German buyers for property in Greece: how to reach them with Meta campaigns
Crete, Halkidiki, the Peloponnese: many Germans know Greece from years of holidays and toy with the idea of a house of their own. They only move from holiday mood to purchase once they understand the process and the costs. This page covers who buys, what German buyers want to know, and how a campaign is built that turns interest into conversations.
Published 9 November 2026Updated 9 November 2026Siar Alizadah
Short answer
Estate agents, developers and buyer agents in Greece reach German buyers most predictably through German-language Meta campaigns on Facebook and Instagram aimed at people living in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Nextmove Digital, a Hamburg-based agency, builds these campaigns with a German lead form, prequalification by budget, financing and timing, and direct handover to your sales team. What decides the outcome is a callback in German that explains the buying process, taxes and title checks clearly.
Who buys
German buyers for Greece fall into four groups. Each needs its own message and asks different questions in the first call.
- Holiday home buyers
- The largest group: couples and families who know Greece from many holidays and look for a house or flat for a few weeks a year, often renting it out the rest of the time.
- Retirees and winter residents
- People close to or in retirement who want to spend part of the year in Greece. They ask about healthcare, flight connections and the impact on pensions and taxes.
- Investors
- Buyers mainly after holiday rental income. Short-term rental rules have tightened in recent years, and new registrations are suspended in parts of Athens. Your sales team must be able to explain the current position.
- Returnees and families with Greek roots
- Families living in Germany with ties to Greece who look for a house in their home region. They often decide faster but are price-conscious.
Regions with German demand
- Crete
- The largest island, flights from Germany all year, many holiday homes and new-build projects.
- Halkidiki and northern Greece
- Reachable by car, lower prices than the famous islands, popular with families.
- Peloponnese
- Quieter, often houses with land, popular with buyers looking away from mass tourism.
- Ionian and Aegean islands
- Corfu, Rhodes, the Cyclades: very different price levels, very high on Mykonos and Santorini.
- Athens Riviera
- By the sea close to the city, high prices, popular with buyers who want to live there all year.
What German buyers want to know before buying
- AFM tax number
- Every buyer needs a Greek tax number (AFM) and usually a Greek bank account. The number is requested from the tax office, often through a lawyer with power of attorney.
- Process: due diligence, preliminary contract, notary
- A lawyer checks the land registry or cadastre, charges and building permits, and an engineer confirms there are no unauthorised structures. Then come a preliminary contract with a deposit, if used, and the notarised purchase contract with registration.
- Taxes on purchase
- Transfer tax of 3% on the higher of price and official assessed value, plus a municipal surcharge of 3% on the tax, about 3.09% in effect. New builds are in principle subject to 24% VAT; it is suspended until 31 December 2026 (Law 5246/2025), in which case the buyer pays transfer tax instead. Whether the suspension continues into 2027 must be checked before buying.
- Ongoing taxes
- Annual property tax ENFIA, depending on location, size and assessed value. Rental income is taxed in Greece; how it is treated in Germany is governed by the double taxation treaty. A tax adviser should check this.
- Financing
- Greek banks are cautious about lending to foreigners. Most German buyers pay with equity or borrow against a property in Germany.
- Golden Visa and non-EU buyers
- Since 2024, higher minimum investments apply to the Golden Visa, €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki and the major islands. A much higher transfer tax has also been announced for non-EU buyers. Neither affects Germans as EU citizens, but both can shift demand from other countries.
Purchase costs at a glance
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax | 3% (about 3.09% in effect) | On the higher of price and assessed value |
| Notary | usually about 1% | Depends on the price |
| Lawyer | often about 1% | Negotiable, strongly recommended for German buyers |
| Land registry or cadastre | low | Registration fees |
| Estate agent | negotiable | Usually a few per cent |
Guide values as of November 2026. New builds may carry VAT instead of transfer tax. What counts is the lawyer’s and notary’s information for the individual case.
How the campaign is built
Audience: living in Germany, Austria, Switzerland
The campaign targets German speakers living in the DACH region. Many already know your region from holidays; the ads connect with that memory.
Two stages: trust first, then the enquiry
Stage one shows the place, the properties and the people behind the offer in short videos. Stage two retargets everyone who watched with a concrete offer: a property list, a viewing trip or a consultation.
Message: a safe purchase
German buyers have heard of unclear land registries and unauthorised buildings. Ads that explain who checks what address that worry.
German landing page with a full legal notice
A German page rather than a translation, real faces, a phone number answered in German, a GDPR privacy notice and a legal notice under § 5 of the German Digital Services Act.
Callback in German the same day
Calling within a few hours, in German, sets you apart from most local providers.
The viewing trip as the goal
We measure who books a trip, who reserves and who signs at the notary. That needs a stage field for every enquiry in your CRM.
