Spain’s home-building sector has fallen to near-record lows, with current activity sitting roughly 86% below its 2006 peak. Prices have surged unchecked, and people are demanding fresh housing solutions. The severity of the crisis implies a need to mobilize about 108 billion euros over the next decade to construct the roughly 76,000 new homes each year required to unlock the market. Industry voices insist that a swift public-private collaboration is essential, and one speaks plainly about the urgency of a state-wide pact that has been discussed for years. Miguel Acosta, a senior advisor for Anticipa Real Estate and Aliseda Inmobiliaria, laid out these concerns during a talk in Barcelona on a Tuesday.
Acosta’s remarks came as part of the launch of the third edition of The District, a real estate investment fair scheduled for September 25–27 at the Fira de Barcelona. The event is expected to draw more than 12,000 attendees, with participation from 1,200 international operators, roughly 400 expert speakers, and 600 face-to-face meetings. The District’s leadership, including Juan Velayos, its president, emphasized a continued expansion of the event’s scope while keeping pragmatism and capital at the center of the agenda.
One of the central challenges to raising the level of new housing production is Spain’s need to boost its productive capacity. Francisco Pérez, chief executive of Culmia who participated in the roundtable, warned that the country’s construction-related business network has shrunk markedly since 2007. He urged industrializing the sector in the same way as several European peers, including France, arguing that only through such modernization can the pace accelerate from its currently slow rate. Pérez added that attracting foreign investors is crucial and should be facilitated by clear regulatory guarantees and investor-friendly measures. He cautioned that the industry has started this race with a clumsy, collective effort that needs smoother coordination.
Carlos Pierre, chief executive of Badi, highlighted the growing role of temporary rentals in the housing market loop. In his words, a segment of the population seeks flexible rental options without long-term commitments, furniture purchases, or utilities setup. He noted that these short-term, flexible rentals already account for about five percent of demand and are expected to rise to around ten percent within two years as more people look for mobility and convenience without a heavy financial anchor.