2020 was the year that couldn’t have been predicted; a year in many ways surreal and life-changing, but also one in which, despite everything, life continued as normal as possible. While we all look forward to a return to full normality and activity in 2021, the team at Nvoga can reflect back on an eventful year in which we settled into the impressive new main Marbella office, spearheaded the launch of the LPA (Leading Property Agents of Spain) and established the Nvoga Academy.
The team worked remotely when the lockdown began, and we launched Treetops on social media – a luxurious new Marbella development that is now almost sold out with construction well underway. Throughout this period, we remained in close contact with our clients, collaborators and agents, organising a webinar with leading property specialists that analysed the market, prospects and also new trends, challenges and opportunities in this Covid year, and beyond.
We used the opportunity to redevelop our brand and showcase an updated website, and in the course of the year also launched Marein Banus - exclusive contemporary villas next to Puerto Banús and the beach, as well as adding a new family member, Aqualina Residences & Collection in La Quinta Golf, one of the most exciting new projects in the Marbella region.
It was therefore as busy a time as ever, and despite the limitations caused by travel restrictions resulting from the measures against the spread of Covid-19, the interest in properties for sale in Marbella remained strong – particularly in the market for modern new-build villas and apartments. As a result, the latter have maintained their prices well, with most of the discounts offered by individual vendors in the resale segment of the market.
Off-plan market remains strong
The professionals working in the property sector of the Costa del Sol showed their adaptability when they overcame initial communication problems by offering their clients high-quality walk-through videos presented either in a live interactive fashion with an agent or as a virtual tour that draws upon advanced technology. Thanks to such innovative solutions clients were able to select properties, and in many cases also buy a property without actually being here.
The trust in the agents, developers, market and financial institutions inherent in this is clear, and very often it is built upon a good personal knowledge of the Costa del Sol on the part of the buyer. People less experienced with this region still want to come over for themselves, and the expectation that the ability and ease to do so will return to full normality from the second trimester 2021, when most expect a significant rebounding of the economy and real estate sector.
Nvoga maintains its position as a leader in new-build property
Off-plan and modern new-build homes remain the most sought-after in Marbella, and we’re proud to be intimately involved in the launch of a series of high-quality new projects in this region – a role in which we keep developers in touch with what is important to buyers through our professional consulting service. Among the latest trends seen in 2020 are an increased focus on space, gardens, spacious terraces, proximity to nature, views and also home office facilities.
We expect these trends to continue to develop even after the Covid crisis is over, and part of it has been a desire by many to swap the colder climates and built-up areas of the North in favour of the space, lifestyle and climate of southern Spain as more and more people make the shift to working remotely.
Having got through a tough yet eventful year, we hope for a return to health, mobility and normal society in 2021 for all of us!