Are you an employee or entrepreneur who needs to move to a new city?
For many people and companies, moving to another region or country and renting or buying property is an exciting and at the same time terrifying prospect, due to all the risks involved.
When you move to a completely unfamiliar place, leaving your whole life behind in your country or city of origin, it can be a very stressful experience.
However, at Property Buyers by SomRIE we have spent the last 10 years dedicated to international and national mobility (Relocation), helping companies to relocate their workers, because we understand that a transfer entails much more than simply packing up your belongings and signing a few pieces of paper.
We have a high degree of experience in this area, since we have been in the market for over 10 years, gaining know-how and experience that we put at our clients’ service.
To understand a little bit better what the Relocation Process involves, today we interview Albena Stoykova, Relocation expert at Property Buyers by SomRIE.
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Q: How did this department come to exist, within the Property Buyers organization?
A: We created our relocation department 10 years ago, because we were often getting contacted by foreigners who were moving to Spain and needed help with finding a home and filing all the paperwork to move and live here.
And at that same time, we had the privilege of being hired by the biggest textile company in Spain to handle all their employee relocations. This company needed an agency that was specialized in relocation, and could give an exceptional and personalized service to their employees who were coming to work to their Cataluña branch.
After this contract, other national and international companies also contacted us for the same purpose, for example one of the biggest food-chain companies in Spain, the biggest audio-visual company in Europe, and many others.
Q. What services do you offer and what are their advantages?
A: We began to implement relocation service with the same philosophy as we apply to all the other areas of activity within our company: saving the buyer/ tenant time, helping them with all the paperwork, taking the time to explain in detail all the procedures and answering any questions that might arise.
- We help employees find their home amongst 100% of the properties available.
- We assist with all the paperwork necessary to move to Spain and live here.
- We accompany them throughout the whole process to make them feel safe.
- We make sure they feel welcome and at home in Spain, so they can focus on their new job.
Q: What services do your clients demand the most?
- The search for a home. Especially now with the Covid-19 crisis, they have to stay quarantined for 14 days upon arrival, and they need to be able to have a home by the time they’re through with it.
- Help to review the contracts before signing them.
- All the necessary documentation to be able to live in Spain: social security number, registry, health care insurance, bank account, etc.
- If they come with their family, help to find a school for the children.
We take the well being of our client’s employee very seriously, and help them with everything they might need.
Q: Has the ever-increasing process of internationalization and globalization resulted in an increase in demand for your services?
A: Now there is a greater interest than 10 years ago. For example, we are negotiating with a foreign company to bring their employees to Spain to work remotely, because if you are working from home it doesn’t matter where in the world you are.
Now it’s easier than ever to work from other countries and Spain is an ideal base, since the climate is much better than in other countries in Europe.
Q: How are you handling the health crisis to keep offering your services?
A: Before Covid-19, all the paperwork was done with in person appointments, but now many things are done electronically and this undoubtedly complicates procedures even more.
If you are not accompanied by a professional, you may run into difficulties with public institutions, because the workers who can assist you often do not know exactly what you are talking about. On the other hand, if you are accompanied by professionals things go smoother, because the professional knows exactly what to do and how to do it to get your paperwork to go through.
Q: What differentiates you from other agencies?
- The personal touch. For example, most agencies that provide relocation services do offer a home search, but only from the portfolio of properties they own. We, on the other hand, access 100% of the market.
- Each person is different and what we are looking for is to make sure our client always makes the best decision for him or her.
- We offer a very personalized service. We are not a real estate agency and therefore we search from all the homes available – in this sense we offer the same experience as to someone who hires us to be their Real Estate Personal Shopper.
- We always have our lawyer and a handler review everything to make sure all the documentation is done correctly.
- We coordinate and accompany them to carry out all the procedures to obtain the documentation they need. Other agencies just get the appointment at the public institution, and the client has to go alone.
- We help them with everything they need to settle in: setting up wifi, changing utilities to their names, etc. Keep in mind that they mostly don’t speak Spanish and need help with many seemingly simple procedures.
Q: Why should clients hire you?
A: Moving to a new city is an experience that can cause a lot of stress and more so when you do not know the language, customs or culture. We are keenly aware of this and want to help you reduce your stress, get settled quickly and start your new life.
Entrusting this task to professionals such as Property Buyers by SomRIE, who have a wealth of experience in real estate and stay updated with all the necessary documentation needed to live in a country like Spain, is going to save you tons of hassle and headaches.
Leave this arduous task in our hands and we will take care of everything you need.
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