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Cyprus Property Market Holds Steady As Costs And Supply Constraints Rise

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 18, 2026

Cyprus recorded 21,387 property transfers in 2025, broadly unchanged from 2024, while the value of transactions rose about 10% to €4.73 billion.

The figures were presented at the Cyprus Property Show, where government officials and representatives from the property, construction, engineering and investment sectors discussed housing supply, planning reform and rising costs.

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Government Seeks More Flexible Planning Rules

Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou said housing remains a government priority, with measures aimed at increasing supply and strengthening citizens’ purchasing power.

The government is revising local plans for major urban areas and the Policy Statement to create a more modern and flexible planning framework. First Town Planning Officer Heraklis Achniotis said the reforms could address long-standing weaknesses and shape development over the next 20 to 30 years.

Cyprus Land Development Corporation (KOAG) Director-General Eleni Symeonidou also outlined the organization’s projects aimed at addressing housing demand.

Engineers Warn Of Rising Building Safety Risks

Scientific and Technical Chamber (Etek) President Konstantinos Konstantis said Cyprus still needs a unified housing strategy, although some measures from the chamber’s 2023 housing policy memorandum have been adopted.

He warned that the number of older and potentially dangerous buildings could rise sharply without intervention. “If measures are not taken, the 5,000 dangerous buildings that exist today will become 15,000 or more within five years,” Konstantis said.

He called for regular building inspections through an MOT-style system.

Developers Call For Faster Licensing

The Cyprus Association of Large Investment Projects called for faster licensing of strategic investments and a stable planning, tax and investment framework.

The group also highlighted infrastructure, energy costs and access to specialized labor, while calling for greater use of technology and green-transition measures in new projects. It also urged Cyprus to pursue policies that attract long-term international investors.

Rising Costs Continue To Pressure Supply

Real estate agents cited geopolitical uncertainty, higher construction costs and changing economic conditions as growing challenges for the market.

Construction contractors pointed to similar pressures, including labor shortages and energy prices. Cyprus Association of Building Contractors Secretary-General Stefanos Pieridis said rising costs affect the entire development chain, reducing project viability and pushing up final property prices.

Banks Expand Digital Mortgage Services

Bank of Cyprus Director of Retail Banking Theodosis Theodosiou said the bank has expanded housing finance solutions and digital tools for homebuyers.

“With the new online mortgage service, the process is simpler and faster than ever,” he said.

Cyprus’s property market continues to record steady transaction volumes while facing pressures from affordability, supply constraints, construction costs, labor shortages and planning rules.

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EU Agrees On Major Overhaul Of Financial Market Supervision

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 9, 2026

European Union finance ministers have reached agreement on a sweeping package designed to strengthen oversight of the bloc’s financial markets, in a move aimed at reducing fragmentation and improving the flow of capital across borders.

A Push To Deepen Capital Markets

The Market Integration and Supervision Package, or MISP, would grant the European Securities and Markets Authority direct supervision over major market operators that are currently regulated by national authorities. The reforms are intended to make Europe’s capital markets more integrated, more efficient and better able to channel savings into productive investment.

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According to the Irish presidency, the package is meant to help savings and investments move more freely across the European Union, improving access to finance for companies while giving households broader opportunities to earn returns on their savings.

What The Reform Would Change

Under the new framework, ESMA would take direct oversight of key trading venues, clearing houses, securities settlement bodies and crypto-asset service providers. The package would also establish a permanent, independent executive board within the regulator, strengthening its institutional capacity.

Market operators would be able to opt into a new EU-wide operating framework. In parallel, the reforms would seek to make national supervision more consistent and update rules governing trading, transaction completion, investment management and the use of blockchain technology.

Why The Agreement Matters

Supporters of deeper capital markets argue that Europe has long paid a price for regulatory inconsistency. While many rules are harmonised across the bloc, differences in enforcement and supervision have contributed to a patchwork system that can make cross-border investment slower and more costly.

A more integrated framework, proponents say, could lower costs for companies seeking funding and broaden the menu of investment options available to savers and institutional investors alike.

Outstanding Questions Remain

Despite the broad agreement, some important details remain unresolved. Trading venues operated by Deutsche Börse, the company behind the Frankfurt stock exchange, may remain outside ESMA’s direct supervision.

Euronews previously reported that Germany had secured an exemption for Deutsche Börse’s domestically focused trading venues, leaving part of the system under regional supervision. The latest announcement did not clarify whether that arrangement will stand.

A Step Forward For The Savings And Investments Union

Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen welcomed the deal, calling it a major advance for the Capital Markets Union and saying Europe had made more progress in 10 months than in the previous 10 years.

The agreement is an important milestone in the Savings and Investments Union, the EU’s broader effort to channel more of Europeans’ savings into investments that can support growth, innovation and competitiveness across the bloc.