Benelux Market Professionals Deliver Quality Buyers
Our first visit to a property show in the Netherlands (Utrecht) and we were seriously impressed
AIPP was invited to visit Utrecht, 28th September, to see how the organisers of the Second Home Expo (SHE) delivered one of their typical shows, they do six a year. Just under 7,000 visitors passed-through the show over the 3 days and it was clear that they, and the exhibitors, where having a very positive experience.
Hosted on the Organisers busy stand within the main show floor itself, AIPP CEO Peter Robinson had plenty of opportunity to interact with buyers, exhibitors and the organisers themselves. Buyers seemed serious but relaxed and with good budgets (see details below). Exhibitors greeted each other and socialised in a collegiate way, the majority of which were regular attendees at SHE property shows.
Facts & Figures on Netherlands buyers of a second home
Top 4 Countries to invest
1. Spain (27%)
2. The Netherlands (17%)
3. France (12%)
4. Italy (8%)
Top 3 Popular regions in Spain
1. Costa Blanca (31%)
2. Costa del Sol (27%)
3. Costa Brava (8%)
Reasons to buy
1. Investment – not for personal usage (4%)
2. Investment and own use (46%)
3. Own use – no rental (50%)
Budget & Buyers
- Average investment: €234,000
- Largest group buyers have budget between €100K – 200K
- 46% want to buy within 12 months
- Average age of buyer: 56 years
Family vibe and great attention to detail
The SHE team are clearly a close-knit, family group – literally! The young, professional team is supported by parents, husbands and wives who not only have the ultimate motivating factor in delivering a great show, but can draw upon the diverse professional backgrounds and experience of older (and perhaps wiser…!) relatives.
The show floor plan was highly innovative with careful thought applied to maximising visitor potential for exhibitors, whilst creating a very pleasant atmosphere for visitors to relax and spend quality time in discussion.
Smart 3rd-party deals with quality car and wine suppliers helped bring additional visitors and an interesting counterpoint, with every visitor able to relax with a free glass of wine in a comfortable central area and review their property options, during the show. This was complemented by a quality food offering.
AIPP' serious purpose
Invited to attend this show by SHE Managing Director, Henkjan Prins, our shared agenda included various topics including how we could expand AIPP voluntary industry regulation to support buyers and industry professionals operating in BENELUX countries.
With a handful of AIPP members already attending the SHE shows it was gratifying that, in conversation with other exhibitors, 8 other attendees are now seriously considering joining AIPP.
All parties AIPP spoke with agreed on the importance of supporting buyers and owners with impartial and accurate information to help inform decision-making. Owners? Yes. If we, as an industry, help support those people who we help become owners of a foreign property, then we all win.
This viewpoint informed our decision, back in late 2017, to launch in May 2018, the Alliance of International Property Owners – www.aipo.org.uk. With its mantra of ‘Buy right, Own well’ :- clients urged to buy from AIPP members, owners to join AIPO in membership, with ongoing support – a big step forwards has been taken.
To discuss SHE marketing options to BENELUX foreign property buyers please contact SHE MD Henkjan Prins, h.prins@fairsconsult.com
For further information on exhibiting to the Netherlands market click here, for the Belgian market click here
Contact AIPP CEO & Founder of the AIPO, Peter Robinson at peter@aipp.org.uk
With only the 360 corporate members of AIPP (31 countries) listed, profiled and able to blog on the AIPO site, we have more than started to create a centre of quality that other identifying professionals can join.