More and more interested buyers from the USA and Canada wish to live their own “dream” in Greece through the purchase of a holiday home. According to the data collected by Elxis – At Home in Greece, during this year’s first half a 50% increase in demand from these two specific markets has been observed, shaping an entirely new trend in the holiday home market.
“Until recently, the main origin of the buying public for holiday properties in Greece was countries of Central and Northern Europe, such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. However, this year’s sharp increase in interest and transactions from America indicates a significant development and expansion of the countries to which the Greek market is now addressed,” says Mr. George Gavriilidis, CEO of Elxis.
Indeed, according to the company’s data, of particular interest is also the fact that 30% of these buyers (about 3 in 10) are of Greek origin – that is, they are expatriates of the second, or even third generation. According to Mr. Gavriilidis, “this element shows that the turn toward Greece is not only investment-related, but also constitutes a return to their roots, so that they can reconnect with the country from which they draw their origin.”
What homes are they buying?
Seven out of ten (70%) buyers from the USA and Canada choose to acquire newly built holiday homes, which are sold off-plan, or are already under construction. The remaining 30% prefer existing homes. The average spending per buyer stands at €448,000, while it is also interesting that only 11% have made use of the option offered by the “Golden Visa” residence permit program, confirming its low demand among buyers from abroad.
As for the areas chosen by buyers from America, Crete continues to hold first place in investment interest, while the Ionian islands follow, also recording high demand.
Elxis had identified the trend of increased demand from the USA as early as 2024. “The interest of buyers from the USA was already much higher in 2024 compared to 2023, with the trend accelerating sharply after the presidential elections,” Mr. Gavriilidis points out. According to companies that monitor trends in the field of investment migration, in recent years a significant trend of American citizens leaving has been observed, seeking a different quality of life in other regions of the world, with southern Europe and, as it appears, Greece, developing into some of the most important destinations.
Direct flights strengthen demand
Another reason for this development is also the facilitation of travel that has arisen following the increase in direct flights between the USA and Greece. At the moment, American citizens can travel directly to Athens from cities such as Dallas (added just last month), Philadelphia, Chicago, New York/JFK and Charlotte. According to data from American Airlines, passenger traffic from the USA to Greece has increased by 28% compared to 2024 and is more than double compared to the pre-pandemic period.
These figures are also confirmed by the picture emerging from “El. Venizelos,” with the USA being the number one market of foreign visitors for the airport, recording 1.18 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 12% compared to 2024. During this year’s first four months, a further increase of 10% was also observed. This increase is now also translating into increased demand for the purchase of holiday homes in Greece.