Watch: Buying a home in the south of Spain - SUR in English Real Estate Forum

Experts from the real estate sector joined SUR in English on Monday 16 February for the newspaper's annual Real Estate Forum. Taking part in the morning, hosted by Higuerón Hotel in Fuengirola, were representatives not only from real estate businesses but from others that are vital to the house-buying process, such as mortgage providers, architects and lawyers.

Partners for the event were The Spanish Estate Agent, GIPE, Higuerón Real Estate, De Cotta Law, Fluent Finance Abroad, Accumin Home/Tinsa, Klic Arquitectos, Gilmar Real Estate and Grupo Abu.

The morning was divided into two sessions with representatives giving their expertise about each stage of the process, from 'reasons for choosing the Costa del Sol' to 'turning the dream into reality'. SUR in English reporter Jennie Rhodes chaired the panels.

Jonathan Serna Tamayo, real estate agent with Gilmar Costa del Sol, Vanessa Dávila, sales manager with The Spanish Estate Agent, Christofer Fogelberg, vice president, GIPE, Roberto Parada, sales director, Higuerón Real Estate; and Rubén Díaz, Malaga representative with Grupo Abu participated in the first session.

The first question that the experts discussed was why the Costa del Sol continues to be such a popular choice for buying a property. They also discussed the most sought-after areas by foreign buyers and the choice of areas, not only depending on investment, but also in terms of lifestyle. The experts agreed that the Costa del Sol continues to be a great place to invest, thanks to the range of services offered from Spanish and international schools, safety and excellent communications, especially from Malaga airport.

Turning to regulations concerning the property sector, Christofer Fogelberg raised the new obligatory register for estate agents in Andalucía and Vanessa Dávila touched on the different types of licences available for tourist and short-term lets.

The panel also talked about challenges for the sector on the Costa del Sol and Rubén Díaz highlighted the need for improved road infrastructure, as well as public transport. All of the experst agreed that land is a major challenge as the Costa del Sol has two defining features: the Mediterranean Sea to the south and mountains to the north, meaning that the authorities and developers are looking to extend the urban coastal stretch, into the eastern Costa del Sol (Axarquía) to the east and towards Cadiz province to the west.

The second session looked at turning the dream of buying a home on the Costa del Sol into a reality and the panel of experts were Jonathan Sutton, Spanish abogado (lawyer) and partner from De Cotta law; Stuart Weeks, Spanish mortgage consultant at Fluent Finance; José Rivera Cortés, global head of home from Accumin / Tinsa; and Juan Goñi Uriate, CEO of Klic Arquitectos.

The panel talked through the different stages and agents required in the process of buying a property on the Costa del Sol, from ensuring that the buyer has a good team involved in the process. They agreed that having a team that speaks the buyer's own language and has local knowledge is key to making the process run smoothly.

They stressed that it is vital to understand Spanish regulations and processes, as well as the difference in mortgage products available here which will not be the same as in the buyer's own country.

The panel concluded that it is vital to get a good team of professionals together and to do research before buying a house on the processes and legal framework involved in Spain and specifically Andalucía, to ensure that the process to buying a dream home on the Costa del Sol runs smoothly.