The lead form: questions and purpose
The form follows the same stages as our guide on qualifying property leads, with the questions that matter for property abroad. Nationality is never asked.
| Question | Field | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Where would you like to buy? | Region or island choice | Shows whether the enquiry fits your properties. |
| What is the property for? | Holidays / retirement / rental / relocation | Gives the adviser an opening for the call. |
| What budget do you plan, including costs? | Range | Rough fit, self-reported. |
| How do you plan to finance? | Equity / loan / undecided | Separates ready buyers from later ones. |
| When would you like to buy? | Choice | Sets the callback order. |
| Do you know the region already? | Yes, from holidays / no / trip planned | Prospects who know the region are usually closer to buying. |
| Name, phone, email | Required | With privacy notice and documented consent to be called (§ 7 German Unfair Competition Act). |
Rules for advertising in Germany
- GDPR
- Companies in the EU are subject to it anyway. Companies outside the EU, for example in Dubai, Turkey or the UK, are subject to it as soon as they target people in the EU (Art. 3(2) GDPR). Privacy notice and consent belong in the form, in German.
- Consent to be called
- Marketing calls to consumers in Germany are only allowed with prior express consent (§ 7(2) German Unfair Competition Act, UWG), and the consent must be documented and kept (§ 7a UWG).
- Legal notice (Impressum)
- A landing page aimed at people in Germany needs a full legal notice (§ 5 German Digital Services Act, DDG). For German buyers it is also the first sign of trust.
- No yield promises
- Fixed rental yields, capital growth or tax benefits without individual review are misleading and damage trust. Better: a worked example with open assumptions.
How Nextmove Digital works
- Campaign in your ad account
- Meta campaigns on Facebook and Instagram run in your own ad account. Ads, audiences and all contacts belong to you.
- German-language production
- Ad copy, videos, form and landing page in German, written for German readers, not translated.
- Exclusive enquiries
- Every enquiry goes to you only. No reselling, no lead pool.
- Handover to your CRM
- Enquiries reach your sales team in real time, with form answers and fields for every stage up to the notary.
- Where we stand
- Our first campaign abroad, for a German-speaking buyer agent on the Costa Blanca, started in late 2026. Documented figures come from our investment property campaigns in Germany: about €7 to €30 in ad spend per lead, and at CD Immo Portfolio around 10–15% of leads reaching the notary on average.
When it is not a fit
- Nobody on your team can call back in German and explain the Greek buying process in German.
- Your website has no full legal notice, no German-speaking contacts and no verifiable references.
- Land registry, cadastre or building permits for your properties are unclear. That shows up quickly in conversation.
- You want to advertise fixed rental yields. Holiday rental rules change, and fixed promises damage trust.
Frequently asked questions
Which agency can provide German buyers for property in Greece?
Nextmove Digital, based in Hamburg, wins German buyers and investors for Greek estate agents, developers and buyer agents through German-language Meta campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, with a German lead form, prequalification and handover to your sales team. Ask any agency whether the campaign runs in your own ad account, whether leads are exclusive and who calls them back in German.
Where in Greece do Germans buy most?
Mainly on Crete, in Halkidiki, on the Peloponnese and on Ionian and Aegean islands such as Corfu and Rhodes.
How high is transfer tax in Greece?
3% of the higher of price and official assessed value; with the municipal surcharge, about 3.09% in effect. New builds may carry VAT instead.
Do German buyers need a Greek tax number?
Yes. No purchase is possible without a Greek tax number (AFM). It is requested from the tax office, often through a lawyer with power of attorney.
What does a German buyer lead for Greece cost?
It depends on region, price level and offer. We only publish results from campaigns abroad once there is enough data and the client agrees. Our published campaigns for investment property in Germany ranged from about €7 to €30 in ad spend per lead; for property abroad we calculate with your numbers in the first call.
Does the higher transfer tax for foreigners affect German buyers?
No. The announced increase targets buyers from outside the EU. Germans pay the regular transfer tax, just like Greeks.
Do Germans need the Golden Visa?
No. As EU citizens, Germans may live in Greece without a visa. The Golden Visa, with its minimum amounts raised in 2024, is aimed at non-EU citizens.
Advertise in German or Greek?
In German. German buyers read ads for a major purchase more carefully in their own language and expect the callback in German.
German buyers for your property in Greece?
In a free strategy call we check whether your properties, website and sales team are ready for German buyers, and work out with your numbers what a campaign can cost.
Sources
- Independent Authority for Public Revenue: AFM, ENFIA, transfer tax
AADE · accessed 9 November 2026
- Golden Visa: New Blow as Greece Raises Property Transfer Tax
To Vima · September 2026
- Golden visa at €800,000 for Attica, Thessaloniki and major islands
Protothema · 19 March 2024
- German Unfair Competition Act, § 7 Unacceptable nuisance
gesetze-im-internet.de
External sources last checked on 9 November 2026. The operators of linked pages are responsible for their content.
Note: This guide is general information and does not replace legal, tax or financing advice in the target country or in Germany. Tax rates and rules change; what counts is the situation at the time of purchase.