Balgarianovinite.com The housing market has entered the anticipated stabilization phase, but is far from the expected dramatic upheaval, according to research by Address Real Estate received by BTA on Friday. Data from the Registry Agency for the second quarter show a decline in transactions compared to the record levels of the pre-euro 2025, however, the second quarter saw an 18% increase in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas compared to the first quarter of 2026. According to Gergana Tenekedzhieva, Executive Director of Address, this signals a natural market trend rather than the beginning of a market crash.
Tenekedzhieva stated: “Many forecasts at the beginning of 2026 claimed that the second quarter would be even weaker than the first and that we would witness an unprecedented crash and the bursting of a bubble, none of which sounded realistic for a market that had been active, albeit at record levels in recent years. And that is exactly what happened – the major upheaval that many had speculated about did not materialize. The data from the second quarter proves it. Yes, the market is entering a more moderate phase, but this is the only healthy development following the boom of 2023-2025. At the same time, activity in April, May, and June compared to the beginning of the year shows a proportional trend identical to that of previous years. Transactions are being concluded at a rate just as intense relative to the first quarter as in previous years.”
The head of Address reported that there are statistics showing a lower volume than in 2019, which applies to the entire country. However, these figures do not present an objective picture of the market. In the four major cities, the situation is different. Sofia and Burgas in particular are at 2023 levels, which was an exceptionally active year for the market. Tenekedzhieva added: “The housing market should not be viewed in isolation – it is a function of people’s incomes as well as mortgages. Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, and Burgas have always been more active, and transactions in these cities are indicative. Internal migration significantly affects business and, consequently, the population’s purchasing power.”
According to the company, the decline of about 15% in the number of buyers began as early as 2025. It stated: “People without sufficient savings for a down payment adopted a more passive stance in 2025, and today, we are seeing the real effect of that behaviour. Mortgages, however, continue to be a significant incentive. Interest rates are low, and the banks’ requirements are reasonable, not beyond the reach of people with stable incomes. About 60% of transactions over the past three months were financed with a mortgage, and in Sofia, that share has already reached 70%.”
Tenekedzhieva reported that when a long-term downturn occurs, a larger share of the buyers are likely to be speculators. Data from the last 6 months, however, suggest that the most active buyers are people who need a home. Investors looking to rent out properties, as well as buyers with savings, also remain a stable presence in the market. The head of Address concluded that basic living needs and disposable income are major catalysts for a transaction.
Discounts, which until recently played no role in the market, are now a factor in transactions, as about 54% of sellers over the past 6 months have compromised on price. However, the discount tends to be insubstantial, ranging from 2 to 10% of the asking price. The 10% threshold is reached only in cases of above-market or incorrectly set prices
In the rental market, the rent levels sought by tenants are lower than they were a year ago. The reason is that rising daily expenses are driving people to seek cost savings, and rent is the area where they most often seek to compromise. Housing Market Enters Anticipated Stabilization Phase – Address Real Estate Research 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-03 14:29:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law