Among foreigners registering home purchases in Spain, Germans rank third. Among foreigners applying for a Spanish mortgage, they rank first. That gap hints at how this buyer works: the numbers come early. Financing, purchase costs and tax are on their mind before they ever call an agency.
For agencies and developers on the Costa del Sol, the consequence is uncomfortable. The decision about which agency a German buyer contacts is often made during research your sales team never sees. If your marketing doesn't answer their questions clearly, and in German, at that stage, you aren't turned down. You never hear from them in the first place.
Many agencies on the coast – British, Scandinavian or Dutch-run – default to English for every market. This article looks at the latest figures and at the specific points where that default costs you German-speaking buyers. For the wider picture across all nationalities, see our article on reaching international property buyers.
Where DACH buyers stand in the market
In Q2 2026, 15.98% of all home purchases registered in Spain were made by foreigners – the highest share on record, according to the Colegio de Registradores. In the province of Málaga it was more than one in three: 37.01%.
At the top of the nationality table, the margins are tight: British buyers 6.99%, Dutch 6.94% and Germans 6.11% of foreign purchases. Austrians and Swiss don't appear among the largest groups in this dataset. They do, however, in the mortgage figures.
One more number that isn't strictly about property: in 2025, a record 12.0 million German holidaymakers visited Spain, according to the INE. For many future buyers, the first contact with the region is as a guest.
What this means for your marketing
There are two contact windows. The first is here: on holiday, in a restaurant, at the hotel reception, on the golf course. The second is at home, weeks or months later, in front of a screen. Rely on the big portals alone and you cover neither properly. Here you lack a physical presence; at home you lack the German-language context that turns a listing into something a buyer can decide on.
Financing first: what the mortgage data shows
At mortgage broker idealista/hipotecas, 15.6% of all mortgage requests from non-residents in Q2 2026 came from Germany – first place, as in Q3 2025. Switzerland was third with 9.4%, behind the UK (10.6%). Andalusia received 19.9% of these foreign requests, second only to the Valencian Community.
Non-resident mortgage requests by nationality, Q2 2026
A word of caution: these are requests to one broker, not completed purchases. The base differs from the Registradores data, so the percentages can't be compared directly. The ranking, however, is a signal: for German buyers, financing is an early concern. And with the Swiss, a second German-speaking market sits near the top.
What this means for your marketing
Prices, purchase costs and financing belong in the first set of documents, not the third meeting. A buyer planning a mortgage needs reliable figures early: price, taxes, notary and land registry fees, running costs. If they can't find them with you, they'll look elsewhere – and may find another property while they're at it. A German-speaking lawyer or mortgage adviser on your side isn't an extra service. It's a selling point.
Language decides before the first contact
An international study by CSA Research of 8,709 consumers in 29 countries found that 76% prefer to buy when product information is in their own language, and that 40% never buy from websites in another language. The study covers online shopping in general, not property. It isn't proof for a property purchase, but it is a strong pointer.
What this means for your marketing
For this buyer, English is not the neutral option. Plenty of Germans read an English brochure without difficulty – and then compare it with the next offer that gives them the same information in German. Four touchpoints decide it: the property brochure, the landing page, the enquiry form and your first reply.
Five levers for agencies and developers
1. German-language documents, not translated brochures
Usable and built area clearly separated, a floor plan, the energy certificate, a breakdown of price and purchase costs and, for new builds, a timeline to completion. In Andalusia, consumer law (Decreto 218/2005) already requires much of this information. Preparing it in German meets the obligation and gives this buyer exactly what they're looking for.
2. Answer cost and legal questions before they're asked
NIE number, transfer tax or VAT, notary, land registry, mortgages for non-residents: these questions will come. A short German-language guide to your property, prepared with a law firm or mortgage adviser, answers them before they become an obstacle. Have tax and legal content checked by a professional and dated before it goes out.
3. Be visible where the research happens
Portals show the property. What they rarely provide is context: market trends, the area, the buying process, who to talk to. German buyers look for that context in editorial content. A presence in a German-language specialist publication alongside your portal listing closes exactly that gap.
4. Print where German holidaymakers are
Some of those twelve million German holidaymakers spend their time on the Costa del Sol. While they're here, they aren't browsing portals – they're out and about. Printed material in hotels, restaurants, golf clubs and clinics frequented by German guests and residents reaches them in the first contact window. A QR code on every piece links both windows and turns guesswork into data.
5. A dedicated German-speaking contact
Someone who enquires in German expects a reply in German – ideally with a name and a direct number. Decide who handles German enquiries and how quickly. If nobody on your team speaks German, a German-speaking partner such as a law firm or adviser can take the first stretch.
Where Spanientrends comes in
Spanientrends is ADS Marketing's German-language editorial platform for property on the Costa del Sol – not a property portal. It guides buyers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland from their first search to their buying decision, with market reports, buying guides and a curated selection of projects.
For your agency, that means our editorial team presents your company and your properties in native German, with your own enquiry form and an interview. You also get a place in the printed Spanientrends brochure with a personal QR code, distributed where German holidaymakers and residents spend their time, and a quarterly report on the enquiries we have passed on. Partner content is clearly labelled, and you approve all the facts before anything goes live. No translations, no German-speaking staff required.
Spanientrends for your agency
An editorial page in German, a brochure with a personal QR code and a quarterly enquiry report. 2027 introductory prices from €200 per month.
Request the Media PackFrequently asked questions
What share of foreign buyers in Spain are German?
In Q2 2026, Germans accounted for 6.11% of home purchases by foreigners, third behind British and Dutch buyers. Overall, 15.98% of home purchases in Spain were made by foreigners; in the province of Málaga, 37.01% (Colegio de Registradores).
Do German buyers apply for Spanish mortgages more than other nationalities?
At idealista/hipotecas, 15.6% of non-resident mortgage requests in Q2 2026 came from Germany, ahead of the UK (10.6%) and Switzerland (9.4%). These are requests, not completed mortgages.
Is an English website enough for buyers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland?
For first contact, often not. In a CSA Research study, 40% of respondents said they never buy from websites in another language. At the very least, your property brochure, landing page and enquiry form should be in German.
How much does a presence on Spanientrends cost?
2027 introductory prices are €300 per month for estate agencies, €100 per month plus €100 per project for developers and master brokers, and €200 per month for experts and service providers, plus VAT, with a minimum term of 6 months. Full details are in the Media Pack.
In closing
German buyers aren't hard to reach. They just start early and want to know everything. Give them clear answers in their own language at that stage, and you'll be on their shortlist before they make the first call.
Let’s talk about your DACH strategy
We help you prepare brochures, landing pages and print material in German, and decide where a presence makes sense.
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