Russian & Chinese Investors Clinch RE Market Recovery

3/11/2014 – Expansion

According to organizators of the Barcelona Meeting Point (BMP), the attendance of international investment funds, above all coming from China and Russia, has clinched the long-awaited recovery of the real estate sector in Spain.

 The BMP 2014 has closed its doors with a new visitor record and great satisfaction among its exhibitors, said the president of the real estate fair, Enrique Lacalle.

In a statement, he admitted both the number of investors and the sales contributed to a feeling of huge success. Also, low property prices and the interest from outside of Spain, obviously did as well.

In this sense, Mr. Lacalle assured there have been most real estate transactions sealed during the Wide Public and the Professional Exhibition sections over the past years, as participants ‘made more contacts in five days than in six months’.

Apart from the enormous satisfaction of exhibitors and experts from the sector, large international investment funds and developers claimed the fair contributed significantly to the hotel occupancy in Barcelona.

 

Original article: Expansión 

Translation: AURA REE

BMP Exhibitors Confirm a More Than 30% Rise in New House Sales

3/11/2014 – Expansion

Barcelona Meeting Point (BMP) real estate exhibition reflects the reality in the sector. Thus, foreign funds are extremely keen on buying the Spanish property and their coming in such large numbers confirms the bet. Although the fair’s area intended for developer and real estate agencies stands saw many small investors taking advantage of rock-bottom prices, it seems that lending has not returned strong enough to become particularly visible in sales performance sheets.

The exhibition area was similar to the previous years’ in terms of presence of some real estate firms. Many of them grew if compared to 2013, for example Vertix, Elix, Getsa, Iberhogar, Comprarcasa and Tecnocasa, but none of them reached the pre-crisis size. The biggest exhibitors unchangeably represented Núñez i Navarro, Corp, La Llave de Oro, Vertix and Getsa.

Large majority of the developers, building renovation companies and intermediatory agencies see eye in eye when it comes to a 30% rise in new home sales in regard to the previous year. Director of Barcelona-based property manager Amat, Guifre Homedes assured the percentage was even higher: ‘buyers looking for an apartment at price ranging from €500.000 and €750.000 are back, usually motivated by finding a better flat. Until now they feared the uncertain economic situation‘.

Other firms, Elix and Corp confirm the increase in sales and the latter foresees doubling its 2013 sales in 2015 by selling new housing developments in Barcelona.

The predominant purchasers are private investors aiming at investment and with no need of financing. First-time exhibitor Aubert Aubert Associés assured that its latest block of flats in the city sold-out to 60% of national buyers who ‘did not need mortgages’.

Engel & Völkers confirms huge influx of foreign agencies from all around the world searching for second homes for their citizens. As usual, the British bought most but also non-resident Chinese showed some interest in the property, ‘the volume was not significant’ though.

 

Original article: Expansión (by Marisa Anglés)

Translation: AURA REE

Lacalle: ‘I Am Afraid of a New Housing Bubble’

20/10/2014 – Expansion

The president of real estate exhibition Barcelona Meeting Point (BMP), Enrique Lacalle, celebrates return of foreign property investors and highlights that all companies that disappeared five years ago have now ‘jumped back in as Spain became fashionable’. But he also calls for prudence: ‘I am alarmed at the possibility of relapsing’.

Lacalle, well experienced in the real estate sector, recommends ‘learning from the past mistakes’. To begin with, the international investors came back focused on very specific type of properties, namely from ‘the prime group’. But as this kind of units for sale fall short, ‘they are buying properties which are not necessarily good at pretty high prices’. ‘It is just a feeling, nothing scientific, but I am afraid that a new housing bubble might occur’, the president admits.

‘I am truly pleased with the return of the international investors, I simply ask for cautiousness at the product choice and for great advising job from Spanish realtors as we should avoid the same mistakes as we have committed the last time’, he clarifies.

Likewise, he calls for ‘not listing properties which might leave a bad taste afterwards’.

The BMP, held from 29th of October to 2nd of November in Barcelona, has been already noted down in agendas of many large foreign investment groups.

