“It would have been better last year, but those who want to buy a house should continue to be in a hurry”

Although the collective hypothesis is that the house price It cannot be stretched any further, the truth is that experts such as Gonzalo Bernardos predict a continued increase in prices in the coming months and towards 2026. The housing situation in Spain going through a difficult timebut it does not seem that there will be a big change, so access to buying a house It will continue to be a challenge, especially for young people.

This forecast of rising prices is causing demand to grow. And it is not surprising if the opinion of economists like Bernardos is that the sooner they buy, the more money they will save. Even so, one of the most real problems is the lack of supplywhich remains limited and unaffordable. The case of rentals, with increasingly higher prices, real estate speculation, as well as the proliferation of tourist homes are creating a very conditioned scenario.

Gonzalo Bernardos advises on the housing market

The economist and professor at the University of Barcelona, ​​Gonzalo Bernardos, reflected on the housing market in the ‘Finec Talks’ podcast. The expert continues to maintain that those who want buy a house They must do it quickly, even so, he acknowledges to the interviewer that “it would have been better last year.”

The economist emphasizes that “We already have many people who have a full-time job with an indefinite contract. And, above all, pay attention to the issue: how many young people have bought a home from 2007 to 2024?”.

To understand this context, Bernardos explains that “in 2007, between the ages of 30 and 44, 79% had housing. Currently, in 2023, which is the latest data, 57%. Between the ages of 16 and 29, who were independent, in 2007, 59% had it, and in 2023 only 29%. That is, We have, with bad financial conditions, a million households that will want to buy housing, and with good conditions, one and a half million.” Although the economist is aware of the lack of supply, predicts that at the end of the year “we will be at a volume of between 170,000 and 180,000”.

Why should you buy a home now?

Bernardos, during the podcast, also told a close testimony to advise those who want or are doubting whether to buy a house at this time. “I advise my daughter to buy one, because if she doesn’t buy it now, she will have to pay a lot more money and we’ll see if she can buy it… Hey, and the ones that are good I don’t even have time to go see them: they sell themselves,” he says.

The economist does not distinguish between a new purchase or a second-hand purchase, since it is a market that feeds itself. “The second hand sets it on fire and prices go up,” he acknowledges. In fact, the expert’s forecast for the real estate market is as follows: “It will rise more than 15% and the used one a little more than 12%, and it will continue like this because we have a large pent-up demandwhich are all those young people who have not been able to buy a home in previous years. And because, internationally, we are increasingly more attractive”