DESPITE continuing problems with Title Deeds, property sales in Cyprus rose 24 per cent during 2017 according to official statistics published by the Department of Lands and Surveys. This follows an annual rise of 43 per cent in 2016, 9 per cent in 2015 and 20 per cent in 2014.
December property sales
During December 2017 total of 1,537 contracts for the sale of residential and commercial properties and land (building plots and fields) were deposited at Land Registry offices across Cyprus, compared with the 1,134 deposited in December. 2016; an increase of 36% and the highest number since July 2008.
Of the 1,537 contracts, 1,190 (65%) were deposited by domestic (Cypriot) purchasers, while 35% (347) were deposited by overseas (non-Cypriot) purchasers.
Sales rose in all districts. In percentage terms Nicosia (the capital) led the way with a rise in sales of 113% followed by Famagusta with an increase of 94%. Meanwhile sales in Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos rose by 23%, 18% and 10% respectively.
Annual sales
During 2017 a total of 8,734 contracts of sale were deposited compared with the 7,063 deposited in 2016; an increase of 24% and the highest number since the property bubble burst in 2008.
Although sales in Larnaca fell by 1% over the year, they rose in all the other districts. Annual sales in Famagusta rose by 44% followed by Nicosia with a rise of 42%. Meanwhile property sales in Limassol and Paphos rose by 27% and 23% respectively.
Total Property Sale Contracts – 2016/2017 Comparison
District | Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nicosia | 2016 | 54 |
79 |
82 |
79 | 82 | 98 | 102 | 64 | 81 | 80 | 86 | 144 |
2017 | 72 | 73 | 79 | 80 | 118 | 162 | 124 | 76 | 87 | 117 | 170 | 306 | |
Famagusta | 2016 | 22 |
35 | 33 |
35 |
24 | 34 |
27 | 41 | 32 | 47 | 19 | 87 |
2017 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 29 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 47 | 57 | 51 | 52 | 169 | |
Larnaca | 2016 | 78 |
108 | 121 |
127 |
103 | 120 |
123 | 81 | 121 | 111 | 114 | 153 |
2017 | 102 | 100 | 113 | 69 | 119 | 96 | 103 | 88 | 107 | 111 | 151 | 181 | |
Limassol | 2016 | 92 |
179 | 197 |
166 |
145 | 222 |
220 | 129 | 195 | 270 | 249 | 432 |
2017 | 132 | 177 | 232 | 192 | 298 | 304 | 289 | 201 | 203 | 306 | 321 | 532 | |
Paphos | 2016 | 81 |
100 | 106 |
107 |
120 | 183 |
153 | 136 | 127 | 126 | 183 | 318 |
2017 | 96 | 87 | 162 | 136 | 183 | 235 | 184 | 160 | 148 | 183 | 212 | 349 | |
Totals | 2016 | 327 |
501 | 539 |
514 |
474 | 657 |
625 | 451 | 556 | 634 | 651 | 1134 |
2017 | 423 | 456 | 626 | 506 | 756 | 843 | 739 | 572 | 602 | 768 | 906 | 1537 |
The figures above include properties acquired by the banks that relate to debt-to-asset swaps and loan restructuring. The Department of Lands & Surveys reports that, between September 2015 and April 2017, the total number of properties affected was 1,121; 26 in 2015, 1,021 in 2016 and 74 in 2017.
Domestic sales
Property sales to the domestic (Cypriot) market in December rose 53% compared to December 2016, with sale agreements reaching 1,190 compared with 780 in December 2016.
Domestic sales rose in all districts. In percentage terms Nicosia led the way with sales up 133%, followed by Famagusta, where sales rose by 107%. Meanwhile, sales in Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca rose by 39%, 22% and 18% respectively.
Domestic Property Sale Contracts – 2016/2017 Comparison
District | Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nicosia | 2016 | 43 |
70 |
10 |
69 | 68 | 92 | 94 | 58 | 75 | 70 | 73 | 116 |
2017 | 63 | 69 |
71 |
62 |
103 |
150 |
109 |
70 |
72 |
100 |
154 |
270 | |
Famagusta | 2016 | 20 | 31 | 21 |
33 |
24 | 7 | 19 | 32 | 22 | 37 | 9 | 72 |
2017 | 20 | 17 | 24 | 23 | 27 |
31 | 30 |
25 |
43 | 28 |
35 | 149 | |
Larnaca | 2016 | 68 | 96 | 85 |
91 |
93 | 75 | 91 | 67 | 90 | 81 | 74 | 114 |
2017 | 77 | 80 | 85 | 49 | 76 |
70 | 62 |
63 |
73 | 72 |
115 |
134 | |
Limassol | 2016 | 68 | 158 | 145 |
122 |
126 | 162 | 156 | 101 | 142 | 202 | 196 | 307 |
2017 | 97 | 130 | 176 | 152 | 202 |
227 | 194 |
160 |
153 | 197 |
241 |
428 | |
Paphos | 2016 | 61 | 72 | 59 |
65 |
105 | 126 | 74 | 88 | 98 | 83 | 111 | 171 |
2017 | 73 | 47 | 82 | 93 | 88 |
157 | 93 |
81 |
100 | 105 |
142 |
209 | |
Totals | 2016 | 260 | 427 | 382 |
380 |
416 |
462 |
434 | 346 | 427 | 473 | 463 | 780 |
2017 | 330 | 343 | 438 |
379 | 496 |
636 | 488 |
399 |
441 | 502 |
687 |
1190 |
Annual performance
During 2017 domestic sales rose 21% compared with 2016. Although sales fell by 7% in Larnaca, they rose in all the other districts. In percentage terms sales in Nicosia rose by 44% followed by Famagusta where they rose by 38%. Meanwhile sales in Limassol and Paphos rose by 25% and 14% respectively.
