The Plovdiv registry office recorded 3,354 property sales in the third quarter of 2026. That is 31.1% fewer than in the same period last year (4,870) and 12.8% fewer than in the second quarter (3,848). The figures, published on 2 October, are among the first summer figures from a major city — and they show a sharp turn for a market that until recently looked like the most resilient in the country.
Only a few weeks ago, NSI data for the second quarter put Plovdiv first for quarterly price growth (+5.8%) and showed it losing the fewest home sales of any large city (−3.3% year on year). The registry told the same story: in April–June, Plovdiv sales were about 7% below their year-earlier level.
The third quarter reverses that picture. The annual decline has accelerated from around 7% to 31%, and sales are nearly 13% below spring. This piece updates the Plovdiv picture from our September review of the NSI data.
Part of the explanation is the base. The third quarter of 2025 was exceptionally strong — 4,870 sales against 4,136 in the second quarter of that year, at the height of the pre-euro buying rush. Any comparison with such a period will look dramatic.
It also matters what is being measured: Registry Agency statistics cover all property — homes, plots, garages and farmland, not just apartments. That is why the numbers do not line up exactly with the NSI index, which tracks residential property only.
The most telling signal is in lending. Over the summer 1,581 mortgages were registered (1,396 contractual and 185 statutory) — 9% more than a year earlier (1,450), even though sales fell by almost a third. The ratio of mortgages to sales stands at 47% (against roughly 50% in the second quarter).
That does not mean exactly 47% of deals were financed — one property can carry more than one mortgage, and some secure refinancing. But the direction is clear: fewer buyers are paying entirely from their own funds, and the deals that do close increasingly go through a bank.
If you are buying: less competition means more time to view and check a property, and more room to negotiate — especially on homes that have been listed for months. Arrange financing in advance; a bank pre-approval is your strongest argument at the table. You can estimate your monthly payment with our mortgage calculator.
If you are selling: the market no longer absorbs any price. Realistically priced homes with their paperwork in order are still selling; overpriced ones are waiting. If your property has been listed for more than two or three months without serious interest, that is a signal to review the price.
If you are investing: a fall in the number of deals is not yet a fall in prices — NSI's third-quarter price data is due in December. Until then, softer demand is more an opportunity to negotiate better than a reason to panic.
Figures are from the Plovdiv registry office, as reported on 2 October 2026, and are indicative. National Registry Agency statistics for the third quarter are still to come.
If you are thinking of buying or selling in Plovdiv or Sofia and want to see how these numbers apply to a specific property, give us a call or visit our office — we will go through it together.
