Vacant homes cast shadow of concern

More than 900,000 properties remain vacant and underutilized across Greece, according to real estate experts. Many of these properties are tied up in legal disputes, owned by the government, banks or institutional creditors. These properties, particularly in urban areas such as Athens and Thessaloniki, are exacerbating the country's ongoing housing crisis, where demand far outstrips supply, driving prices upward.

At the Athens Real Estate Association's 2024 Property Show, industry leaders expressed concern that current housing policy measures will fall short of reducing rental and sales prices. 

Kosmas Theodoridis, general secretary of the Real Estate Association, highlighted that 500,000 properties are abandoned inheritances or have been disclaimed, while another 400,000 are held by banks due to debt issues. 

"In addition to the above we should also take into...