Unique Estates celebrates 20 years in the real estate market

The company celebrates 20 years since its establishment as the first to lay the foundations of the luxury real estate market in Bulgaria
Unique Estates I Christie’s International Real Estate completed transactions worth over EUR 150 million in 2025
The segment of properties over EUR 1 million is developing dynamically, with the number of transactions in the high price range increasing by nearly 30% in the second half of 2025
In early 2026, the market is entering a more balanced phase after the period of euphoric purchases and more careful behavior of buyers, and the forecast is for moderate price growth between 6% and 10%

Unique Estates I Christie’s International Real Estate, part of Realto Group and official representative of Christie’s International Real Estate for Bulgaria, celebrates 20 years since its establishment as the company that sets the standards for the development of the luxury real estate market in Bulgaria and establishes itself as a leading consultant in the high-end real estate segment.

For two decades, the company has been building a sustainable development model based on expert market analyses, long-term partnerships and a high professional standard in consulting clients when buying, selling and renting luxury properties. Today, the Unique Estates I Christie’s International Real Estate team includes over 70 industry professionals who work with clients on both the Bulgarian and international markets. In 2025 alone, the company completed transactions worth over 150 million euros.

“20 years of Unique Estates is proof that sustainable business is built with consistency, professionalism and trust. During these years, we have not only developed the company, but also actively participated in the creation and development of the luxury real estate market itself in Bulgaria,” commented Vesela Ilieva, Managing Partner of Unique Estates I Christie’s International Real Estate and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Realto Group.

A key factor in the development of the company is the strategic partnership with Christie’s International Real Estate - one of the most prestigious global networks for luxury real estate. Through it, Unique Estates provides its clients with the opportunity to mediate in luxury real estate transactions around the world, while at the same time presenting Bulgarian properties to an international audience of investors and buyers, as they are also advertised on the global platform of Christie’s International Real Estate, which enables the Bulgarian market to reach clients from dozens of countries.

“Our partnership with Christie’s International Real Estate positions Bulgaria on the map of the international luxury real estate market and enables Bulgarian properties to be presented to a global audience of investors,” adds Vesela Ilieva.

In 2025, Unique Estates I Christie’s International Real Estate completed 265 sales and 435 rental transactions, with interest in the market measured by over 3,400 newly registered buyers and more than 10,600 client viewings. The company’s data shows that on average between 4 and 7 viewings are needed by buyers in the luxury segment to make a final purchase decision, which indicates an increasingly mature and careful selection process.

Unique Estates I Christie’s International Real Estate is the company with the strongest expertise in the property segment over 1 million euros, which is gradually shaping up as a separate and increasingly dynamic market in Bulgaria. The company’s data also shows a clear increase in activity in this price segment, which is characterized by limited supply and high requirements for the quality of properties - architecture, location, infrastructure and urban environment. Buyers in the prestigious areas of Sofia remain the most active, including Doktorska Gradina, Lozenets, Iztok, Ivan Vazov, Boyana, Dragalevtsi and Simeonovo.

In 2025, the company completed 37 transactions worth over 1 million euros, and the most expensive transaction of the year was at a price of 11,800 euros/sq m for a furnished trophy property in Doktorska Gradina.

The limited supply of high-quality properties in these locations is gradually leading to a clearer distinction between first-class projects and the rest of the market supply. In the last six months of 2025, the number of transactions over 1 million euros increased by nearly 30% compared to the first half of the year, and on an annual basis, the growth compared to 2024 reached about 50%.

Unique Estates I Christie’s International Real Estate data for the first two months of 2026 show the market entering a more balanced phase and a lower number of transactions compared to the same period of the previous year, which is the result of more careful and delayed decision-making by some buyers.

“At the beginning of 2026, the end of the so-called euphoric buying period that we observed in previous years is clearly visible. The market is gradually normalizing and returning to a more sustainable development model,” commented Svetoslava Georgieva, Managing Director of Unique Estates I Christie’s International Real Estate. According to her, a more balanced market environment also means more mature buyers, where each inquiry is more strongly motivated and leads to more realistic negotiations between the parties.

According to the company’s analysis, in the first half of 2026, a relative hold on prices is expected in the luxury segment, as the market will continue to be structured around the quality of the properties and their real value. At the same time, in specific locations and limited supply of high-quality properties, it is possible to achieve new record price levels.

“In the luxury segment, it is already clear that the price is determined mainly by the location, the quality of the project and the limited supply. It is precisely with such properties that new price records can be reached,” commented Svetoslava Georgieva.

For the whole of 2026, the company’s forecast is a moderate price growth of between 6% and 10%, supported by several main factors: rising labor costs in construction, rising prices of construction materials, increasing energy and fuel costs, and limited supply of quality properties in prestigious locations. At the same time, the company’s analysis shows that in 2026 there will be a clearer distinction between the individual price segments of the market. While in part of the middle segment a temporary slowdown in transactions is possible due to the more cautious behavior of buyers, interest in properties in the high price class remains stable.

Bulgaria continues to be one of the countries in the European Union with the lowest interest rates on housing loans, which supports the activity of the real estate market. At the same time, there is growing interest from foreign buyers who view Bulgaria as an attractive investment destination, especially in the context of the country’s expected accession to the eurozone.

In this environment, the role of the professional consultant becomes even more important - as a mediator between the expectations of buyers and sellers and as a factor in achieving a fair balance in each transaction.