Rome was Italy’s most in-demand provincial-capital market for homes for sale in the second quarter of 2026, according to idealista/data. Its relative demand index reached 4.28, placing it ahead of Lecce and Cagliari.
For international buyers, the report provides a practical snapshot of where buyer interest was strongest, where listings left the market quickly and where homes typically remained advertised for longer.
Rome, Lecce and Cagliari lead buyer demand
Rome took first place and also had the largest stock of homes for sale during the period. Listings in the capital remained online for an average of 84 days.
- Lecce ranked second with a demand index of 3.79
- Cagliari came third on 3.31
- The next two places went to Belluno at 2.94 and Palermo at 2.83
Provincial capital | Relative demand index | Average days online |
|---|---|---|
Naples | 2.81 | 84 |
Trieste | 2.76 | 31 |
Turin | 2.72 | 78 |
Sassari | 2.70 | 135 |
Bari | 2.61 | 106 |
Milan ranks 18th, despite quick listing turnover
Milan ranked 18th out of 110 capitals for relative demand, with an index of 2.21. Sale listings remained online for an average of 57 days, one of the lowest averages in the national ranking.
This could be the result of two features of the Milan market: one of Italy’s largest supplies of homes for sale, alongside the country’s highest average price per square metre.
Elsewhere among the larger cities:
- Bologna recorded a demand index of 2.23 and listings stayed online for 53 days on average
- Florence recorded 1.40 and 74 days
- Genoa recorded 2.09 and 92 days
- Venice recorded 1.86 and 147 days
Gorizia has Italy’s fastest average listing time
Gorizia recorded the fastest average turnover of any capital in the report, with homes staying online for 29 days. It was followed by Trieste, then Bologna, Milan and Udine, where the average was 61 days.
At the other end, Urbino had the longest average time online at 447 days. Agrigento followed with 316 days, Caltanissetta with 265 days and Ragusa with 229 days.
The markets at the bottom of the demand ranking
Urbino also finished last for relative demand, at 0.26. The other markets cited at the bottom of the ranking were Campobasso at 0.38, Cuneo at 0.47, Nuoro at 0.54 and Benevento at 0.56.
For buyers looking at Italy’s property market in 2026, the data places Rome at the centre of demand pressure, while Milan’s comparatively low ranking sits alongside a short average time online for listings. In contrast, several markets with lower demand recorded much longer advertising periods.
How idealista/data measured demand
The report uses two measures:
- Relative demand index: demand pressure compared with the properties available in each area, based on contacts received per listing, including emails and shares.
- Average days online: the mean number of days a for-sale listing remains published before being removed from the market.
The results do not measure completed purchases or average sale prices. They reflect activity around homes advertised on the platform during Q2 2026.
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