Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543552
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MARCH 2026 NEWS A clearer view of Malta's property market FOR years, discussions about property prices in Malta and Gozo have largely relied on advertised listings, anecdotal comparisons or fragmented da- ta. While asking prices provide one perspective, they do not al- ways reflect the amounts prop- erties ultimately sell for. Access to verified transaction data has traditionally been limited, making it more challenging for professionals and buyers alike to assess market dynamics with confidence. The Property Malta Founda- tion has launched a national online platform, the first of its kind, the Property Price Regis- try. The digital platform devel- oped in collaboration with PwC, enables buyers and investors to have a clearer view of contract- ed residential property prices across Malta and Gozo. Based on registered deeds from 2018 onwards and updated every six months, the platform provides aggregated, anonymised da- ta drawn directly from actual transactions. This distinction is important: it is built on conclud- ed contracts rather than specu- lative or advertised values. The platform enables users to explore how prices and transac- tion volumes change over time and across different localities. Through interactive geospatial maps users can draw a specific area and immediately see price indicators for that street or zone. Tables and charts present trends by year, locality, street or price range, while search filters allow for analysis by proper- ty type, size, price band, deed date and planning designation, including Special Designated Areas and Urban Conservation Areas. The coverage includes most residential property types, from apartments and maisonettes to houses, villas, penthouses, farm- houses and garages. Among the metrics available are the number of sales, average price per square metre, minimum and maximum transaction val- ues, and average property size. The data has been processed using a data-science method- ology that involves collection and cleaning of historical re- cords, categorisation of proper- ty types and anonymisation or aggregation in areas with few- er transactions. This approach safeguards privacy while main- taining reliability and consisten- cy in the results. For banks, investors, develop- ers, architects, agents and poli- cymakers, such structured data can support more accurate val- uations, feasibility studies and long-term projections. For re- searchers and market analysts, it offers a more stable founda- tion for understanding price movements and activity levels over time. In a market where property decisions often involve signifi- cant financial commitments, ac- cess to verified transaction data contributes to greater clarity and more evidence-based deci- sion-making. The Property Price Registry is available through a subscrip- tion model. www.ppr.proper- tymalta.org. THIS IS A PAID COLLABORATION CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Nonetheless, Mintoff's un- precedented letter, which in- cludes serious accusations about the prime minister's conduct as a lawyer, has opened Pan- dora's Box. This, coupled with the political bickering over the appointment of a new chief jus- tice, has raised the political tem- perature and fuelled speculation that an election announcement could be imminent. Strategy meetings have been taking place at Labour HQ. The sources said that individuals involved in past election cam- paigns from the Joseph Muscat era have been seen regularly at HQ over the past few days. And in January, the PL an- nounced that its candidates' commission will start receiving applications from prospective candidates for the next general election. "Nobody really knows when the election will happen but the party wants to be prepared for any eventuality, giving the prime minister the widest pos- sible options," a source close to the party said. The shortest period between the dissolution of parliament and election day is 33 days. Giv- en that Easter Sunday will fall on 5 April, it is very unlikely an election will be called now or in the coming weeks. Unless Abela wants to disrupt the Easter and Holy Week festivities, the most plausible course of action is to dissolve parliament just after Easter and hold the election on any Saturday in May or the be- ginning of June. But there is also the planning reform that Abela hinted last week, he wants to conclude be- fore an election. When respond- ing to criticism from an activist that the government had stalled the ongoing discussions not to irk voters before an election, Abela insisted he would "never do that". "It would be the big- gest disrespect to halt things now, and then, once the elec- tion is over, I pass legislation," he said in comments to Time of Malta. The implication is that if Abe- la manages to broker some form of consensus over the contro- versial planning reform over the coming weeks, it would take the country one step closer to a gen- eral election this year. Whatever the prime minister decides, the PL is oiling its elec- toral machine to ensure it can set the wheels in motion once the whistle is blown. Whether that happens in a month's time or 10 months from now, the battle lines have been drawn and the race has begun. An election now will only happen after Easter Prime Minister Robert Abela (Photo: DOI)