Lacalle says that even though the Russian and the Chinese are gaining ground in real estate sales in Spain, predominant buyers come from the European countries.

This year, the Barcelona Meeting Point event will host 265 exhibitors having their stands on a 20.000 square meter area. ‘Really important transactions will be sealed during the subsequent Barcelona Funds Meeting‘, informed Mr. Lacalle.

Asked about his opinion on the Catalonian independence movement, Mr. Lacalle replies: ‘they are not serious on that, if they were, they would not come up’.

 

Original article: Expansión (by Marisa Ángles)

Translation: AURA REE

SIMA 2014 Autumn Edition to Host New Mortgage Offer

7/10/2014 – El Mundo

Return of lending will be the talk of the town at the upcoming Sima 2014 Autumn edition fair to be held from 24th to 26th October in Pavilion 1 of Feria de Madrid. Three banks (Bankinter, EVO Banco and ING Direct) have confirmed their participation in the event.

According to the latest statistics, residential market is brushing up the dust with better performance in sales, prices, mortgage approvals and issuance of building permits.

Attended by Over 50 Companies & Institutions

Sima Autumn has by now attracted attention of more than 50 firms and institutions willing to take part in the event. Their number is expected to grow.

Among the exhibitors who confirmed their presence one may find ACP Level, ACR Promociones, Aelca, Allegra Holding, Asprima, Bankinter, Bari Gestión de Cooperativas, Básico, the Community of Madrid, Construcciones Amenábar, two public housing companies: Empresa Municipal de la Vivienda from Rivas Vaciamadrid and Empresa Municipal de Vivienda y Suelo from Torrejon de Ardoz, National Bank of Building Certifiers (Enace), Evo Banco, Fotocasa, Getsa, Gilmar Consulting Inmobiliario, Globaliza, Grupo Inmobiliario Ferrocarril, Grupo Mahersol, Grupo Prometeo, Hercesa, Hermosilla Residencial, Hi! Real Estate, idealista, Ingecasa, Inmoglaciar, ING Direct, Kutxabank Inmobiliaria, Libra Gestión de Proyectos, Luján y Jardín-Home and Place, Magnun & Partners, Metros2, Monthisa, Neinor, Nuevo Arpegio, Pisos.com, Residencial Nature, Pincasa, Poscam, Premier España, Rentalia, Residencial Foresta Valdebebas Inbisa, Serprogresa, ST Sociedad de Tasación, Su Vivienda, TM Grupo Inmobiliario, Tuinper, Vía Célere, Viviendas a Medida and Woss.

Visitor’s Profile

Planner Exhibitions, the organizer of the autumn edition of Sima, believes in the arrival of many potential buyers as they have dominated the previous events. As the guests themselves admit, 97% of them come to the fair in search of a home or other property type, whereas 67% declares an intention to buy within a year.

The Sima Otoño exhibition is addressed to diverse kinds of investors. The biggest group of them looks for a primary residence property (both first and repossessed homes), but many also want to buy a holiday apartment. Others visit the fair because they are interested in the real estate market as an investment target.

More than 1.000 people signed up for the event. The number is unusually high if compared to the attendance to the previous editions of Sima.

When it comes to supply location and characteristics, the general public will find around 200 new housing developments, as well as existing homes in the city of Madrid, in the region, border provinces and coastal destinations. The offer comprises both subsidized and unsubsidized properties with various purchase possibilities.

Non-residential products, i.e. offices, retails, CRE and land, complete the supply range. Also, the visitors may sign contracts with such service providers as appraisal, valuation, energy certification or rehabilitation firms, to give few examples.

The main attraction of the event will be the financial entites which will present their mortgage offer, giving details on interest rates and terms and conditions, says Eloy Bohua, the CEO of Planner Exhibitions.

The fair’s opening hours: on Friday 24th and on Saturday 25th of October from 11 am to 8 pm, whereas on Sunday 26th from 11 am to 3 pm.

 

Original article: El Mundo

Translation: AURA REE