The Albanian Property Market

Two markets

Tirana is a domestic market driven by urbanisation, diaspora purchases and a large construction pipeline. The coast is a holiday and investment market, concentrated in Sarandë, Ksamil, Vlorë, Durrës and Lalzit Bay, and heavily dependent on tourism demand and off-plan sales.

The title problem

Between 1945 and 1991 private property was abolished. After 1991 the state restituted and privatised on a very large scale, in parallel with mass internal migration and a great deal of unpermitted construction that was later legalised. The result is a register that is still being reconciled.

For a buyer this is not an abstraction. Overlapping claims, unregistered inheritances and buildings whose legalisation is incomplete are ordinary findings in a title search.

Scrutiny of the sector

Construction and real estate in Albania have been repeatedly identified by MONEYVAL, the European Commission and domestic institutions as sectors carrying money-laundering risk. This is a matter of public record and it is one reason due diligence on a counterparty matters as much as due diligence on a title.

What this Atlas will not do

It will not tell you whether Albanian property is a good investment, forecast prices, or publish scraped listings. It explains how the market and the process work; the decision, and the professional advice behind it, are yours.