The Association of Property Developers and Builders of Catalonia (APCE) has published its report for the first half of 2026, confirming that Terrassa and Sabadell concentrate the largest volume of new build properties for sale in Catalonia, immediately after Barcelona. The study accounts for 465 active developments and 2,794 properties for sale in the Metropolitan Area, solidifying Vallès Occidental as the primary residential alternative to the capital's saturation.
What's Changing
The APCE's sectoral report for the first half of 2026 reflects a sustained shift in development activity towards the metropolitan ring. Of the 2,794 new build properties on offer in the Barcelona metropolitan area (3,565 across the entire province, spread over 590 developments), the distribution by municipality shows the available supply in the following volumes:
- Barcelona: 302 properties for sale.
- Terrassa: 215 properties for sale.
- Sabadell: 207 properties for sale.
- Badalona: 186 properties for sale.
- Vilanova i la Geltrú: 157 properties for sale.
Between Terrassa and Sabadell, there are a total of 422 units available, comfortably exceeding the active supply in the Catalan capital itself. This product caters to a very specific profile: 76.3% of the properties on the market are multi-family dwellings with 2 and 3 bedrooms.
The driving force behind this shift lies in the cost difference. According to the APCE, the average asking price in the Metropolitan Area stood at 5.631 €/m² usable in the first half of 2026, marking the highest record in Catalonia. Across the province, it reached 5.513 €/m² usable (an 8.4% year-on-year increase), with an overall average price of 482.548 € per property. Faced with these prices in the metropolitan centre, buyers are turning to Vallès Occidental in search of developments with similar usable areas but significantly more affordable total budgets.
Sources
Data and regulations consulted for this article.
