Head Start!

Swedish

Q Hi Chris, so why and when did you move to Spain?

A

My family bought a holiday home in Benalmadena in the 1980s so we spent most of our school holidays here growing up.

QYou must have loved that, so when did you move here permanently?

A My family ended up moving here in 1997 and I moved two years later after finishing my social science degree in Gothenburg, Sweden. I initially studied Spanish language and culture at the University of Malaga for a year, before becoming a trainee at one of the big real estate companies of the time, before founding the StartGroup in 2003.

Q Where did you first settle on the Costa del Sol?

A My parents moved to Benalmadena and I started there before also living in Fuengirola, Estepona, Marbella and for the last 15 years in Calahonda.

Q Have you travelled much of the world?

ACOMMON question I’m asked is what qualifications you need to be an estate agent on the Costa del Sol. The short answer is: None.

The requirement for a license was abolished nationally in 2000, leaving legislation up to the autonomous regions.

Meanwhile, what are the regulations on how we have to work? The short answer: Many (especially in Andalucia). It’s a strange contradiction and this is why:

While you don’t need a license - or even any training - to work as an agent here, the Junta de Andalucia regulates how we must work.

And if (and when) an inspection comes there are huge fines if certain things have not been carried out.

This includes agents doing due diligence on every property marketed with each one needing a correct description in terms of metres squared, local property taxes, its energy certificate, etc etc. And if not correct (and in Spanish!) the fine is €3000 per property.

Given the average agency has around 75 listed properties the fines can get expensive.

You must also have an established protocol for the prevention of money laundering (AML) and evaluate all buyers accordingly.

Surrounded by golf

Indeed, since 2010, all clients have to be catalogued and the fines for non/compliance are hefty; from €6000 for a minor mistake to up to €1,5M for serious errors. It is of no relevance if the agent was unaware of any laundering - the fines can be given simply for not having the protocol in place.

Modern design

Private gym and spa

Agents must also comply with data protection laws in Spain and notify the Spanish agency (AEPD) of how data is protected.

Huge saltwater pool with beach entry

Ultimately Andalucia has a reasonable regulatory framework in place, but there are far too few inspections to enforce the rules and far too many firms not obeying them.

Unfortunately, this has been the case for decades, which has given the profession a bad name. And it’s particularly sad that so many clients are still getting the wrong advice for one of the biggest investments of their lives.

AA fair bit, my mother worked at SAS airline when I was a child and we had the benefit of travelling on staff tickets with a 90% discount. It was great for a big family like ours, but the disadvantage was that they wer always ‘stand by’ so we usually had to spend a few extra days in places when we needed to get home. I once got stuck in South Africa for an extra 11 days... These days I’m still a keen traveller, it is one of my real passions, and we spend as much time as we can travelling the world. I have visited 32 countries so far and my favourite spot - so far - is Redang Island, in Malaysia, as I am a keen scuba diver.

QWhat about back home here at weekends?