Updated May 13, 2024
A study carried out by GetAgent, a real estate agency comparator, reveals that Málaga is the fifth most searched city as of February 2024, with focused interest on the Costa del Sol.
Article by Sophie Gatward-Wicks
This study shows the continued investment popularity of the Málaga region, following on from the Forbes survey from November 2023, which crowned Málaga as the number one Best City to Live and Work. Last year, Forbes tallied votes from 12,000 Expats, of 177 nationalities, living in 181 countries, and Málaga came out on top. The city was also ranked first place for local friendliness, and for climate and weather, as well as topping the charts in the work, leisure and work-life balance subcategories.
GetAgent shares its methodology for the newly released study, stating: “Google search data was collected for search terms including ‘holiday home’ + [location] ‘second home’ + [location] for over 350 destinations around the world. Search volumes for each term were totalled for each country to provide an overall search volume. The countries with the highest search volume were ranked as the destinations most in-demand for second homes. Cities with shared names were excluded from the analysis. All data is correct as of February 2024.”
GetAgents CEO and cofounder Colby Short stated that: “Our study has revealed some of the most desirable locations for a second home, with lots of them not only being great investments as part of a portfolio, but also making great holiday homes for homeowners themselves. Many of the in-demand destinations revealed in our research are located in areas of natural beauty and provide easy access to other desirable travel locations.”
“Malaga is a city known for its museums and galleries, it is perfect for art lovers and is home to beautiful beaches, making it a great getaway for owners and tourists,” GetAgent pointed out.
The top 5 most searched cities for second homes:
1. Gold Coast, Australia (49,200 searches)
2. Melbourne, Australia (44,900 searches)
3. York, United Kingdom (33,800 searches)
4. Cape Town, South Africa (32,900 searches)
5. Malaga, Spain (26,200 searches)
Málaga’s Investment Appeal
In recent years the coastline of Spain’s largest region, Andalucía, has had the strongest pull for expats. This might have something to do with the exponential growth of the city of Málaga which has now become a technology hub. Traditionally, it was always the larger cities of Barcelona and Madrid that attracted the vast majority of expats, but Málaga is fast becoming THE place to be.
Andalucía’s tax-friendly status has helped the region to attract new residents – it has become the region in Spain with the lowest taxes (along with Madrid). This has fostered huge foreign investments which have translated into capital growth of 40% over the last five years.
The city is ideally situated, being in the middle of Europe, because these days, we use air travel as a measurement of how quickly and easily we can get to the other great cities of Europe. For example, it’s quicker and cheaper to get to and from London or Berlin from Málaga than it is from much of the south of France or most regions of Italy.
Andalucía is also a region of stunning natural beauty with 50% of the territory being mountainous and 18% protected. There are 24 natural parks, 28 nature reserves, 32 natural sites, two protected landscapes, 60 natural monuments, 21 peri-urban parks, five concerted nature reserves, and three national parks.
The total area of the region is 87,268 Km2 (33,694 square miles) and it has a stunning coastline that stretches over 945 km (587 miles) with some of the best beaches in Spain. The Sierra Nevada mountain range is found in Andalucía and it really is possible, as many tourist magazines will tell you, that you can ski in the morning and sunbathe on the beaches of the Costa del Sol in the afternoon. It is a magnificent region of hills and plains, with some of the richest cultural heritage in Spain.
Marbella and the Costa del Sol
Marbella is just a 40-minute easy drive away from Málaga on excellent roads along what is often referred to as the California of Europe. It also has magnificent museums, great restaurants, excellent internet connection, international schools, top quality hospitals and almost all that Málaga city can offer, with the added attraction of a more peaceful lifestyle, less crowds and easier-to-get-to beaches.
People talk of the Costa del Sol, but in real estate terms it’s the Golden Triangle that attracts the most millionaires in Spain. This privileged area has Marbella at its heart but extends into Benahavís and Estepona – in a roughly triangular area.
Benahavís is the crème de la crème when it comes to luxury properties. It’s an exclusive area that possesses some of the finest real estate in Europe. The illustrious addresses such as La Zagaleta, El Madroñal, Reserva de Alcuzcuz and recently, Real de la Quinta, attract the world’s privileged few. Benahavís has a country club environment and has become well-known as one of Europe’s prime luxury destinations for real estate.
Luxury Living in Benahavís-Marbella
The Real de la Quinta resort stands out particularly for its amazing hillside location between the exclusive La Zagaleta country club and Marbella’s iconic La Concha mountain, plus the incredible amenities they are developing there. This 200-hectare country club estate is a gated, sustainable community that is currently developing an exclusive resort with a 35,000 m2 lake that will offer non-motorised water sports such as kayaking and paddle boarding, a lake club, an executive golf course surrounding the lake, a spa and wellness centre, an exclusive restaurant and bar, tennis and padel tennis courts, plus a children’s play area and a small commercial area with shops. There will also be a 5-star Angsana Hotel developed by the Banyan Tree Group. As immediate amenities go, it doesn’t get much better than this!
The award-winning Vista Lago Residences has become one of the most talked about new developments in this area. Winning multiple awards at the prestigious International Property Awards in London for both its architecture and overall resort features, it’s not surprising that it is currently a “hot property” in Marbella.
Located on one of the highest villa plots in Real de la Quinta, Vista Lago has stunning views across the Mediterranean to the Straits of Gibraltar and the African coastline beyond. Each of the 18 villas are totally independent, different and separate from the next with no property being overlooked from any angle. Luxurious seclusion and magnificent views are guaranteed.
If you like complete privacy, outstanding views of the sea, nature, world-class design, security, sustainability, technology, immediate amenities and quick and easy access to Marbella and Málaga City then Vista Lago Residences could be your dream home. The project holds multiple awards for its world-class design – design that makes its architecture exceptional, and exceptionally different.
The villas are currently under construction with a scheduled completion date of Spring/Summer 2025, which makes them a solid investment proposition as the value of the homes will increase substantially as soon as construction is finished. There is also the added advantage of being able to customise your villa whilst construction is underway.
Vista Lago Residences is financed by Banco Santander, Spain’s largest bank and one of the world’s biggest public companies. Clients have the peace of mind that the project will be successfully completed – they can also benefit from a faster mortgage process, if required, and private banking.
Currently, with 70% of the villas reserved, or sold, Vista Lago Residences is already one of the biggest success stories of the property world in Southern Spain, setting new standards of sustainability and creativity that will make each of these 18 villas a highly desirable investment for many years to come.
Find out more about Vista Lago by visiting their information page. Contact the Vista Lago Sales Team on: (+34) 682 10 50 02 or email them at: info@by-bright.com.
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