The online market for real estate transactions in Spain became very important during the pandemic. Will the situation change when the borders are opened?
Spain is waiting for the opening of its borders. Real Estate market participants hope that this summer foreign buyers will again be able to freely come and purchase a property. However, many are confident that remote sales will continue to be in demand. As 2020-2021 period has shown, it is convenient and has its advantages. James Vizetelly, Marketing Director at Affinity Spain in Marbella, explained some points about online purchases.
Property market in Marbella region: current situation and forecast
We are still seeing many nationalities arriving in Spain to view properties, in particular British clients using an essential document of travel. Our forecast is continued price rises, and we believe that prices will rise at a much faster pace once flights open and most travel restrictions are removed. We expect this will happen around mid summer 2021. This is driven by a lack of properties coming to market. The desire of buyers to escape (immediately) somewhere after the period of the lockdowns only increases the effect.
Online property purchases in Spain. Will the situation change after the borders are opened?
Online purchases are still very strong – in particular with British clients, many of which are still reluctant to travel. Purchasing online is by far where most purchases are taking place at this moment in time.
We believe that online purchases are here to stay, and expect this trend to continue long after COVID disappears.
Buying Real Estate in Spain remotely: what should the buyer bear in mind?
Your primary point should be to use a reputable agency that has an office and ideally some history in the market. Look for client feedback online – this way you can be sure the agent will very likely be giving you all relevant information about the property and the area.
You need to see photos; a good video of the property and local area; maybe even a drone video of the area to be used alongside Google Maps; and then move onto a live video call – WhatsApp, or Zoom, or some other program – it doesn’t matter, do not refuse such an opportunity. During this call you need to see every square meter of the property in question.
Ask as many questions as possible!
Maybe ask for a subject to viewing offer – so you pay a deposit, but subject to you flying out within a set period in order to view the property. Most vendors will not accept a subject to viewing offer, but it’s definitely worth a try!