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28th March 2024
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HomeNewsCyprus property sales hit new record low in 2013

Cyprus property sales hit new record low in 2013

THE Cyprus property market appears to be sinking into total oblivion with property sales in 2013 having fallen to their lowest level on record with no signs of a recovery in the near future.

Last month the Inland Revenue Department presented a list to parliament of individuals and companies who had failed to pay their Immovable Property Tax liability for 2013 and who owed more than €100,000 in unpaid tax for the year.

That list contained the names of 32 property development companies who together owed the Inland Revenue more than €10.5 million.

Needless to say this ‘naming and shaming’ caused an outburst from the Cyprus Land and Building Developers Association who objected to the “defamatory” way in which the developers were being depicted. Furthermore it considered that due credit had not been given to the many companies that that had managed to pay their tax under particularly trying circumstances and who had attracted hundreds of foreign investors to the housing market during the year.

Elsewhere it was reported that property developers and construction companies have loans with the Bank of Cyprus amounting to €8.5 billion, of which €5.1 billion are non-performing, while 40 per cent of the Cyprus Cooperative Credit Institutions loan portfolio of €13 billion has also been reported as non-performing.

Figures from the Hellenic, Alpha and the other banks have not been reported.

Cyprus property sales 2000-2013

The Cyprus property market today paints a picture of a chaotic assortment of unpaid taxes, non-performing loans, little liquidity, shrinking construction activity, mothballed developments and insecurity for those without Title Deeds.

The rise and fall in Cyprus property sales

Domestic market

Sales to the domestic market started to rise as people became more affluent. Although wages and salaries managed to keep pace with construction costs, land prices rocketed as supplies became short, pricing many local buyers out of the market.

As a consequence property sales to the domestic market peaked in 2004 and have been in decline ever since. The downturn in the island’s economy, the haircut on deposits exceeding €100,000 in the island’s two largest banks (a condition of Cyprus receiving bailout money from the EU), the stricter lending criteria introduced by the banks, record levels of unemployment and uncertainty over the future has depressed demand even further.

Chart of property sales in Cyprus from 2000 to 2013

Overseas market

In the year 2000 just a handful of overseas buyers purchased property on the island, but this number started to increase when plans were announced for Cyprus to join the European Union.

Sales to overseas buyers, the majority of who were British, started to increase when plans for Cyprus to join to the European Union were announced. Sales continued to rise sharply until 2007, when the local demand for property was outstripped by foreign demand.

During this 7 year period many new property development companies emerged and jumped on the property bandwagon as ‘Klondike fever’ gripped the island. With no Government regulations to hold them back, these ‘entrepreneurs’ could be anyone from a taxi driver to a barman at an army camp. Many of them had little business experience or financial standing.

In 2007 problems with the UK economy resulted in a fall in sales to the British market. Then in October of the same year a damning TV documentary was broadcast throughout the UK about the massive problems in Cyprus with Title Deeds. (One of the people featured in the program is still battling the bank to keep their home 7 years after the program was aired and has spent many thousands of pounds in the process).

As news spread about the Title Deeds and other problems, the UK newspapers picked up on numerous bad stories and peaceful protests were held at overseas property exhibitions. As a result many Brits turned their back on Cyprus and started looking at safer places to buy their home in the sun.

The overseas market went into rapid decline and still shows no signs of a recovery. Property developers have switched their focus away from the UK to Russia and China with some success, with the Cyprus government offering incentives to non-EU nationals in efforts to encourage sales.

According to a statement make earlier today by Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos, during the last eight months of 2013 Cyprus attracted foreign investments of approximately €500 million – the majority of which were in real estate and construction.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Cyprus has been an appealing property buying destination in the past and I don’t believe that Cyprus going through the present crisis, has extinguished the Mediterranean lifestyle appeal or the desire for foreigners to own property in Cyprus. The dramatic drop in prices only signals new opportunities for the overseas property buyer, especially when properties come neatly packaged with the coveted title deeds, and all the add-ons that usually come from buying resale property. Granted, the buyers do not flock as readily to spend their money but the recorded jump for Cyprus to number 10 in the overseas property search (for whatever reasons)is a positive thing for the Cyprus property market.

    The dramatic fall in the sales graph includes data from the hey-days where property prices have been hugely, hugely inflated based largely on distorted (if not manufactured) developer data. Just remember that even at that time the second hand property market prices were much lower than what the developers were charging, largely driven by claims of stellar returns.

    Today, buyers are much wiser and are very choosy of how they spend their money. As sellers we just have to work harder to attract buyers who no longer accept to be regarded as cash cows. Sales come harder on the back of delivering better value, valid information and value added service. This crisis is the opportunity for Cyprus to put their house in order just as AndyP mentions and I believe the future of the Cyprus property is bright.

  2. How do you square the circle.?? ie. sales have and are crashing yet Cyprus has gone up to tenth from 12th in “top 10 places to buy” ??? I find this all very strange considering the known problems with buying in Cyprus and that property prices are collapsing. Yet still Cyprus is far more expensive than other counties such as USA, Spain etc. to purchase. Cost of living is also high.

  3. What an amazing graph, we came over in 2008 on a 6 month trial with a view to making a permanent move, it was obvious to us that something dire was going to happen.

    Luckily we were able to return to the UK before we really got our fingers burnt.

    We’d still like to move over but things must improve before we do.

  4. At the current rate of decline, the graph reaches zero sales by late 2015 or early 2016. Is this what the Cyprus government is waiting for before it takes the responsibilities outlined below by AndyP ?

  5. Luckily the Russians and Chinese are now better informed.

    There are only two things that will save this industry and that requires the Cyprus government to take responsibility and resolve the problems for all those scammed and guarantee protection for future buyers. Letters from Interior Ministers will not be accepted!

    Time is running out by all accounts and another piece of fluff legislation, supposedly, to help (like the planning amnesty joke) will do nothing. There is talk of something in the wind but I bet it is another Cypriot “cunning plan” and will do nothing to solve the problems.

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