Dutch auction service starts up in Spain
Friday, November 13, 2009 @ 1:53 PM
Amsterdam-based overseas property portal MySecondhome.eu is expanding its new online auction service after a successful trial selling property on Spain’s Costa Brava.
Two homes from four lots were sold at the first auction, including a home valued at €1.1 million which sold for €740,000.
The company now plans to auction twelve lots every six to eight weeks across popular overseas property destinations in France and Spain. The medium term is goal according to founder Kasper Luursema is “to auction 20 properties a month with a sell-through-rate of 40 to 50%”.
How it all works
As the largest overseas portal in Holland, MySecondhome have an extensive audience of Dutch buyers who they market the auction to. Buyers are sent comprehensive information on the properties and fly out to visit them on “open days” which are organized by the company’s “preferred agents” who take a cut of any successful sale. The auction system is provided by their business partner BVA-auctions.com.
Agents and banks are given commission for the successful introduction of suitable property or potential purchasers. Prefered agents are asked to meet buyers at the airport and show them around the properties and local area. Commission rates are in the region of 1-2% depending on the country.
Kasper Luursema comments:
“We believe that selling property through online auctions will become a regular way of selling property, also in non-distressed times. Compared to regular auctions the online auction is a fully transparent process, it fits the times we are living in”.
Source: GlobalEdge.co.uk