Buying Property in Athens: Why It’s Worth Investing and Which Area to Choose

Why Buy Property in Athens?

Athens City Center: A Strategic Location with Access to International Transport. Athens enjoys a strategic location, surrounded by hills, the highest of which is Lycabettus, offering panoramic views of the entire metropolitan area. Additionally, it is close to the sea, with easy access to beautiful beaches and Greece’s largest port, Piraeus. One of the city's key advantages is its modern metro system, which connects the city center with all the suburbs of Attica as well as the international airport, Eleftherios Venizelos. Furthermore, Athens has an extensive network of buses, trolleys, and trams. The city's major highways also provide seamless connections to the rest of Greece, making travel and transportation highly accessible.

Athens’ Cultural Heritage and Tourism Growth Make It Unrivaled

Athens is a city with a rich history and cultural heritage, shaped over millennia. It is the birthplace of democracy, philosophy, and Western medicine. Its world-renowned landmarks—such as the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Ancient Agora, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus—along with significant museums like the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, and the Benaki Museum, attract millions of tourists from around the world.

High Demand for Short-Term Rentals in Athens

Due to its strong cultural appeal, Athens is a highly sought-after tourist destination for both Greek and international visitors. For the first time this year, the city was ranked among Europe’s top Christmas destinations, offering a wide range of festive experiences for all ages. Athens secured 6th place, surpassing classic destinations such as Paris, London, and Vienna, with a 31% increase in demand compared to 2023. These figures come from the latest analysis by AirDNA, a renowned international short-term rental market analytics firm that tracks listings, supply, and demand from major platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.

Additionally, Athens hosts a large student population from across Greece, as it is home to the country’s leading higher education institutions. The city also attracts visitors for medical tourism. Areas such as Koukaki, Psyrri, and Metaxourgeio have emerged as hotspots for short-term rentals, offering lucrative opportunities for property investors.

Athens Offers a Wide Variety of Properties, from Neoclassical Homes to Modern Apartments

Athens is an ideal city for architecture enthusiasts. It is not only the classical architecture found in its archaeological sites—such as the Temple of Hephaestus and the Parthenon—or the Byzantine architecture seen in its churches, like Kapnikarea and the Monastery of Daphni. The city also boasts numerous neoclassical houses in Plaka and grand mansions in Thisseio, as well as in neighborhoods like Patissia and Kolonaki.
Additionally, Athens features 1930s apartment buildings with strong modernist and Art Deco influences, as well as mid-century buildings (1950–1980) with compact apartments in areas like Kypseli and Pangrati, often characterized by balconies with awnings. The city also embraces modern architecture, with newly built apartments in Ano Patissia, Galatsi, Koukaki, and Ampelokipoi. Many properties in Athens include parking spaces, increasing their value and providing added convenience for residents.

Athens’ Real Estate Market Attracts International Investors

In recent years, an increasing number of foreign investors have been purchasing property in central Athens. One of the key reasons is that property prices in Athens remain more affordable compared to other major European capitals such as Paris, London, and Rome.

Moreover, the Golden Visa Greece program allows non-EU citizens to obtain a residence permit by investing at least €250,000 in real estate (this threshold has been raised to €500,000 for central areas like Kolonaki and Syntagma). This incentive attracts buyers from China, Russia, the Middle East, and the United States who seek access to the Schengen Zone.

These factors, combined with the Greek government’s tax reductions on real estate, have significantly facilitated foreign investment, making Athens an attractive market for property buyers worldwide.