Express home sales: 12% of listings spend less than 7 days on the market

Buying a home continues to be a challenge for many families, either because prices are too high or because there is a lack of supply in the market. At the same time, inflation and interest rates have dropped, banks have kept the mortgage credit tap open, and the Government has launched support measures to help young people buy homes, namely through IMT (Property Transfer Tax) exemption and public guarantees. These factors help explain why around 12% of the homes listed for sale in September were taken off the market in less than a week, according to the analysis published by idealista, the leading real estate marketplace in Southern Europe.

Considering the length of time listings remain on the national property portal, it is also possible to conclude that 21% of homes were sold within one week to one month, 26% between one and three months, 35% between three months and one year, and 6% remained on the market for more than a year. This time on the market can also be explained by the characteristics of the properties for sale (location, price, and amenities), which make some homes more attractive than others, for example.

In which cities are homes selling faster?

When analyzing major cities with “express sales” — that is, residential properties sold in less than a week, based on the time listings remain active — Faro stands out with the highest percentage, as 21% of homes there were taken off the market in that period.

There are also high percentages of homes sold in under seven days in Évora (15%), Santarém (14%), Funchal (13%), Aveiro (12%), and Coimbra (12%).

Below the national average are Porto (10%), Braga (9%), Vila Real (9%), Viana do Castelo (8%), Setúbal (7%), Castelo Branco (6%), Leiria (6%), Lisbon (6%), Ponta Delgada (6%), and Viseu (6%). The district capitals with the fewest “express sales” were Beja (5%), Guarda (5%), and Bragança (4%), while in Portalegre there were no records of any transactions made in less than seven days in September.

Homes sold in Portugal by major cities

Based on time on the market | Data from September 2025

Source: idealista – Created with Datawrapper

Porto, Madeira and Faro lead by districts and islands

When it comes to districts and islands, the market shows slightly different behavior. Porto ranks at the top, with 15% of homes sold in less than seven days, followed by Madeira Island (14%) and Faro (12%).

The list continues with Aveiro (11%), São Miguel Island (10%), Braga (9%), Castelo Branco (9%), Coimbra (9%), and Lisbon (9%). Lower percentages were recorded in Santarém (8%), Évora (8%), Setúbal (8%), Portalegre (7%), Viana do Castelo (7%), and Vila Real (7%).

At the bottom of the table, in this order, are Leiria (6%), Viseu (6%), Beja (5%), Bragança (5%), and Guarda (5%).

Homes sold in Portugal by districts and islands

Based on time on the market | Data from September 2025

Source: idealista – Created with Datawrapper