This is a website for buyers, owners, and sellers of property in Spain, offering reliable information and resources to help you get things done with confidence. It is run by Mark Stücklin, author of the Spanish Property Doctor Column in The Sunday Times (2005-2008), and the book ‘Need to Know: Buying Property in Spain’ published by Collins.
The recent property fair ‘Barcelona Meeting Point’ (BMP) was the best in years, say the organisers, leading them to claim the “crisis is over.” BMP also saw the introduction of a new observatory for the Spanish second home and resort industry, and a press conference (pictured above) to raise awareness for a new guide to buying property in Spain.
I spent two days at the 19th edition of BMP, held recently in Barcelona, which the organisers claim was a big success in terms of exhibitor and visitor numbers. As far as they are concerned, “the crisis in the sector is over.”
The optimism went further. “From now on, sales are going to increase, and I’m confident it will be for an extended period of time,” said Enrique Lacalle, president of BMP.
If there was any cloud on the horizon it was the risk of political uncertainty with general elections coming up, and an independence drive in Catalonia. Many of the 40 investment funds who attended the fair mentioned political stability as a requirement for continued investment.
SMALLER, BUT BETTER
The Spanish property sector has been cut down to size by the crisis, but is now “better prepared” as a result, said Lacalle. “We have learnt from our mistakes,” he said, going on to claim that “[house] prices have stabilised, and in some areas like Barcelona and Madrid have started to rise, and the impact on sales is noticeable.”
BMP also saw the introduction of a new observatory for the Spanish second home and resort industry, and a press conference (pictured above) to raise awareness for a guide to buying property in Spain , recently published by the Spanish Registrars Association, in collaboration with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Spain (RICS), and the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP).
Neil says:
Well Mark is that correct the crisis is over!
Mark Stücklin says:
I think the worst is behind us but I wouldn’t say the crisis is over, even if some segments of the housing market are doing better. I think the Spanish economy still has several difficult years ahead. On the whole I’m more pessimistic than a lot of the news I report.
David says:
I agree with ‘increasing transparency in Spanish property’ but Shario needs to go much further and push the Gov’t into regulating Spanish Estate Agents and Developers, weeding out the crooks in the industry including town halls, reducing transaction costs, improving the general build standard which is very poor such as proper footings and noise/thermal insulation for properties, getting legal redress speeded up, and importantly produce national stats and data that are from reliable sources not from those with a vested interest.
It may be good to have a couple or so of distressed sellers at the table in meetings to balance the agents out otherwise it seems a bit one sided.