May by the Numbers
Lebanon recorded 3,655 real estate sale transactions in May 2026, worth a combined $376 million at the official rate of 89,500 Lebanese pounds per dollar. The average value per deal came to about $102,870. May stood out as the first clear sign of life in a property market that had been weak for most of the year.
Deals Picked Up After the Ceasefire
The number of transactions rose by 4.64% over the month, up from 3,493 in April. The announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel on April 16 was followed by this pickup in activity. Buyers who had stayed on the sidelines started to move again.
The total value of May deals edged up by 1.34%, from $371 million in April to $376 million. The monthly gains were modest, but they broke a run of soft demand.
Smaller Deals Drove the Volume
Even with more sales closing, the average value per transaction fell by 3.15% over the month. It dropped from roughly $106,200 in April to about $102,870 in May. More buyers came back, but each was spending less.
The pattern shows the rebound was led by lower-priced properties rather than high-end deals. Activity widened at the bottom of the market.
Where May Sits in the Bigger Picture
May's bounce came against a tough backdrop. Across the first five months of 2026, total sales fell 17.79% year-on-year to $2.00 billion, down from $2.43 billion a year earlier. The number of transactions over that period dropped 32.25% to 19,097, from 28,189.
Foreign demand stayed thin. Foreigners' share of real estate sale transactions was 1.61% by the end of May, below the 2.09% recorded for the full year 2025 and the 2.36% seen in 2024. The May figures show momentum returning, but the market still has ground to recover.
