#tmcworldcup match of the day: germany vs portugal
Click here to see larger version - or here for an explanation of the figures.
Following our World Cup predictions, which forecast an overall victory for the USA, TheMoveChannel.com follows the FIFA tournament through every stage, highlighting a property Match of the Day.
Portugal's and Germany's housing markets go head-to-head in today's #TMCWorldCup clash.
Germany is the more stable of the two economies and the same is true of its housing market: it is fitting that it has enjoyed a steady level of interest from TheMoveChannel.com buyers in recent years, with Berlin's booming rental market (thanks to relatively low levels of home ownership) attracting buy-to-let investors.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Germany takes a quick lead in the two house price categories, with a growth of 2.2 per cent in the last six months and 5.8 per cent in the last 12.
Portugal's market fluctuates considerably more, but it is on the road to recovery following the market crash: prices have decreased in the last six months by 2.1 per cent, indicating that prices are still slumping, but they are 1.2 per cent higher than a year ago thanks to gradual improvement.
That turnaround has helped to boost demand once again, with Portugal accounting for 5.29 per cent of enquiries and featuring in far more Google searches in May 2014 (8,270) than in previous months. Lisbon has joined the Algarve in Portugal's most popular regions on TheMoveChannel.com, thanks to a 50 per cent surge in interest; a rise driven by the country's Golden Visa scheme, which targets non-Eu buyers who prefer city property to coastal life.
Would Portugal have beaten Germany if the World Cup took place in 2012 or 2013? Perhaps not. But timing favours the Iberian contender: 2014 is a good year for snapping up Portuguese real estate. And its strong statistics on TheMoveChannel.com show that buyers are making the most of it.
Who will win the Property World Cup? See our full infographic here - or keep up to date with the latest results on Twitter by following the #TMCWorldCup hashtag.
Enquiries = % of enquiries received on TheMoveChannel.com in 2013
Searches = Number of searches for "property in X" on Google in the month leading up the World Cup
Listings = Number of properties currently listed for sale on TheMoveChannel.com
Price (12m/6m) = House price movement in the last 12 or 6 months, according to the Knight Frank Global House Price Index Q1 2014
Click here for the full statistics.