Overseas sales
Property sales to the overseas (non-Cypriot) market in December fell by 2% compared with December 2016 with 347 properties sold compared with 354 in December 2016.
Although sales rose by 33% in Famagusta, 29% in Nicosia and 21% in Larnaca, these increases were outweighed by falls of 17% in Limassol and 5% in Paphos.
Overseas Property Sale Contracts – 2016/2017 Comparison
District | Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nicosia | 2016 | 11 |
9 |
10 |
10 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 28 |
2017 | 9 |
4 |
6 |
18 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 36 | |
Famagusta | 2016 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
2 |
0 |
27 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 |
2017 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 29 | 22 | 14 | 23 | 17 | 20 | |
Larnaca | 2016 | 10 | 12 | 36 |
36 |
10 |
45 |
32 | 14 | 31 | 30 | 40 | 39 |
2017 | 25 | 20 | 28 | 20 | 43 | 26 | 41 | 25 | 34 | 39 | 36 | 47 | |
Limassol | 2016 | 24 | 21 | 52 |
44 |
19 |
60 |
64 | 28 | 53 | 68 | 53 | 125 |
2017 | 35 | 47 | 56 | 40 | 96 | 77 | 75 | 41 | 50 | 109 | 80 | 104 | |
Paphos | 2016 | 20 | 28 | 47 |
42 |
15 |
57 | 79 | 48 | 29 | 43 | 72 | 147 |
2017 | 23 | 40 | 80 | 43 | 95 | 78 | 91 | 79 | 48 | 78 | 70 | 140 | |
Totals | 2016 | 67 | 74 | 157 |
134 |
58 |
195 |
191 | 105 | 129 | 161 | 188 | 354 |
2017 | 93 | 113 | 186 | 127 | 260 | 208 | 251 | 173 | 161 | 266 | 219 | 347 |
Annual performance
During 2017 overseas sales rose 33% compared with 2016, with sales reaching 2,406 compared with 1,813.
Over the year sales rose in all districts; by 61% in Famagusta, 38% in Paphos, 33% in Limassol, 31% in Nicosia and 15% in Larnaca.
Sales since 2000
Sales in 2007, immediately before the property bubble burst, reached 21,245. In 2013 sales reached their lowest on record at 3,767. Since then sales have risen for four consecutive years.
Cyprus Property Sale Contracts 2000 – 2017
Year | Overseas Sales | Domestic Sales | Percentage Overseas Sales |
Total Sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 450 | 12,214 | 3.6% | 12,664 |
2001 | 1,207 | 12,849 | 8.6% | 14,056 |
2002 | 2,548 | 14,111 | 15.3% | 16,659 |
2003 | 3,981 | 15,294 | 20.7% | 19,275 |
2004 | 5,384 | 11,947 | 31.1% | 17,331 |
2005 | 6,485 | 10,106 | 39.1% | 16,591 |
2006 | 8,355 | 8,598 | 49.3% | 16,953 |
2007 | 11,281 | 9,964 | 53.1% | 21,245 |
2008 | 6,636 | 8,031 | 45.2% | 14,667 |
2009 | 1,761 | 6,409 | 21.6% | 8,170 |
2010 | 2,030 | 6,568 | 23.6% | 8,598 |
2011 | 1,652 | 5,366 | 23.5% | 7,018 |
2012 | 1,476 | 4,793 | 23.5% | 6,269 |
2013 | 1,017 | 2,750 | 27.0% | 3,767 |
2014 | 1,193 | 3,334 | 26.4% | 4,527 |
2015 | 1,349 | 3,603 | 27.2% | 4,952 |
2016 |
1,813 | 5,250 | 25.7% | 7,063 |
2017 |
2,406 | 6,328 | 27.5% | 8,734 |
Totals |
60,458 | 145,638 | 29.3% | 206,096 |
hello I like your article. do you have information from non Cypriot countries statistics of what country has most buyers.
Ed: I don’t have any information on countries other than Cyprus. But I imagine that the country with the highest number of sales is the USA.