manager from Imovirtual, states that “the data shows a clear redistribution of real estate demand in Portugal. As prices in large centers remain high, municipalities outside the traditional radar begin to gain visibility, where values ​​are more adjusted and there is greater decision-making room for those looking to buy a house”, he concludes.

The observed pattern suggests that factors such as price, quality of life and geographic flexibility are gaining weight in purchasing decisions, opening up opportunities in smaller markets before a possible intensification of demand, highlights the Imovirtual study.