10 Sep 2014
The latest Quarterly Index figures from the Overseas Guides Company (OGC) report that Portugal has been experiencing a surge of interest from overseas property buyers in recent times. These buyers will now have a helping hand as they search for their dream property, thanks to the opening of a new office in the Algarve by the online resource centre's Portugal experts, www.PortugalBuyingGuide.com.
The OGC's Quarterly Index measures interest in destinations across the world by the volume of downloads of their free buying guides. Portugal experienced a 60% increase in interest in Q2 2014, compared to the first quarter of 2014, a staggering 69% increase compared to the same quarter in 2013.
Based in Vilamoura, on the Algarve, this new office opens on 23rd September as an exclusive partnership between the Portugal Buying Guide and their currency specialist partner, Smart Currency Exchange. Coming soon after the successful launch of the SpainBuyingGuide.com office on the Costa del Sol, this new office will offer assistance to Britons and other overseas purchasers to buy safely in Portugal, through their trusted partner companies – including estate agents, surveyors and property lawyers.
The team on the Algarve is headed by Portugal property expert Marina Pasquill, and her hands-on approach will enhance the provision already offered by the Portugal Buying Guide's UK Resource Centre – a face-to-face point of contact and free guidance to overseas property buyers, in conjunction with the buying guide website and their portfolio of on and offline information guides.
Marina said: “Now is a really exciting time to be buying in the Algarve! In terms of investment, there is so much going on - with new developments and new amenities starting to be built again after the recent global recession. I am personally very passionate about the area - I know just how much difference living here has made to my life. I truly believe that anybody who moves here, or makes an investment here, will really experience an improvement in their daily life. The standard of living in the Algarve is regularly in the news across the globe, and is consistently rated as one of the top ten places to live in the world, thanks to the inclusive, cost-effective lifestyle that can be enjoyed by all! This just goes to show how more and more people are waking up to the benefits that those who live here experience on a daily basis.”
The launch of this new office ties in with the new www.PortugalBuyingGuide.com website – a one-stop-shop for all the information prospective buyers could want about buying in Portugal, living their dream life in the country and even selling their property at a later date. The new website makes the research process much simpler, and offers guidance on the necessary steps to take and the right people to speak to in order to ensure a successful Portuguese property purchase. What's more, visitors to the site can read about the experiences of those who have already made the move to Portugal, through their insights, recommendations and the real 'dos' and don'ts' they have learned along the way.
“This face-to-face contact with our team and partners on the ground in Portugal should be a welcome development for Portugal homebuyers, really raising the value of our customer offering”, said Angelos Koutsoudes, Head of the Portugal Buying Guide. “Our new Vilamoura office will complement existing operations and our recently opened office in Spain's Costa del Sol. It also means we are able to offer additional resources to all our partners and clients based in the area, as well as our readers planning to relocate to Portugal.”
The new Portugal office is based at: Portugal Buying Guide and Smart Currency Exchange, Avenida Cerro da villa, Edificio Vilamarina, Lojo 58, 8125-403, Vilamoura.
- Ends -
Notes for Editors
The new Portugal Buying Guide and Smart Currency Exchange office opens on Tuesday 23rd September at 5pm, with a launch party at:
O Cesteiro,
Avenida Cerro da villa,
Edificio Vilamarina, Loja 84,
8125- 403, Vilamoura
Please RSVP to marina@overseasguidescompany.com or +351 932 277 565
Marina Pasquill, Country Manager at www.PortugalBuyingGuide.com, is a well-known industry expert across Portugal. She recently joined the Portugal Buying Guide from Ideal Homes, a leading Portugal real estate agent, where she was Managing Director. She worked her way up from marketing manager at the very beginning of the company, when they only had a team of five people, to run the 22-strong business. During this time, Marina learned all about how the property market works in Portugal, including local laws, licensing, and critically, how to buy and sell property successfully.
Marina has lived in Portugal for four years, having made the move to offer a better quality of life to her daughter, who is thriving, thanks to the good schools, fresh air, and all that this fantastic country has to offer. Following a career in retail management in the UK, Marina's first role in Portugal was working on one of the Algarve's most prestigious golf courses, where she started to build her network. This led to a sales role in websites and search engine optimisation, which in turn led her to The Portugal News. Through this publication's focus on UK nationals moving to and buying in Portugal, Marina continued to build her network of property and legal experts from Guia to Albufeira, leading to her work in building the business at Ideal Homes.
Marina has a degree in Business and Law, which has been put to good use. Most importantly, she loves meeting and talking to people, helping them to follow their dreams and find a better life in Portugal.
The Overseas Guides Company: Creators of www.PortugalBuyingGuide.com, the Overseas Guides Company is the official guide partner for Rightmove Overseas and winner of the OPP Gold Best Media Award in 2013, and Bronze Award in 2012. The Overseas Guides Company was launched in 2005, and since then has gone from strength to strength, becoming the foremost media portal and resource for anyone looking to buy property or move overseas.
In addition to the UK Resource Centre, which offers free information over the phone (020 7898 0549), the OGC publishes in-depth, unbiased Buying Guides for 15 countries across the globe, regular newsletters and information bulletins for overseas property buyers.
The Overseas Guides Company Partner Network connects readers to a range of trusted professionals who are experts in the international property buying and selling process, including property agents, financial and legal advisors. To ensure information is current and first-hand, the company has a growing team of expat writers, who offer first-hand information and an in-depth understanding and of what life is like in their country of residence.
Smart Currency Exchange: Smart Currency Exchange is an FCA-authorised international money transfer specialist with over ten years' experience in the overseas property market. Smart Currency has built on founding values of customer-centricity and harnessing overseas property expertise to help over 20,000 clients in the UK to better understand the risks of exchange rate volatility to save money on currency costs, transferring over £3 billion for clients to destinations all over the world. Unique in the industry, Smart Currency do not remunerate their traders on commission, but on customer satisfaction and retention, meaning they offer personalised, impartial client service.
Crucial to this is an in-depth understanding of the overseas property buying process, supporting clients from start to finish. Smart Currency also partners with legal experts, agents and financial advisors to help make their overseas property purchase as smooth and straightforward as possible.
All writers and industry experts at both the Overseas Guides Company and Smart Currency Exchange are available for media comment on aspects of buying, selling, or living abroad.
Media contacts:
Jackie Nicholls, Public Relations:
jackie@overseasguidescompany.com, 0207 898 0549
Rachael Kinsella, Public Relations:
rachael@overseasguidescompany.com, 0207 898 0549
Marina Pasquill, Portugal Buying Guide Country Manager