The Most Exclusive Houses of Spain

In 1999 two economists, Andrew Lawrence and Mark Thornton, published a theory according to which the construction of the skyscraper of the largest in the world (or the zone in question) announces an economic crisis, continues to be a curiosity rather anomalous, and unprovable, by something is called a theory. Make no mistake, the best index to know when an economic crisis will come was not yet invented, is like the myth of the hair restorer, when someone invent the good, the baldness (involuntary) is finished.

The best thing we can do is not get ahead of the events and to safeguard our heritage, the good real estate decisions always come from the knowledge of our real assets and advice from experts. Perhaps because of this that the real estate company Lucas Fox launched the past June 29 (in 2.017 for readers out of time), a new strategy based on the rapprochement between the buyers and sellers of the exclusive homes in the country.

Alexander Vaughan, partner founder of Lucas Fox, tells us that he came to Spain from England in 2005 with only a mobile phone and a laptop, he will be headlining the new project called Lucas Fox Prime along with Tom Maidment, Director of Costa Brava y Maresme. «The volume of transactions of high-end properties has experienced a growth unprecedented in recent years,» said Alexander, «for the sellers who need a greater discretion, we offer off-market Prime, which includes access to the Black Book of customers of a high purchasing power and, if applicable, allows selected customers view properties protected by password Prime microsite».

Lucas Fox offers from villas on the coast to rural farmhouses, penthouses with design and new projects in the most luxurious areas of Barcelona, Costa Brava, Ibiza, Mallorca, Marbella, Sitges and Valencia. One of the Crown jewels is the former mansion of the legendary trainer of FC Barcelona Johan Cruyff, in Pedralbes, its price is of € 5.3 million. Another promotion with future is Palma Residences, the real estate developer Simon Jansen, who will have the honor of being one of the first houses of new construction of luxury available at Lucas Fox Prime. The own Vaughan was pleased to answer some questions from the magazine:

The Luxonomist: What is Lucas Fox Prime?
Alexander Vaughn: Lucas Fox Prime is the culmination of more than 12 years of experience in communication and selling some of the most exclusive residential properties in Spain. When we founded Lucas Fox, we saw a niche in the growing luxury market and focus 90% of our efforts in the sale and marketing of luxury homes to international buyers, which became the Foundation of our success. Of course, since then, the proportion of sales to domestic buyers has increased significantly (about 33% for 2016). In essence, and with the help of the best real estate talent in Spain, Lucas Fox Prime is reinventing the essence with which Lucas Fox triumphed in the beginning.

TL: In which cities will act? What requirements must have both the buyers and sellers?
AV: Currently we are focusing our efforts in the cities of Barcelona and Valencia, as well as the most attractive coastal areas of Sitges, Costa Brava, Marbella and Ibiza. Before the end of the year also we will add new properties in Madrid to Lucas Fox Prime portfolio. We have recently opened in the capital our tenth Property Lounge and over the coming months we already have new and interesting challenges ahead.

All the buyers of Lucas Fox Prime will be carefully evaluated by our sales team ensuring that are prequalified before gain access to our portfolio of properties Prime. For the sellers who want to use the services of Lucas Fox Prime, quality and location of its properties are key factors. All homes listed in our portfolio are in very desirable locations, are exceptionally designed or renovated and essentially have that «wow factor».

TL: What will consist LF Prime microsite? And the Black Book?
AV: The microsite protected by password of the web of Lucas Fox Prime offers some exclusive houses of Spain that have never before been on public sales market. This microsite offers sellers the utmost discretion and allows qualified buyers to be aware of some of these exceptional and unique properties that could not find anywhere else. It is essentially a service of filtering properties which, as we know, is not available anywhere else on the market. Once we have connected a buyer and a seller in the section off-market, our expert team Prime ensures that the entire process of takes place in the fluid way from beginning to end. The Black Book is essentially a contact list real estate with a high purchasing power that both Prime team as myself have been collecting over the years.

TL: What would the potential buyers so that they are encouraged to hire this services?
AV: If you want to see a portfolio with some of the most rare and coveted of Spain houses, and which cannot be found in any other agency on the market, if you want a highly personalized service, the utmost professionalism, service to the customer exceptional with a broad knowledge of the market, if you seek to acquire not only a property, but a style of life, Lucas Fox Prime is your place.

TL: Believe that buyers of luxury homes have tendency to acquire properties that formerly belonged to people of your same Guild (artists, bankers, politicians, celebrities, etc) what are their priorities?
AV: I would say that not. I think that this is something more fruit of to share the same style of life with colleagues in your same trade. There are certain architecturally innovative properties that could be most attractive for an artist, for example. Business people tend to look very expensive properties that also could have belonged previously to anyone of their Guild, since it is a profession with a high level who can afford this type of properties. Right now we have in our portfolio of properties the former home of the famous coach of the Football Club Barcelona Johan Cruyff. I think that, in this case, due to the legendary status of Cruyff, this is a House that could well attract the attention of an amateur football and this club in particular.

TL: The negotiation between buyer and seller can be done through a Personal Shopper or the functions will be limited to Lucas Fox?
AV: Lucas Fox almost always conducted negotiations on behalf of both the buyer and the seller, although certain customers with high purchasing power can be represented by an agent, so the negotiations do not always take place directly with the buyer. The success of Lucas Fox and based on this new project, Lucas Fox Prime, is an impeccable track record of sales of luxury properties that, in turn, is the result of the extensive experience of our agents of sales, leaders in their field.

The company has about 70 luxury homes for sale in the country, its average price ranges between 3 and 4 million euros, having some that amounted to 10 million. The Spain luxury housing is in good health, these are new times and real estate recovery seems to be a certain reality, still, always it is advisable to be guided by professionals in the sector, they care, more than anyone, that the market enjoy good health. We hope that neither economist relate the sale of mansions with some crisis…