Wow! What a crazy first year of the decade. Who could have imagined it? That something would come along and show us all that we can all act in unity for a common purpose. Or, that we can reduce our polluting ways when we need to. Or even, that working from home is easier than it sounds. And, that medical professionals, care workers and teachers really deserve more respect (and money…). But, how does this situation compare the the financial crisis of 2008 and beyond? Early economic idicators seem to be saying that the Dutch economy will not be too badly affected. Well, a lot less than was at first thought and a lot less than its neighbours. It seems the bounce back will be faster too. Yes, jobs have been lost because of the lockdown, but as people generally respected the rules, the curve really was flattened as the scientists said it would be. We salute that. Another topic everyone wondered is, how will it all affected the Amsterdam housing market? And house prices,
During the crisis, many experts were regularly reporting that the housing market remained buoyant in Amsterdam. That surprised some people. Just recently, it was reported that expat rental demand was dropping in the rental market and that average rents were falling in most regions. Will this be reflected in the house prices that are for sale? Many will be curious to know more, so I got in contact with Barry Burgemeester, the owner of Burgemeester Vastgoed. He has been helping expats acquire their homes in Amsterdam for well over 23 years. He has a deep understanding of the market. So I asked him to answer our Q+A to better understand what he does and what’s his view of the Amsterdam housing market going forwards.
Thanks, Barry for taking the time from your schedule to answer our questions.
Q1. How do you see the Amsterdam housing market in the short and medium-term?
Firstly, in the short term, I see very few changes. Price rises will most likely continue and this is mainly due to two things: a shortage of housing stock and the low-interest rates. In the medium term, everything depends on the state of the wider economic environment. I have been helping expats acquire their homes in the Amsterdam area for over 23 years. I have seen crises come and go, and over time homeownership makes sense.
Q2. This is very different from the financial crash of over 10 years ago. Does this mean that The Netherlands is more resilient than it used to be in economic terms? And House prices in The Netherlands.
I am not a professional economist, but it certainly seems so. Some businesses will go to the wall and others will achieve growth. Things will evolve. One uncertain area is unemployment and all eyes are on that.
Q3. Please tell us more about your services and what the benefit is for your expat clients with the Amsterdam housing market.
Expats buying homes tend to be concerned about the pitfalls of buying a home. They generally do not speak the language and like having ‘their hands held’ through the whole process. Expats love to use my services, because of all the experience I have in making a complicated process simple and clear for them in The Amsterdam housing market
Q4. Do you work with all expats ? Also self-employed expats? Including those yet to arrive here?
We can work with anyone from anywhere as long as they fulfil some simple criteria. You would need money in an EU account. People from all over the world come to work in Amsterdam. There are personal and financial checks to do, of course. You can be self-employed too. I work not only as an agent but also as an advisor.
Q5. At what stage in the process do your services start? Right at the beginning or after the expats have their finances in order?
For the expat, the whole process needs to be workable, understandable and doable. I am often involved over the full course of the process. It begins with clear advice. I recently helped a buyer from the UK. It was all done over the phone and they only flew in once it was all done.
Q6. Once your clients get the keys, which part of the process do they tell you they thought you made easier for them the most? Is it the home selection? Or all the paperwork that goes with acquiring a home? Or something else?
I am happy to say that the most frequent compliment I receive is about the clarity and responsiveness of my communication. We really do still live in a person to person world. The better the experience is, the happier everyone is.
Q7. What one piece of advice would you give to prospective expat buyers in the housing market in the current climate?
That is very simple: Be realistic. I advise my clients in a very clear and factual way about what is happening. That is not something you will get by looking for hours and hours on Funda. Being very close to the changes and movements in the market, allows me to save my clients two important things: time and money.
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Thanks, Barry for these great insights into the Amsterdam housing market. So there you have it, from an expert on the matter. If you have a question for Barry, get in contact with him using the details here:
Website: Burgemeester Vastgoed
Tel : 06 52 38 12 81
Email : info@burgemeestervastgoed.nl
Also, see more information about Burgemeester Vastgoed here.
