First, American financial mogul George Soros and Goldman Sachs CEO Paulson invested €9.2 billion in shares of the Spanish real estate group Hispania Activos Inmobiliarios. Shortly thereafter, China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin, chairman of Dalian Wanda Group, purchased the landmark building Edificio España in Madrid for €260 million. Moreover, a spokesperson for the original owner, Santander Bank, stated that more than one Chinese consortium is interested in the project. These billionaires, both domestic and international, are choosing to invest in Spanish real estate at this time, indicating that the optimal moment for investing in Spain’s property market has arrived.
The world-renowned financial services company Morgan Stanley even predicts that Spain will be the next Germany. In 2013, Spain's property prices cumulatively increased by 5%, surpassing the average growth rate of GDP. Additionally, data from Cushman & Wakefield indicates that the funds flowing into the Spanish real estate market last year more than doubled compared to the previous year, reaching €2.7 billion, the highest since 2010. Compared to the high housing prices in China, the value for money in Spanish real estate remains exceptionally high, especially as property prices have returned to historically low levels in recent years, making this an optimal time for applicants from China to enter the market.
Moreover, in September 2013, Spain officially implemented a property investment immigration policy, requiring investors to purchase properties worth over €500,000 to immigrate as a family, obtain an EU residence permit, and enjoy visa-free access to 165 countries. Under the dual stimulus of immigration policies and a sluggish real estate market, Spain's investor immigration has rapidly become a dark horse in the European immigration market, highly favored by immigrants.
Immigration applicants primarily focus on children's education, living environment, and medical conditions. Spain has a total of 29,167 primary and secondary schools, with approximately 90 out of every 1,000 Spanish primary school students being foreign students. Additionally, Spain boasts some of the world’s top universities and business schools, with relatively moderate tuition fees.
As a world-renowned tourist destination, Spain is known for its beautiful mountains, waters, and landscapes, providing an excellent living environment. Simultaneously, Spain is a Schengen country, allowing investors to freely reside and live in the 26 Schengen countries post-immigration, as well as access public or private health insurance, and enjoy local compulsory education and public higher education resources.
