29 May 2019 – Expansión
Yesterday, several of the largest property developers in Spain met for a Medcap roundtable event moderated by Deloitte to discuss the outlook for the residential market.
Specifically, representatives from Metrovacesa, Aedas, Quabit, Insur and Lar participated in the discussions, during which they observed that house prices in Spain are starting to moderate in some of the more mature markets, although they acknowledged that there are still many secondary cities where the new (growth) cycle is just beginning.
In this context, the representatives identified a number of focuses and challenges facing the sector, namely:
Licences: All of the property developers are pushing for great agility from the public administrations when it comes to the granting of construction permits.
Construction: The labour shortage in the construction sector is pushing up prices and leading to delays in project finishes.
Concentration: Property developers are larger and more professionalised now than before the crisis; they require critical mass to be resilient to real estate cycles.
Industrialisation: Prefabricated homes allow construction periods to be shortened and for greater control over the processes.
Access: Young people are finding it increasingly difficult to afford to buy a home.
Overall, the experts consider that the residential sector is still immersed in the early stages of the new cycle, but only time will tell whether they are right.
Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)
Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake