The Digitalization of the Housing Market in Spain: A Case Study of the Use of Online Platforms and Spatial Inequalities

Online platforms are the main form of mediation in the housing market. While their importance has grown significantly in recent decades, that growth has been uneven throughout various territories and social groups. The role of online platforms goes beyond intermediation; the ease of access they provide stimulates market activity, while the concentration of listings on the same web portals homogenizes and raises prices. This article uses a unique database on housing supply for rentals and sales by census tract from Spain’s primary online housing portal between 2012 and 2021. Using data from this portal as a case study, we analyse how the gradual growth of the digital housing supply (in both space and time) is connected to changes in the distribution and characteristics of the housing units. Rental and sales markets show spatial differences, with opposing dynamics in rural and urban areas, highlighting a digital divide. Middle‐class urban areas, which also attract tourists, are the most active markets, while rural areas remain less dynamic. Housing in more active markets, in turn, appreciates, increasing territorial inequality. Rising prices benefit existing owners but are a disadvantage to potential buyers, especially lower‐income households. In that respect, our case study points to the conclusion that the digital divide in the use of online intermediation tools amplifies territorial and social inequalities.