Factors like good value, central locations, and outdoor spaces make buyers decide faster, so many homes sell just days after being listed.

A study by the real estate portal idealista, using data from the second quarter of 2026, found that about 10% of homes for sale in mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions were taken off the market in less than a week.

Most homes in Portugal stay on the market for longer periods. Around 18% of homes were removed from the portal between one week and one month after being listed, and 31% sold or were withdrawn within one to three months. The most common timeframe was three months to one year, which covered 35% of homes. Only 6% of properties stayed listed for more than 12 months.

District capitals

Looking at district capitals and regional centres, Aveiro, Coimbra, and Porto had the fastest markets, with 11% of homes selling in less than a week. Braga followed with 10%, Funchal with 9%, and Beja, Faro, Leiria, and Viana do Castelo each at 8%. Ponta Delgada and Santarém were at 7%, Setúbal and Viseu at 6%, and Lisbon at 5%. Castelo Branco had the slowest quick sales, with only 3%.

For sales that take one to three months, Castelo Branco leads with 38% of homes sold in that period, followed by Viseu and Setúbal at 36% each, and Leiria at 33%. For the slowest sales, between three months and a year, the highest rates are in Ponta Delgada (53%), Santarém (47%), Castelo Branco (44%), Viana do Castelo (42%), Lisbon (40%), and Beja (39%). This shows that in some cities, selling a home takes more time.

Including the islands

Looking at all districts and islands, Madeira and Porto had the fastest sales, with 15% of homes selling in less than a week. Aveiro followed with 12%, Coimbra with 11%, and Braga, Santarém, and Viseu each with 10%. Portalegre and Viana do Castelo were at 9%, Beja at 8%, and Bragança, Leiria, Lisbon, and Setúbal each at 7%. Castelo Branco, Évora, Vila Real, and São Miguel had 6%, Faro had 5%, and Guarda had the lowest quick sales at 3%.

For average sales times, the one-to-three-month period was most common in Bragança (38%), Setúbal (36%), and Aveiro and Santarém (35% each). The three-month-to-one-year period was most common on São Miguel (51%), followed by Vila Real (48%), Guarda (44%), Évora (41%), and Castelo Branco (40%). These areas usually see longer sales processes.