Finding a home and feeling "at home" in Barcelona. Ficasso Real Estate Barcelona is a small specialised property company in Barcelona, that is building a big name for itself in the crowded Barcelona Real Estate market.
Another reason is perhaps that Ficasso Real Estate has a way of doing things that seems to keep customers happy.
We interviewed Peter Williams, one of the founding partners of Ficasso, to find out why Ficasso is a popular choice with people, who are moving to Barcelona. and thinking of buying property in Barcelona and the surrounding areas.
So why is Ficasso Real Estate Barcelona a good choice?
Peter replies, “Basically when we get involved with a property deal, we try to treat the entire process as if we were buying and selling our own property, and not someone else’s.
That makes us take it very seriously and very personally!
Buying and selling property in Barcelona is not difficult, but the procedure can be a bit complicated. We just like to make sure that everything is clear and agreed and goes smoothly. We accomplish this by careful planning, checking, double checking and more chekcing. This is Spain. You need to check a lot!
That sounds good, but isn’t that what all property companies say they do?
“Well to be honest I don’t know what other companies do or say they do – and I don’t really care” is the reply from Peter.
“At Ficasso we really don’t copy what other people do. We don’t think like that. That’s would be like saying. Well no-one else offers free coffee, so why should we?
That’s not how we work. If we think free coffee is something good for our customers and thereby good for our business, then we will give it away by the bucket load. That’s how businesses grow and evolve. That’s how you become the leader in a business field and we would like to be a leader in our sector of the Barcelona Real Estate Market.
So we don’t copy other companies – we do what we think is right. If we get it right, then other companies might copy us!
We also try always do our best and we also like get to get it right the first time. And if we can’t get it right the first time we try and fix it PDQ!
So do you offer free coffee?
"Er. No!" Peter laughs, “But that’s because we are an online company and our customers do not come to our offices. But we give them lots of attention in other ways that they appreciate and deserve.
Deserve?
Well yes, deserve. We think customers have earned a lot of attention and respect because they haven chosen us to help them with something as important as buying an apartment. It a big decision and important decision and they deserve our respect and attention!
Also we are very aware that if you are buying a home to live in yourself then we are involved in a very important part of people’s lives. A good home is essential to good living. That’s why people use the phrase to feel “at home.” There is no better feeling that feeling at home.
To get that feeling you need to be completely happy in your home in every way. In your home you should you should feel most happy, most safe, most content and most comfortable.
It should be where you can truly be free to be yourself. It’s where you can recharge your batteries to get new energy you need for other aspects of life. So your home is your base station in life. It’s where you start and finish each day – it’s the foundation of happy living.
So who buys property in Barcelona?
We are lucky to have a good mix of clients, so we get to meet a lot of interesting and nice people. We have many overseas clients, who are relocating to Barcelona for the first time.
We also have clients already in Barcelona, both foreign residents and local residents, who want to buy their first property or move into a different area of town.
Spain and Catalonia are famous for many things but good service is not quite top of the list and I think that the Spanish and Catalan clients really like our quick replies and service minded attitude.
So if I was moving to Barcelona, what can you do for me?
First of all we can share our years of experience to help you make the right decision about which areas of Barcelona you might like to live in.
Even though Barcelona is quite a small city the areas of town differ quite dramatically and so do the life style possibilities. You can live in the hills with sea views, you can live by the sea with mountain views or you can live in the middle of town with both.
You can live in a beautiful historic flat in the old parts of Barcelona or a brand new development in high rise. Each of the nine districts of Barcelona has different and unique qualities. The possibilities are endless.
Ficasso Real Estate knows a lot about the city and the different areas of Barcelona, because we have lived in them, so we can advise people well on the pro/cons of each area. When you have decided on areas and the style of flat we show you what we have got!
So how do you find the great flats in Barcelona that you have on your website?
I think we have pretty good taste. I am half Danish and in Denmark we have a large tradition for design and good living. The weather is so abysmal in Denmark that we are stuck indoors for 95% of our lives. It’s like winter 12 months of the year and the rest is summer! Well almost.
So when you are indoors that much you really want to make your living space as nice, functional, smart and liveable as possible. Interior design is simply very important. I have also lived in Greenland and let me tell you, that up in that part of the world you are indoors a lot, and then you really need B&O designed TV and Arne Jacobsen designed furniture!
In fact, in Denmark ,there is a special word for a state of instant and intense cosiness called “hygge” This word can be both used both noun, adjective and verb and a similar word does not really exist in other languages.
A big part of the Danish “hygge” factor is living in a nice flat. In Spain you spend more time outdoors and so at Ficasso Real Estate we look for a flats, attics, lofts and apartments in Barcelona that have a good combination of style, taste and quality and we look for homes with nice terraces and balconies, gardens, pools, etc.
What tips can you give people looking for flats for sale in Barcelona?
I’ve got lots of tips. First tip is to call Ficasso! That’s the best tip! Peter laughs. But another good tip I can give otherwise is not to look for the perfect home. Find a perfect home is like finding a perfect partner. It’s a once or twice in a lifetime occurrence. So look for the right home and make it perfect.
How do you see the market developing in Barcelona in 2008?
Well things can change quickly these days in these days of global markets, but generally the prices of property in Barcelona have levelled out and sales will be slower this year with lower prices than last year. So there will be some great bargains out there for buyers.
If you are a seller then you can choose to adjust the prices to suit the market or do what many are doing which is hang on to your property and consider a long-term rental instead.
I saw the news on CNN this morning and a veteran mop-manufacturer has this comment about the possibility of recession. “It’s true that times are tough, but tough times don’t last; tough people do!” This is so true.
As a desirable city to live in Barcelona is a lasting success. It will always be one of the best long-term property investments in the world because of its unique profile and location and climate. That will never change, so buying property in Barcelona now is still a good investment.
Barcelona is almost unique in the world. Where else can you find so many qualities in one city? A central and convenient location in Europe, a combination of old history and modern development, a big city vibe with a small city feel, beaches, skiing, mountains, lakes, food, islands, a good infrastructure and stable and international business climate. The list is endless and unique.
Again and again Barcelona has been hailed as one of the jewels of Europe. Now that so many new former East European countries are joining the EU, there will be a line of who want to live and visit Barcelona for a long time. Barcelona has the advantage too that people come back. Some European cities you visit once and then you’ve been there, but Barcelona has a huge pulling power! People often come again and again.
How about rentals apartments in Barcelona? What can you tell us about that?
Well we only offer long-term rentals in Barcelona. The biggest tip for renting long-term flats in Barcelona is probably to move fast because the good flats and apartments move very quickly. Sometimes we barely have time to put a flat on our website before it is rented out and we have to take if again.
Are you a green company?
Oh yes! Somos muy verde! I don't like to brag, but we are so green we make Kermit the frog pale in comparison. We are an online company so that is quite green. We keep our prices down by not spending lots on glossary brochures and property magazines. We use the Internet for everything.
And we make sure to tell our clients about the city recycling programmes, where their nearest “Punt Verde” (Green Point) recycling centre is. We also donate 5% of our commission of our gross profit to carbon credit programmes and to homeless charities.
So that concludes our interview with Ficasso Real Estate Barcelona. Our conclusion is that Ficasso staff is experienced both in real estate but also in living and moving in different parts of the world. They provide friendly, honest and efficient information and a high level of customer attention to customers, who are moving to Barcelona. Give them a call.
Click here to visit our Barcelona Real Estate Section where you can find other real estate agents in Barcelona and information about areas of Barcelona
