Foreign Direct Investment Trends in Albania — Seen from the Ground in Saranda

I’ve been working in real estate in Saranda long enough to recognize patterns before they show up in reports or headlines.
You feel them first. In conversations. In questions clients ask. In the way certain streets suddenly become “interesting” to foreigners who, a year earlier, couldn’t even pronounce Saranda correctly.

Foreign direct investment in Albania didn’t arrive overnight.
It arrived quietly. Then all at once.

And if you’re standing here, on the southern coast, especially in Saranda, Ksamil, Borsh, or Porto Palermo, you can see it happening in real time.

What FDI Looks Like When You’re Actually Here

From the outside, foreign direct investment sounds abstract. Numbers. Percentages. Charts.

From where I stand, it looks like something else entirely.

It looks like a couple from Northern Europe asking detailed questions about construction quality while sitting at a café above the promenade.
It looks like investors timing their visits around sunset because they want to feel the place before committing.
It looks like architects walking plots of land with phones out, measuring angles of the sea view rather than just square meters.

Just last week, I was showing a newly finished property in Ksamil to a client who had originally come here “just for vacation.” Halfway through the visit, they stopped listening to me and just stood on the balcony. Quiet. Smiling. That pause told me everything. Those moments are where investment decisions actually happen.

Why Albania — and Why Now

People often ask me this directly.
“Why Albania? Why not Spain, Portugal, Greece?”

The honest answer is timing.

Albania sits in that rare moment where infrastructure, tourism, and international attention are aligning — but prices haven’t fully caught up yet. You still find affordable properties on the Albanian Riviera that would cost two or three times more across the Ionian in Greece.

And Saranda, in particular, benefits from something very specific: visibility without overdevelopment. Yet.

I truly believe Saranda offers the best value on the entire Mediterranean coast. Not because it’s cheap — but because it’s early.

The Southern Coast as an Investment Magnet

Foreign direct investment in Albania isn’t spread evenly.
It clusters.

Saranda attracts lifestyle-driven buyers.
Ksamil draws both short-term rental investors and families.
Borsh and Porto Palermo pull in long-term thinkers — people looking for beachfront property or land with vision.

A good example of how this plays out quietly is a modern 1-bedroom apartment in Ksamil, finished in summer 2025, in a calm, newly developed neighborhood. It’s the kind of place where nothing screams for attention — private pool for residents, a short walk to the beach, clean lines, silence at night. Properties like this don’t feel speculative. They feel inevitable.
I often reference options like this casually when talking about how investment demand has matured:
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/1-bedroom-apartment-for-sale-in-ksamil-65m2

No pressure. Just context.

FDI Isn’t Only Residential — and That Matters

One thing many people miss is that foreign investment isn’t only flowing into apartments.

It’s flowing into land.
Into commercial spaces.
Into mixed-use developments.

I’ve noticed increasing interest in first-line sea plots, especially from buyers who already understand Mediterranean hospitality. Porto Palermo, for example, attracts a very specific type of investor. Someone who doesn’t want crowds. Someone thinking hotel, villas, or a low-density resort that respects the landscape.

Standing on land like this — literally ten meters from the water — you understand why. The sea feels close enough to touch.
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/seaview-land-property-for-sale-in-porto-palermo-albania

Borsh tells a similar story, just louder in scale. Long coastline. Space. Sun exposure that feels endless.
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/seaview-land-property-for-sale-in-borsh-albania

These aren’t impulse buys. They’re strategic ones.

Saranda’s Residential Shift: From Rentals to Ownership

A few years ago, most foreigners in Saranda asked only one thing:
“How much can I make from Airbnb?”

Now the question is different.
“Can I live here part of the year?”

That shift matters. It stabilizes the market.

High-end seaview apartments in quiet neighborhoods are becoming primary residences, not just investments. Take properties on streets like Skënderbeu — safe, residential, elevated just enough to keep the views open forever. When a fully furnished 1+1 apartment with private pool and uninterrupted sea view comes up there, it attracts serious buyers immediately.
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/seaview-1-bedroom-apartment-for-sale-in-saranda-skenderbeu-street-fully-furnished

This is foreign direct investment changing behavior, not just prices.

A Small Tangent — But an Important One

There’s a small bakery near the old road above Saranda that opens before sunrise. Builders stop there. So do notaries. Sometimes investors too, without realizing it. That’s where you hear the real market pulse — over coffee and byrek, not spreadsheets.

That’s Albania. Business happens quietly. Personally. Human first.

And that’s exactly why foreign investors who stay a little longer than planned often end up buying.

Ksamil’s Duplexes and the Rise of “Private Luxury”

Another trend I’ve watched closely is the move toward low-density luxury.

In Ksamil, new duplexes are being built for people who value privacy but still want walkability. Two pools — one private, one shared. Underground parking. Tight security. 300 meters from the beach, but far enough to sleep peacefully in August.

These kinds of properties reflect a more sophisticated investor mindset. Not mass tourism. Sustainable returns.
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/luxury-duplex-for-sale-in-ksamil-new-building-pool-near-beach-139m2

With potential ROI reaching up to 16% per year, they speak both to logic and lifestyle.

Villas, Privacy, and Long-Term Capital

Foreign families investing in Saranda increasingly look beyond apartments.

They ask for space.
Gardens.
Silence.

A new villa development in a private, green area outside the city center has caught the attention of buyers who want something rare — ownership without compromise. A swimming pool, generous layout, and real privacy. Not many opportunities like this remain in Saranda.
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/private-villa-for-sale-in-saranda-albania-with-swimming-pool-surra

These are not short-term investors. They’re planting roots.

Resort-Style Investment Is Also Growing

One of the clearest signs of mature foreign direct investment is interest in managed resorts.

Ionian Bay is a good example. First-line. Private beach. Pools. Everything handled. The kind of place where ownership feels effortless — which is exactly what international buyers want.
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/seaview-property-for-sale-in-saranda-albania-21-apartment-at-ionian-bay-residence-first-line

This isn’t speculation. It’s confidence.

Commercial Spaces: The Quiet Opportunity

FDI doesn’t stop at living spaces.

There’s growing interest in commercial units near the waterfront — cafés, boutiques, service spaces. A well-positioned commercial shop close to the beach with parking and terrace space isn’t just real estate. It’s infrastructure for the next phase of Saranda’s growth.
https://www.vivaview.al/en/properties/perfect-commercial-shop-for-rent-in-saranda-234m2-terrace-parking-50m-from-beach-first-line-location

These opportunities often go unnoticed. Until they don’t.

Where I See This Going

Foreign direct investment in Albania is becoming more selective. Smarter. Calmer.

The days of “cheap and risky” are fading. What’s replacing them is something much healthier: long-term confidence. Lifestyle-driven ownership. Respect for place.

And from someone who walks these streets daily, talks to both locals and foreign buyers, and watches the coastline change year by year — this feels sustainable.

If you’re reading this and considering Albania, especially the south, you’re not late.
But you’re no longer early either.

You’re right on time.

And that, in real estate, is often the best position to be in.