Growth in Spanish Real Estate Market and Opening of Fine & Country Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain - April 10, 2015 - PRLog -- Fine & Country and SBL International, both leading businesses in the international real estate market, have decided that the time was right to join forces and open the first Fine & Country office in Barcelona. Initiating in the second half of 2014 the Spanish housing market has been experimenting a notable growth due to the gradual improvement of the country’s economic situation. This growth is mainly a result of the increase in foreign investors, who have a tendency of purchasing property along the Spanish coastline and in cities such as Barcelona. According to the Spanish property records from last year, the British represented 15% of foreign investors, followed by the French (10%), the Russians (9%), and the Belgians (7%)

The number of property sales grew by 21.6% in 2014, reaching an overall total of 365.594 transactions, according to the Ministry of Real Estate Development, which highlights that this is the highest figure of house sales since 2010. As a matter of fact, all the regions in Spain registered an increase in property sales in comparison with 2013. The nationality of the buyers has also evolved over the past few years, with a surge in foreign investors.

Maria Marquardt, Head of Marketing at SBL International and Fine & Country Barcelona, fills us in on some of the reasons behind the current market situation:

“Whether it be for permanent residence or for holidaymaking, people come to Spain to improve their quality of life. This is partly due to the seemingly endless winters and irregular climate of their own countries, but it’s not all about the meteorological conditions, Spain has much more to offer, from hot summers and golden beaches, a rich and vibrant culture, natural beauty, historical villages and cosmopolitan cities, to phenomenal gastronomy, it has everything”.

The increase in foreign property buyers in Spain is also related to the Golden Visa Scheme, which initiated on the 30^th of September in 2013. Thanks to this initiative there has been a greater interest from prospective buyers from areas such as the Middle East, Asia and Russia. Under this system, anyone who does not belong to the European Union that invests 500.000€ or more in real estate in Spain can obtain the status of a Spanish residency.

“This law, also known as the law for Support for Entrepreneurs,” explains Maria, “means that the Spanish administration can help investors obtain residency in Spain when they want to buy a property for 500.00€ or more. This, without a doubt, has awakened the interest in non-EU buyers who want establish a permanent residency in the country.”

Moreover, the latest data published by the Statistics Office of the European Commission, Eurostat, indicates that activity in the Spanish construction sector has increased considerably in comparison with the rest of Europe. Compared with December last year, construction activity in Spain increased by 2% over the month of January of this year, which is double the figure of the European Union and one tenth above the average of the other countries in the Eurozone.

Maria Marquardt finished her statement by saying:

“The joint project of Fine & Country Barcelona can only be beneficial for SBL International and Fine & Country because Spain is finally beginning to see a light at the end of the long dark tunnel of the economic crises which began in 2008. Fine & Country Barcelona will begin the search for new properties with a close focus on Barcelona and the Spanish coastal areas and will look towards capturing the interest of foreign buyers. At this moment in time Fine & Country has more than 230 branch offices in the United Kingdom and has a presence in more than 23 countries. For this reason they are considered the absolute leader in higher sector of real estate, and are internationally renowned and recognized, so we don’t doubt about the successful outcome of this new collaboration.”

To obtain more information you can contact Maria at: m.marquardt@fineandcountry.com

Or you can enter SBL International’s website directly at: www.seabestland.com

Or Fine & Country’s website at: www.fineandcountry.com