How many sellers cut their asking price, and by how much

The short version

In the first quarter of 2026, 14% of homes for sale on idealista in Spain cut their asking price at least once, up from 11% a year earlier. Sellers who did cut took off 29,390 euros on average, 7% of the original asking price. In Málaga the share was higher, 18%, and the average cut smaller: 26,854 euros, or 6%.

The numbers

• idealista, 26 May 2026: 14% of sale listings active between January and March 2026 recorded at least one price reduction. In the same quarter of 2025 the share was 11%. Among the cities with the largest shares: Barcelona 21%, Teruel 21%, Madrid 20%, Alicante 19%, Segovia 19%, Málaga 18%, Sevilla 18%, Valencia 18%, Zaragoza 18%, San Sebastián 17%, Bilbao 16%, Palma 14%.
• idealista, 25 June 2026: among the listings that did reduce, the average cut to March was 29,390 euros, 7% of the initial price. Málaga: 26,854 euros, 6%, across 18% of listings. The method counts listings published on idealista during the quarter with at least one reduction from the initial price; listings with no change, or an increase, are excluded.
• idealista, 2 September 2026: in August the national second-hand index fell 0.3% on the month, the first monthly decline since late 2022, while still up 12.5% on the year. Málaga province stood at 4,293 euros per square metre, up 5.1%.

What it means for a buyer

1. Most sellers do not cut. In Málaga, 82% of listings held their price through the quarter. A cut is a signal about one home and one seller, not about the market.
2. When a cut comes, it is modest. Six per cent in Málaga. A home listed at 600,000 euros that cuts by the average lands near 564,000. Plan on that scale, not on the folklore of twenty per cent offers.
3. Cuts cluster where the asking price ran ahead of the zone. Put the price per square metre next to the zone averages in our September 2026 price note before you read a cut as value.
4. Asking prices and valuations are different numbers. Tinsa's appraisal-based average for Marbella was 3,694 euros per square metre in the second quarter of 2026, against portal asking averages above 5,000. A bank lends against a valuation, not an asking price. Know both before you make an offer.
5. Time on the market says more than a discount label. Ask for the first-listed date and the full price history. We keep both for the homes we show.

How we use it

In the Evaluate step we put the home's asking history beside its zone band, the current supply in that zone and the valuation range, then agree a number with you before the first offer goes in.

Sources

idealista, 26 May 2026 and 25 June 2026, on first-quarter 2026 price reductions. idealista, Índice de precios de la vivienda, August 2026 (2 September 2026). Tinsa, IMIE Mercados Locales, Marbella, second quarter 2026. All retrieved 5 September 2026; links in the source list.