When it rains, it pours. Digital nomads, platform real estate, and the housing crisis in Málaga

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the Southern Spanish city of Malaga relied on digital nomads as an alternative strategy to sustain the short-term rental market in a zero-tourism context. We hypothesize that, in its aftermath, the hotspots for remote foreign workers, especially in tech, may lead to the saturation of rental markets in these tourist enclaves. This study contributes to research on the impact of digital nomads and similar migration profiles on tourism-led urban economies, with a focus on local rental markets. First, we analyzed local policies and real estate strategies aimed at attracting digital nomads to Malaga. Second, we conducted fieldwork interviews with platform real estate managers and landlords, as well as with foreign tech remote workers who employ platforms for housing services. The paper identifies a series of lifestyle labor migration profiles targeted by the local government and platform real estate managers that do not necessarily fit the formal definition of digital nomads. Moreover, it illustrates the potential impact of these profiles on rental markets amid the rise of platform real estate.