Lebanon registered 18,631 real estate transactions worth $1,958.8M in the first five months of 2026, according to the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (LRC). The figures are the running total from January through May, valued at the official rate of 89,500 Lebanese pounds to the dollar, which took effect on February 1, 2024.
In May alone, the market recorded 3,655 deals worth $375.97M. That is a 43.50% drop compared with May 2025, but a 4.64% increase from the month before. The yearly fall points to a weaker market, while the monthly rise suggests activity is starting to pick up again.
How the conflict shaped demand
The sharp annual decline reflects the renewed Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which raised uncertainty and pushed many buyers and investors to hold back. Fighting tends to freeze big financial decisions, and property purchases are among the first to be delayed.
The monthly increase is a more hopeful sign. It suggests that some buyers returned to the market once the initial shock of the fighting eased, even if overall demand remains well below last year's level.
Where the money went in May
Metn took the largest share of transaction value in May at 23.80%, or $89.5M. Baabda followed with 19.52% ($73.4M), then Keserwan with 17.27% ($64.93M). These three areas north and east of Beirut accounted for more than 60% of the total value in a single month.
The picture shifts when you count the number of deals rather than their value. The North led by volume with 21.23% of all transactions, just ahead of Baabda at 21.15% and Metn at 15.51%. Zahle and Keserwan each handled close to 14% of the deals.
The gap between the two measures shows where prices run high. Metn and Keserwan carried more value than their deal count would suggest, a sign of higher-priced property. The North showed the reverse, leading in volume but taking only 10.66% of total value, which points to cheaper transactions.
Beirut made up 5.06% of deals but 15.37% of value, the widest gap of any region and a reflection of the capital's premium prices. The South accounted for 5.83% of deals and 6.72% of value, while Nabatieh registered no measurable share in May.
With five months of 2026 on the books, the market is running at a slower pace than 2025. Whether the monthly rebound in May holds will depend heavily on the security situation over the summer.
