2020 Sotogrande’s Buyer Trends – So far!
As 2019 was coming to a close, Stephanie and I were very optimistic about 2020. We had had a relatively good year, with good growth over 2018, and 2020 was looking like the same trend would continue….
Our pipeline was very solid, something you look forward to at the beginning of a year, and even a couple of surprise viewings, offers and reservations had materialized over the Christmas break.
We all know what happened next… COVID! The effect was not immediate, but slowly over a matter of weeks, our pipeline dried up to a trickle, and eventually to nothing. At first, like almost everyone we were stunned like rabbits in headlights. Then once we realized we were all rabbits, we slowly began to adjust to what we now call the new normal, albeit it continues to change daily.
As the year advanced, and the effects of how COVID was affecting our business we started to adapt. Slowly it materialized that Sotogrande seemed to be categorized as a COVID oasis. Not only did property owners try to get to their Sotogrande homes, as we came out of confinement, but we began to get numerous enquiries for Sotogrande rental properties, and in particular ones with a garden. We even had agents from Ibiza and Mallorca calling us trying to place their long-time clients in summer homes on the mainland. Better six hours in a car than one in an aircraft! We helped where we could.
Sotogrande’s property viewings are now made with Matterport (3D technology), virtual reality tours and also live via Zoom and Facetime.
During these months, 3D online viewings as well as live property tours via Zoom have become more popular. For instance, with Matterport Technology you can virtually walk through this exceptional modern front line golf villa for sale in Sotogrande Alto. It allows the potential buyers to get a closer feel of the dimensions and space of the home as if they were actually there! Asking price: 1.125.000 € | Reference NP01444
So where are we now?
The summer is over, and I have had real as well as anecdotal feedback from fellow agents and some hard data shared by many different sources such as international property portals and Chestertons Global.
Bottom line it has to be said that things are more positive than expected. Dreams of buying a place in the sun are now combined with wanting a place in the sun and away from densely populated cities. Interest is high, and enquiries many.
This feeling seems to be equal with all nationalities. We, at Noll Sotogrande, have had enquiries from Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, and Switzerland. Also, from countries further afield such as the US although this was probably more to do with the Trump virus!
Of great concern going forward is the worrying so-called “second wave”. We are now experiencing increasing infection rates all over Europe, and in particular, these infections are attributed to the younger age group and those who travelled to holiday destinations across the Mediterranean. This “second wave” is causing governments to react with confinement rules for returning travellers. We now have a number of applicants waiting for these restrictions to ease, as two-week confinement as a result of a two-day viewing trip to Spain is too much to pay for an escapade to find a holiday property in Sotogrande.
What about the future of Sotogrande’s Real Estate Market?
Time will tell. In the meantime, we at Noll Sotogrande continue with virtual viewings where necessary, abiding with social distancing rules, travelling in separate cars, wearing masks, bowing rather than shaking hands, and keeping overheads to a minimum. Winter is coming, and with it, the natural slowdown in business. One thing is for sure. The sun will continue to rise over.
Thank you for your interest, Charles Gubbins.
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