Author Archives: Anne Bayne

Our Testimonials

We sold our property in Spain with the help of the agency re-d realestate-dreams Barcelona and we were outstandingly happy with their service. We dont speak Spanish, the inheritance of the property had to be organized at a Spanish notary, we did not have the tax number and no knowledge about Spanish laws. They managed the deregistration at the authorities, cancellation of accounts at the banks, helped us with applying for the tax number at the consulate and with finding a suitable translation service. We were always in touch with them and they were always there at the agency to help us with any questions. Without the qualified and time consuming help from Mrs Bayne we would have not been able to handle this difficult sale. (Annette Brill, 2013)

My experience of the service provided by Re-d realestate-dreams on purchasing my flat in Barcelona was totally satisfactory. Throughout the initial stages of identifying and locating the flat, I felt accompanied by their friendly approach and careful attention to detail. They took note of all my requests and their dedicated professional team subsequently provided me with a wide choice. Their ample experience in the sector together with an active use of the latest technology provides a service that is highly efficient and totally recommended. (Judy Adkins, 2015)

We particularly appreciated that we were shown properties corresponding to our tastes and special requirements and not only the standard houses that provided better chances of a sales commission. Although most buyers wanted a modern house on the seaside with a pool, Anne listened to us and thanks to her we bought a charming village home 120 years old, which we simply adore (Denis Broun, 2015)

I felt very good advised by Mrs Bayne throughout the whole process. She was always there for me and very professional. (Gisa Kohler, 2017)

We are very very happy with yours and Peters service and help. Very uncomplicated and quick. Questions are answered fast and there is always somebody to help. Very friendly as well the help with local craftsmen etc. Very good after sales service which made us happy. (Simone Donauer, 2017)

Wer are very happy with your work, efficient, fast, very professional and helpful. We gladly recommend you! (Paul Robin, 2015)

We immediately felt in good hands and found a house despite heavy time pressure which became a real home to us. (Claudia Schweikert, 2010)

Are holiday lets on Majorca still legal?

Rainer Sturm/ www.pixelio.de

Majorca is struggling to deal with a huge influx of visitors, with numbers increasing each year. There is a shortage of affordable housing in the main urban areas, a situation similar to that on the mainland. In an attempt to stem the flow of rented properties being let out to tourists—meaning that these properties then are then missing from the normal rental market—the Balearic government has for some time now been working on a new set of regulations to address this problem. At the beginning of September, they finally passed new legislation governing the letting of properties for tourism. The key changes are as follows:

First of all, a moratorium of one year has been imposed on the issuing of new licences. It is now forbidden to let out flats, even if you have a licence, until the responsible local authorities have issued details of the zones in which such rentals are to be allowed. As far as houses as concerned, there is for the time being no change, whether they are detached or terraced properties, as long as the owners are in possession of a licence. This will continue to be valid even if the property is not located in a prescribed zone.

There are also plans for the letting out of flats to holidaymakers to be allowed for 60 days per year, with the following stipulations: the flat must be the main place of residence of the landlord, it must lie within one of the prescribed zones and, if the property is jointly owned, the majority of the owners must have given their consent to the property being let. The goal here is to strengthen the sharing economy and to offer an opportunity for low income groups to top up their income.

The moratorium of one year also applies here when it comes to applications for licences. No further applications may be made before this period has expired.

In an attempt to prevent property speculation, the new law restricts owners to letting out a maximum of three properties.

The local authorities now have 12 months’ time to draw up the boundaries of the new zones, to determine which zones properties may be let out in and for how long. Some districts will in any case apparently be classified as being “in a state of housing crisis”; in these areas, all types of holiday lets will be forbidden as these are areas where the old-established population has difficulties finding access to housing.

It will in future only be possible to apply for a licence within certain designated zones.

When a licence is issued, a register number will be allocated to the licence holder and this must then be quoted when advertising the property on platforms such as Airbnb. If the register number is not quoted, the landlord may be fined up to € 40,000 and the platform itself can face fines of as much as € 400,000.

There will be no increase in the total number of licences to be issued. In future, it will only be possible to apply for a new licence if an old one is being surrendered. At the last official count, there were 435,707 licences in existence in Majorca. It is likely that the upper limit will be set below this figure.

