Editor’s note: This article was first published in August 2012, during the glut of unsold new homes that followed Spain’s property bubble. The picture of banks and developers offloading stock at big discounts reflects that market.
New-build housing is falling to historic lows, while banks and developers are trying to offload their developments as quickly as possible with juicy discounts. Of course, even with a big discount, buyers may feel the price is still too high, since the discount could be on an inflated price. Everyone knows that buying in bulk gets you better discounts, and that’s where Comprarunidos.com comes in: a platform that brings together a sizeable group of buyers who, by joining forces, can secure a bigger discount.
The platform makes it clear that it is neither a property portal nor a listings site for homes for sale, under the slogan “Here you won’t see prices — you propose them“. Comprar Unidos negotiates the discount with both developers and banks, starting from the last price the buyer has seen. It only charges a commission on the discount it obtains.
How does it work?
The buyer goes to the platform and fills in a form explaining what they are interested in: province, town, area and the development where the home they want is located. If the development isn’t on the portal yet, the buyer can add it. They also state the price they would be willing to pay. Once there is a group of buyers with the same interests, the platform sets about negotiating with the developer by making an offer.
After all, developers and banks are eager to get rid of their “property inventory”, and the more homes they can sell, the better. So if they get the chance to offload an entire development, the discount they can offer may be very high, given the benefit it brings them.
The platform’s role is solely one of intermediation and negotiation. In the following video, Jesús Terrenos, founder of Comprar Unidos, explains how the platform works.
Watch: Jesús Terrenos, founder of Comprar Unidos, explains how the platform works (in Spanish)
Featured image: FlissJ, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.
