New figures on the housing market come out every month — and almost every month they seem to contradict each other. Prices are rising by double digits, sales are down by a fifth, and mortgages are cheaper than a year ago. All of this is true at the same time, because the sources measure different things.
Here is a short field guide: who publishes what, when, and the most common reading mistakes. Data verified as of November 2026.
This is the official measure of prices.
Example: in the second quarter of 2026 the index was up 15.5% year on year and 4.5% on the previous quarter. Existing homes rose 17.6%, new homes 12.3% (NSI data as transmitted to Eurostat). Quarter on quarter, the cities diverged: Plovdiv +5.8%, Sofia +2.4%, Burgas −1.5%. We covered these figures in detail in our second-quarter report.
Note: NSI has not published an average price per sq m by city since 2015 — the old "market prices of dwellings" survey was discontinued and replaced by the index. If you see an "NSI average price" in euro per sq m for 2026, it almost certainly comes from another source.
This measures volume, not price.
Example: in the third quarter of 2026, 45,312 sales were registered against 58,184 a year earlier — a fall of 22.1%. That is a serious signal about activity, but it does not mean 22% fewer people bought a home: the figure also includes land and garages. More in our analysis of the third-quarter data.
The Bulgarian National Bank publishes monthly the average interest rate and volume of new housing loans, as well as the total stock of housing loans.
Example: in September 2026 the average rate on new housing loans was 2.41% (APR 2.76%), new lending was €643.6m, and the total portfolio reached €19.6bn (+24.8% in a year). These figures show the price of money and credit-funded demand, not house prices. How Bulgarian rates have moved after the ECB's decisions is covered here.
The BNB also publishes analytical estimates — such as its model-based finding that housing was overvalued by 13.8% (as of the third quarter of 2025). That is a model, not a measurement: useful as a gauge of risk, not as a forecast. More in our article on the BNB estimate.
Eurostat's index for Bulgaria is the NSI index, transmitted under a common European methodology. Its value is comparison: in the second quarter of 2026 Bulgaria had the second-highest annual rise in the EU (+15.5%) after Portugal, against an EU average of +4.7%. Third-quarter data are due on 11 January 2027 under Eurostat's calendar — after NSI's national release.
Listings show the asking price, not the price paid. They appear immediately, so the media quote them most often, but they systematically overstate the market — especially in a slowdown, when homes stay listed longer and sellers have not yet adjusted their expectations.
There is no official statistic for the gap. There are agency estimates: for example, that more than half of deals involve a discount, typically around 5–10%. They are a useful guide, but without a published methodology. How to use that gap in a negotiation is covered in our guide to negotiating the price.
NSI publishes quarterly data on building permits and construction starts, and on new homes granted a permit for use. They show future supply, not prices. Fourth-quarter 2026 data come out on 3 February 2027 (permits) and 8 February 2027 (completions). Our latest note: building permits in the third quarter.
That last part is our daily work. If you are buying or selling and want to know what the data says about your neighbourhood and your type of home — call us or come into the office. We will sit down with the numbers and tell you what they mean for your decision.
NSI, Registry Agency, BNB and Eurostat data, verified as of November 2026. Indicators are indicative and change with every new release.
