Tip! There is no doubt that Spain is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. With regional terrain that ranges from mountainous peaks to rolling valleys and glorious coastlines, Spain has something to offer nearly everyone interested in vacationing abroad and even more to those who are interested in Moving to Spain.
If we were to define culture, we would need quite some time. But think about this “fact”; “In the US and Canada, Multi Listing Systems support about Eighty percent of the private real estate market.” Now would such a system provide similar performance in Spain? Such a question moves us into the area of culture.
Tip! Visit Salvador Dali’s surreal museum cum mausoleum in the northern part of Spain.
Some call it a system, other a service. A service is probably the most appropriate because you do not get to own what you buy. In fact it is a subscriber’s fee you pay to get connected - to the system.
The most important part of A Multi Listing System (MLS) is the database, like any significant sales method starts with collecting client data. The first step in selling the MLS is getting property data that is available in the market from real estate agents that intermediate between buyers and sellers.
This is however a catch-22 situation. The MLS provider should collect as much as possible properties that are for sale, and with this collection (the central database) the value of the service increases. Yet how do you sell a system that is still empty. This is why the producers of an MLS originate from Real Estate Agents.
Imagine that you are a stand alone real estate broker, with limited access to potential house sellers. Your business requires turnover, and therefore you need a significant number of property offerings to be a party for both buyers and sellers.
The single real estate is not far from a catch-22 himself. A Multi Listing Service could fill in this potential demand.
Yet, the sales of MLS is not skyrocketing in Spain. What seems to work in one culture shouldn’t necessary provide the same success in another culture. Most important to know when dealing with these services is that the Spanish Property market is very competitive (in the meaning of not cooperative) without a common infrastructure; a lot of individual agents and not yet an incentive to cooperate with other agents. Selling property in Spain is more a win/loose activity; potential buyers loose if some other buyer decides earlier. Selling property in Spain is still a sellers game. Managing client relations has not (on average) been a real issue up to now. There were sufficient potential buyers. Ultimately this seems to change somehow. And that might be helpful for the Sales of a MLS.
Tip! The center of Spain is characterized by an arid plateau and Madrid is right in the heartland of this fascinating country. In the Spanish capital you’ll find many places to visit: the Prado, one of the world’s bests art museums, the Palacio Real (the Royal Palace), and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia featuring masterpieces by Salvador Dali and Juan Mir?.
? 2006 Hans Bool
Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days.
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You’d be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive, engrossing, and just plain fun-to-read guidebook than the Eyewitness Travel Guide: Madrid. Known for their eye-catching design, the Eyewitness city guides are practically spilling over with all sorts of useful information, and the Madrid version is no different. You’ll find three-dimensional drawings, floor plans, and detailed neighborhood maps, as well as timelines and charts. There’s even a map of the Metro. Broken down into four sections–”Introducing Madrid,” “Madrid Area by Area,” “Traveller’s Needs,” and “Survival Guide”–this book provides a complete picture of the city. Readers will especially love the hundreds of color photos showing everything from the city’s famous plazas to a pitcher of sangria; the street-by-street illustrated city walks (Old Madrid, which takes in the Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayer, looks especially enchanting); the room-by-room explanations of the Palacio Real and Prado Museum; and, of course, the best places for tapas (Taberna del Foro is one). By the time you’re finished with this book, you may know more than the locals. –Jill Fergus
