Marbella real estate, from an adviser with nothing of their own to sell you.
We hold no stock and fill no developer quota, which means the answer to "should you buy this one" can be no. On the buy side that means establishing what the property is permitted to be before anyone discusses price; on the sell side, pricing from registered sales rather than from what portals are asking. For buyers from outside the EU, it also means being clear about what owning a house here does and does not permit.
In Marbella, the harder question is not what a house costs. It is what it is permitted to be.
MARNER ESTATES works as an independent advisory firm. On the buy side we represent your interests, never a developer quota. What that means here in practice: we establish whether what stands on the plot matches what was licensed and registered, whether the licence of first occupation is in place, and what the current planning framework allows — before anyone talks about price.
On the sell side we position your property discreetly to the right international buyers, priced from registered comparables rather than portal asking prices.
About MARNER ESTATESTwo mandates. One standard of advisory.
Acquire with clear eyes.
- Registered comparables from the same urbanisation, not coastal averages
- Licence status: declared floor area, building permit, licence of first occupation
- Planning position of the plot under the framework currently in force
- Tourist letting — whether the property is registered, and whether registration is realistic
- The full cost picture: ITP or VAT plus stamp duty, notary, registry, legal
- NIE, bank account and the steps in the right order, through to the Land Registry
Sell with discretion.
- Valuation from registered sales in your municipality, not portal asking prices
- Discreet, targeted marketing — not blanket listing across portals
- A qualified shortlist of buyers rather than every enquiry a portal produces
- Your documentation assembled before the first viewing, not during the offer
- Energy certificate and the non-resident retention, handled
What limits Marbella is not land. It is what the paperwork allows.
Marbella is not short of property, and the coast is not short of new development. What is genuinely scarce is a property whose licences, registry entry and planning position all agree with one another. That is a documentary question, not a geographic one — and it is why the checks matter more than the search.
A planning framework in transition
The Supreme Court annulled the 2010 general plan in 2015, and the 1986 plan has governed the municipality since. Its replacement, the PGOM, is the first in Andalusia drawn up under the region's new planning law; the detailed plan that settles matters at the level of an individual plot is expected later still. For some plots, what may be done is not a question the seller can answer.
Legality is a question, not a formality
The Supreme Court's own ruling referred to a generalised situation of urban irregularity in the municipality. That is history — but it is history recorded in registers, licences and files, and it is why the licence of first occupation deserves more attention here than the brochure.
Andalusia writes its own rules
Transfer tax, tourist-letting registration and much of the procedure are set by the region, not by Madrid. Figures written for Spain as a whole, or for another autonomous region, do not apply here — which is also why we do not reuse them.
Distinct micro-markets
The Golden Mile, Nueva Andalucía, the old town, San Pedro, the eastern beaches and the hillside urbanisations behave differently in supply, in buyer profile and in what the planning framework permits. A Costa del Sol average describes none of them.
Year-round, not seasonal
Málaga airport connects the coast to most of Europe through the winter. The area functions as a base rather than only as a summer address, which is visible in how properties are used and let.
Letting is registered, not licensed
Holiday letting in Andalusia runs through a declaration to the regional tourism register, which issues a registration number that must appear in any advertising. It is a different mechanism from the capped licences used elsewhere in Spain — and what the community of owners' rules permit is a separate question again.
"Every recommendation is driven by analysis, not sales pressure — aligned solely with your goals, on either side of the table."
Operating at the intersection of brokerage execution and strategic advisory, with international client experience across the Spanish market.
More about usHow the advisory process works.
Consultation
We understand your objective — buying, selling or both.
Strategy
The right area for that objective, then the right house within it.
Verification
Registry, licences, planning position and running costs, before you commit.
Transaction
Coordinated completion, executed before a notary.
Beyond
Ongoing guidance — hold, let, reinvest or exit.
What we would want to know if we were buying.
Written for people about to commit money in a legal system that is not their own — and kept free of the numbers that go stale.
Questions, answered.
Can foreigners buy property in Marbella?
Yes. There is no restriction on foreign ownership in Spain. You will need an NIE (foreigner identification number), and the transfer is executed before a notary and recorded at the Land Registry.
Can I let the property to holidaymakers?
In Andalusia, holiday letting runs through a declaration to the regional tourism register, which issues a registration number that has to appear in any advertising. Whether a given property qualifies, and whether the rules of the community of owners allow it, are separate questions. Establish both before you commit rather than assuming they can be settled afterwards.
What are the purchase costs on top of the price?
Budget for transfer tax — ITP on a resale, or VAT plus stamp duty on a new build — together with notary, Land Registry and legal fees. The rates are set by Andalusia and are changed by the region rather than nationally, so we work them out for your specific property against what the Agencia Tributaria de Andalucía currently applies.
Are there ongoing property taxes?
Yes. IBI is levied annually by the municipality, and community fees apply in most developments. Non-resident owners also have annual filing obligations in Spain. Your tax adviser should confirm what applies to you, and residence for tax purposes is decided by where you actually live, not by your passport.
What should I check in Marbella that I would not check elsewhere?
Whether what stands on the plot matches what was licensed and what the registry describes, and whether the licence of first occupation was ever issued. Given the municipality's planning history this is not a formality here. Where the property sits under the plan currently in force is the second question, and for some plots it is not yet fully settled.
Is there still a golden visa through property?
No. Spain closed the property route to its investor residence permit. Anyone offering it on that basis is working from a rule that no longer applies. Residence options exist through other routes and belong with an immigration lawyer.
Let’s discuss your next move in the Marbella market.
Market fundamentals, valuation or strategy, regulatory framework and next steps — based on your goals. Book a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.