Luxury real estate in Italy: interest from foreign investors continues to rise (with the USA leading the way)
Italy’s luxury real estate market keeps generating impressive numbers.
During the first eight months of 2025, the demand for houses for sale in Italy, particularly high-end properties—searched mostly online through highly specialised and reputable portals—has remained dynamic.
It is important to note that these enquiries are coming from foreign investors, increasingly interested, for various reasons, in purchasing property in Italy, especially within the prime and subprime luxury segments.
Ultra-luxury properties at the top of buyers’ preferences
According to a survey carried out by experts from the well-known portal Gate-away.com—one of the most visited websites among foreigners looking to buy a home in Italy—ultra-luxury properties are currently the most requested.
International buyers are mainly drawn to properties priced from €3 million upwards.
In some cases, transactions have exceeded €6 million.
The average price in the highest segment increased by 2.4% compared to 2024, confirming that despite the often fluctuating phases of the real estate market as a whole, the luxury sector in Italy continues to demonstrate strong resilience.
Who is searching for luxury homes in Italy?
US buyers maintain a clear lead in the search for luxury homes in Italy—a trend that, although with varying numbers over time, has been consistently evident since the post-pandemic period.
In the following positions are Germany and the United Kingdom, but what stands out is the growing interest from emerging markets such as the United Arab Emirates—which accounted for about 24.9% of enquiries from January to August—and Hungary, along with a significant 18% coming from Spain.
Another noteworthy trend concerns requests from foreign real estate investors who have already been living in Italy for work or study reasons.
Tuscany and Lombardy remain the most sought-after regions
Looking at regional data, Tuscany ranks first, appreciated for its exceptional lifestyle and unmatched artistic and architectural heritage, followed by Lombardy.
In this second case, the areas attracting the most interest from prospective high-spending homeowners—often looking for a second residence— are Milan and Lake Como.
Milan continues to appeal to multinational companies that, after Brexit, relocated their headquarters from London to other European cities and now seek high-quality housing solutions for employees and collaborators.
Lake Como, on the other hand, has been a favourite of American billionaires—as well as buyers from various Eastern countries—for over two decades.
Requests for ultra-luxury homes are heavily concentrated in the Lake Como area, according to the aforementioned report.
The annual growth can rightly be described as remarkable: between the first eight months of 2024 and January–August 2025, demand increased by 78%.
In the following positions in the ranking of locations where ultra-luxury homes are most sought after, we find long-standing favourites such as the Amalfi Coast—one of the most iconic symbols of the Italian Dolce Vita—the Argentario peninsula, solidly positioned in the high-end tourism sector and the beautiful Lake Garda.
The major cities also show strong numbers, but there is a growing trend toward places offering an atmosphere of authenticity. This is demonstrated by the rising interest in destinations such as Pantelleria and small Umbrian villages.
