Organisers are putting the final touches to the HSBC Advance Property Expo, which opens on Thursday at the MFCC, Ta’ Qali .

The four-day event promises to house the market under one roof, allowing buyers to ‘view’ properties at different prices and discover new products.

HSBC’s head of personal financial services Andrew Ripley said the bank was supporting the event for the third time as it felt the event provided the right opportunity for buyers to do their homework diligently and develop an informed opinion on what is available, comparing properties, prices and gauging the trends.

HSBC will be present to provide advice to customers.

David Grech, of expo organisers Duplex Real Estate, said the market was currently characterised by two main categories: first-time buyers looking for apartments and maisonettes with an average price of €110,000 and a higher market sector with a budget of between €600,000 and €800,000.

Mr Grech said the upper bracket included foreign investors, many from South Africa, or Maltese seeking to upgrade their home.

Mr Ripley said first-time buyers comprised the largest customer segment for home loans, particularly as there was a growing number of adults in their 20s and early 30s buying property in their sole name.

The rest of the market was made up of home movers who were predominantly older customers, buying a second residence for leisure or investment purposes, and buyers from overseas.

According to the latest Central Bank statistics, property prices have increased marginally following a period of declines.