This week’s clearest development is a weakening in August transaction activity, accompanied by a lower-value transaction mix. Google’s late-September language-targeting change also requires an immediate review of Viraluxe’s bilingual campaigns.
1. Property transactions lost momentum in August
Confirmed — published 14 September: Lebanon recorded 5,145 real-estate sale transactions in August, down 3.07% from July’s 5,308 transactions. Their combined value fell more sharply—20.93% month-on-month—to LBP 44.47 trillion.
During January–August:
- Transaction volume fell 23.75% year-on-year to 34,549.
- Transaction value declined 3.76% to approximately $3.74 billion.
- The reported average value per transaction fell from $118,370 in July to approximately $96,570 in August.
Credit Libanais, based on Land Registry data
Inference: Because value declined considerably faster than transaction count, August’s activity appears to have shifted toward lower-value properties or locations. This does not establish a uniform 18.42% decline in residential prices: the average combines land, residential and other property types.
Viraluxe adjustment:
- Do not use the national average as a valuation benchmark.
- Reprice slow listings using comparable neighborhood inventory, offers, and viewing feedback.
- Lead with attainable properties in the $75,000–$150,000 range where appropriate.
- For premium listings, substantiate the price through scarcity, condition, view, parking, utilities, and title readiness.
- Add “property type” and “buyer budget range” to lead forms and WhatsApp qualification.
2. Annual demand remains materially weaker
Confirmed: The 23.75% annual decline in completed transactions indicates substantially lower market liquidity than during the same period in 2025. However, the smaller 3.76% decline in total value suggests that higher-value transactions still have an important market presence. Credit Libanais
Why it matters: Listing volume, website visits or messages alone should not be presented as proof of strong buyer demand. Owners may need clearer evidence when deciding whether to hold or adjust an asking price.
Viraluxe adjustment:
Create a 30-day listing-performance report showing:
- Qualified enquiries
- Viewing requests
- Confirmed viewings
- Genuine offers
- Asking-to-offer gap
- Days on market
- Reasons prospects declined
Inference: A listing receiving traffic but no qualified enquiries probably has a positioning, price or trust problem. A listing producing enquiries but no viewings may require better lead follow-up, access arrangements or document disclosure.
3. The reported foreign-buyer share fell—but it is not a diaspora measure
Confirmed: Foreign nationals represented 1.50% of recorded transactions through August, compared with 2.09% during 2025 and 2.36% during 2024. Credit Libanais
Important distinction: Lebanese expatriates purchasing under Lebanese nationality are not necessarily classified as foreign buyers. The 1.50% figure therefore cannot be used as a direct measure of diaspora demand.
Viraluxe adjustment:
- Avoid claims that “diaspora demand fell to 1.5%.”
- Record a lead’s current country of residence separately from nationality.
- Segment overseas leads into investment, family return, retirement and future relocation.
- Track remote inspections, document requests, offers and completed transactions by country.
- Lead diaspora campaigns with title verification, video tours, USD payment clarity and property-management support.
4. Google’s campaign-language change reaches its implementation window
Confirmed: Effective in late September 2026, Google is removing campaign-level language targeting from Search and AI Max campaigns. Matching will rely primarily on the language of the advertisements. On Performance Max, the selected language will continue guiding delivery on YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail, but not Google Search. Official Google Ads developer update
Why it matters: Separate Arabic and English campaigns may begin competing for the same search when their assets and intent overlap. Google could also prioritize the wrong language variation if advertisements or landing pages mix languages inconsistently.
Viraluxe adjustment:
- Maintain clearly Arabic and clearly English ad groups.
- Match each advertisement with a landing page in the same language.
- Audit Arabic, English and transliterated search terms.
- Add negative keywords in Arabic and Latin scripts.
- Keep standardized bilingual location names, such as Achrafieh / الأشرفية.
- Measure cost per qualified lead and booked viewing by advertisement language.
Legal and policy status
No newly enacted Lebanese property-registration, brokerage or real-estate tax measure was identified during the period. Proposed 2027 budget fees and the proposed restriction concerning property disposals in occupied southern areas should still be described as draft measures, not current enforceable rates or completed legislation.
Three priorities for the coming week
- Reprice using transaction reality: review listings with traffic but no serious enquiries, viewings or offers.
- Strengthen lead qualification: capture budget, payment readiness, intended use, residence country and viewing timeframe.
- Audit bilingual Google campaigns: separate Arabic and English assets, search terms and landing pages before language-targeting controls change.