Sanja Borkovic EXP Realty Madrid

17/05/2026

Should I Rent First or Buy Immediately When Moving to Madrid?

If you’re moving to Madrid and don’t yet understand your daily life here, rent first.

Properties look perfect online and turn out wrong for your real routine. Neighbourhood fit in Madrid depends on far more than architecture or price. It depends on your commute, school route, metro line, noise tolerance, parking needs, walking habits, supermarket access, and whether you want a social, residential, international, or very local lifestyle.

Buying immediately makes sense when you already know Madrid well, have spent real time in the neighbourhood, understand the purchase costs, and have your legal and financial preparation in place.

Arriving from abroad without that groundwork is a different situation. Renting first buys you something no search filter offers: time to make a better long-term decision.

Rent first if you’re arriving from abroad, haven’t spent real time in your target neighbourhood, or don’t yet know your commute, school route, or weekly routine.

Buy immediately if you know Madrid well, understand the full purchase costs, and have your legal preparation in place.

Buying quickly is rarely the mistake. Buying quickly without knowing what your Madrid life actually feels like, that’s the mistake.

So before you start looking at listings, ask yourself one question: What does my normal Tuesday in Madrid need to look like?

That answer will tell you more than any floor plan.

01/04/2026

Semana Santa in Madrid: what’s actually happening this week and what’s worth seeing

If you want one night, make it Thursday April 2. Jesús del Gran Poder and the Macarena leave from the Colegiata de San Isidro at 18:30, pass Puerta del Sol around 21:30 with two live saetas sung from balconies overhead, and it’s as close as Madrid gets to the Sevilla experience. Arrive early, stand near Plaza de la Villa for the best view.

Friday April 3 is the most intense night. Multiple processions converge on the old centre, including the Cristo de los Alabarderos, which departs from the Palacio Real escorted by the King’s Halberdiers. That one passes Puerta del Sol around 22:30.

Wednesday April 1, the procession known as Los Gitanos passes Sol around 21:00. The saeta sung live from the balcony of the Real Casa de Correos is worth stopping for.

Tonight (Lunes Santo): the Procesión de las Siete Palabras leaves from Parroquia Nuestra Señora de las Delicias at 20:00. Neighbourhood-scale, no crowds, completely different atmosphere from the centre.

A few things worth knowing. These aren’t parades. They’re religious processions organized by brotherhoods, some dating to the 1500s. The figures carried through the streets are carved wooden sculptures, many of them 17th and 18th century originals. The most venerated, Jesús Nazareno de Medinaceli, arrived in Madrid in 1682. Its procession goes Friday April 3 from the Basílica near Antón Martín, passing Sol around 21:30.

Side streets off Calle Mayor and around Plaza de la Villa give far better views than standing on the main route. Processions run late, but also sometimes early. If you want to catch a specific moment, be there 15-20 minutes ahead.

The Almudena Cathedral stays open until midnight on Thursday April 2. Worth stepping in even if you’re not religious.

There’s also a free exhibition at Plaza Mayor until April 5 covering five centuries of Madrid’s cofradía history, and the Ruta Dulces Pasiones runs through the same date. Torrija season is on, and every bakery in the city is doing their version right now. Try at least one.

Easter Sunday April 5: Tamborrada de Resurrección at 13:00 in Plaza Mayor. Drummers, noise, completely different energy from the rest of the week.

Full programme at

Página turística oficial del Ayuntamiento de Madrid, con toda la información para disfrutar al máximo de tu visita a nuestra ciudad.

13/03/2026

Planning a move to Madrid in 2025 or 2026?

Most people who plan a move to Madrid start the same way.

They open Idealista and begin scrolling.

Three hours later they feel more confused than when they started.

Prices vary widely. Listings disappear. Some apartments look too good to be true. Others stay online for months. It is hard to know what is normal in this market and what is a warning sign.

Next week I’m hosting a live session where I explain how the Madrid housing search works from the inside.

In this session we will look at:

• how to search properly on Idealista
• how to read listings and spot problems early
• how the rental process works in Madrid
• when renting first makes sense and when buying does
• the mistakes international buyers and renters often make in their first months here

If you are considering a move to Madrid in the next year, this will save you time and frustration.

Register here:

Walk away with a real understanding of how the Madrid market works, what the process looks like, and the mistakes most expats don’t know to avoid. No sales…

06/12/2025

Why So Many People Want to Buy a Home in Madrid in 2025

Idealista published a new ranking this week showing the most in-demand cities in Spain for buying a home. The list covers several locations across the country, including coastal cities and regional hubs. Each place offers its own lifestyle and market dynamics.

Madrid sits at the top again. Strong demand and limited supply keep pushing prices up, with an average asking price of around 5,800 euros per square metre. The appeal of the city stays strong for both national and international buyers.

Why Madrid? The city offers a steady mix of energy and stability. Schools, healthcare, and transport work well. Daily life feels social but not overwhelming. The weather keeps you outside for most of the year. Madrid also absorbs (most) newcomers with ease. Many people share how fast life starts to feel familiar here.

My work as a buyer’s agent focuses on people who want a home that fits their life, not only a property that meets a checklist. I pay attention to lifestyle, family needs, noise tolerance, commuting patterns, and the feeling of each street. The goal is the same. Help you find a place where life flows with fewer frictions.

If the Idealista ranking shows anything, it is that Madrid will stay a competitive market. Planning matters. Clarity matters. Knowing your neighbourhood preferences before you start the search matters even more.

If you are preparing for a move or starting to think about buying in 2026, take time to study the city one district at a time. Each area gives you its own rhythm, budget, and way of living.

If you want help understanding where you fit in Madrid, reach out (WhatsApp +34 683 34 34 63) and I will prepare a simple neighbourhood overview based on your life stage, routines, and budget.

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

02/12/2025

27/11/2025

One of the questions I receive most often is whether Madrid is more expensive or more affordable than life back home. The answer is, it depends.

Check out my latest article (in comments)👇

One of the questions I receive most often is whether Madrid is more expensive or more affordable than life back home. The answer is, it depends.

26/11/2025

Black Friday in Madrid arrives this week, and it works differently from what many newcomers expect. No Thanksgiving weekend, no early-morning queues, and no dramatic doorbusters. Instead, you get longer hours, strong online offers, and a full week of discounts that tell you a lot about how the city shops.

I wrote a clear insider guide on what is worth your attention, how to recognise real discounts, and the small differences that often surprise people who moved here from North America or the UK.

Full article below.

If you need clarity about renting or buying in Madrid in 2026, feel free to reach out. I help international families understand the real numbers and make confident decisions.

Call now to connect with business.