Ecuador Housing Reservations Rise 28% as Builders See Stronger Demand

Ecuador's housing market is showing fresh momentum at midyear.

Net housing reservations increased 28% between January and April 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to the latest sector figures. The increase was described as an annual jump not seen in at least the last three years.

Housing reservations matter because they reflect a buyer's commitment to acquire a property for habitation.

Credit Is Driving The Market

The construction sector also reported stronger activity. Construction activity rose 20% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the first quarter of 2025, including public and private work.

Real-estate activity grew 17.8% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same quarter of 2025. That includes brokers, rentals, sales, reservations and applications.

Private banks and credit cooperatives placed $362 million in unsubsidized real-estate loans through April, a 25% increase from the same period last year.

The state-subsidized Miti-Miti credit program placed $113 million from January to April 2026, compared with $90 million during the same period in 2025. The Banco del Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social, or Biess, placed $209 million in mortgage loans from January to May, up 7.7% from 2025.

Sales Expectations

Around 30,000 homes are typically sold each year. If current conditions hold, builders expect 40,000 housing units or more this year.

The main challenge named for keeping that momentum is municipal paperwork. Faster local procedures would help projects move without slowing the investment cycle.

What This Means For Expats

For expats watching real estate, the key takeaway is demand. More reservations, more mortgage lending and lower cancellation figures all point to a market with more buyers in motion.

That can be good news if you already own property. If you are trying to buy, it means attractive projects may move faster, especially where credit programs and private mortgage offers are pulling more Ecuadorian buyers into the market.

As always, the local market matters more than the national headline. Cuenca, Quito, Manta, Salinas and smaller retirement towns can behave very differently, but the national credit trend is worth watching.