In order for a new licence to be granted, there have up to now been certain requirements, such as the presentation of a certificate of habitability, the taking out of a personal liability insurance policy covering an insured sum of at least € 300,000, a modernisation plan, an energy certificate, etc. This will in all probability continue to be the case.

The effect of the new law can already be seen on Majorca – in the light of the steep fines which they may face, the first cases have been witnessed of landlords cancelling bookings made by holidaymakers.

Why selling via the MLS is the best option for owners

We are interviewing Moisés Ruiz, the director of CENIC (a forum for professional training and consulting in the real estate sector) and leader of several MLS associations in particular the ACTIVAT MLS of Barcelona. Beside, Moisés is founder of the Fecinmo (Federación Empresarial de Cooperación Inmobiliaria) and the ASI (Acción Social Inmobiliaria) as well as consultant of the Ampsi (Asociación de Mujeres Profesionales del Sector Inmobiliario).

Moisés Ruiz

Moisés, let’s talk about MLS. What is MLS?

MLS means „Multiple Listing Service“ and is a real estate system of sharing exculsively selling contracts among all professional agents that are member of the MLS. The idea is simple: The agents share the comission equally, 50% for the agent representing the seller, 50% for the agent representing the buyer.

Is this something new?

Not really, the concept of MLS already exists over a 100 hundred years and was invented in the US. In North America almost 90% of the property sales are realized within MLS groups. Today MLS can be found in Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brasil, but also in Europe, in France, Italy and Spain. In Spain there are already over 70 MLS and first steps have been taken for creating a Spanish state federation of MLS.

What is special about the ACTIVAT MLS Barcelona?

ACTIVAT is outstanding due to its 15 years of experience and high amount of colaborating agents. Today over 120 independant and franchise agencies have joined ACTIVAT, with about 750 real estate experts working together based on one ethic code, equipped with the latest technology and trained in modern selling and marketing techniques.

Group Picture of MLS Barcelona members

What advantages do I have as a seller?

When an owner contracts the sale of his property with an agent who is member in the ACTIVAT MLS, he is also commissioning his sale at the same time to all real estate experts of the same MLS, supervised by the agent with whom he has the contract. The advantages are obvious:

Accelerate the sale: Publishing and advertising of the property is multiplied by the high amount of agents

Wider and deeper service: The contract with an ACTIVAT agent gives the owner a guarantee of an exclusive service by the agent. The structured collaboration within the MLS creates a real relation of representation between agent and seller.

The combination of exclusivity and MLS gives the agent more possibilities to invest in new and unusual marketing which might make the difference for finding the best buyer.

ACTIVAT agents are continuously trained in different areas which also benefits the seller:

Market research
Photographical presentationSale concept plan
Advertisement of the property in over 30 portals and other real estate websites
Legal and fiscal consultancy
Financing services
Purchaser and investors index
Marketing consultancy
After sale services

What advantages do I have as a buyer?

In all ACTIVAT agencies you will find a large amount of properties offered in your area. You receive all information you need fast, comfortable and transparent at a glance. The possibility of finding the house which fits your requirements is obviously higher by visiting only one office of an MLS agent.

Information quantity: In ACTIVAT you have access to an exclusive offer of properties for sale in your area, managed by all member agencies. This helps greatly in preselecting and optimizing time for viewing properties.

Information quality: All properties offered through ACTIVAT have the same selling terms & conditions, independent of the agency they is represented from. This gives you the best transparency of the market.

Legal security: For all properties there is always a written mandate by the owner. This includes all legal information such as the register and the urbanistic situation.

ACTIVAT agents are continuously trained in different areas:

Financing services
Valuation services
Investment management
Legal and fiscal consultancy
Selling current property for purchasing a new one
Management of guaranteed rentals
Administration services
Market research
After sale services

And how does this work in practice?

It is more than simple. Buyer as well as seller always deal only with their selected ACTIVAT agency. Viewings, negotiations and questions are always organized and managed by your personal contact person.

Thanks for your time and those detailed informations, Moisés. If you are interested in selling or buying a property via the ACTIVAT MLS, please contact us here.