National Database of Property Sales Prices

On June 27, 2025, Spain’s Prime Minister proposed the launch of a national database of actual property transaction prices to bring transparency, empower consumers, and modernize the real estate market. Currently, real estate platforms rely on advertised prices, not actual sale figures, leading to mismatches between perceived and true market values .

1. Learning from International Best Practices

In the United States, public records (county registrars) share exact sale prices. Licensed agents access richer databases like the MLS, while Zillow and others provide aggregated insights without compromising privacy . This model works well because only professionals with credentials access sensitive datasets, ensuring ethical handling. Spain, however, lacks mandatory licensing outside areas such as Catalonia and Valencia—allowing anyone to operate as an agent without professional accountability.

2. Professional Regulation as a Keystone

A national price database should be paired with a formal accreditation system for real estate agents. Spain’s current framework—voluntary training via groups like API—is insufficient. By restricting detailed data access to certified professionals, the policy would promote responsibility, reduce misinformation, and safeguard consumer interests.

3. Technical Implementation

Spain already collects comprehensive property data via notaries, land registries, and the Catastro (journals.openedition.org). The missing piece is a unified digital platform with tiered user access:

  • General public: view aggregated prices by region and property type.
  • Certified professionals/owners: access anonymized transaction-level data.
  • Institutions: receive full historical and geographical analytics.

GDPR compliance is central—access must be granted only to those with legitimate reasons. Controlled access ensures privacy, public insight, and regulatory oversight.

4. Industry Responses & Challenges

Portals like Idealista are cautious. While open to sharing, they highlight practical challenges: consolidating data from autonomous regions and municipalities is complex. A spokesperson from Idealista emphasized that public records already exist—but need better accessibility rather than creation .

Our vision.

Implementing a national property price database could significantly increase transparency and trust in Spain’s housing market. Success depends on two pillars: a robust professional licensing system and a well-designed digital platform respecting privacy laws. With these components, Spain could align with international best practices and strengthen its real estate sector.

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